Kenseth

HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- Before Matt Kenseth came along, Benny Parsons was the only driver to take a Winston Cup title despite winning only one race.

Parsons' recollection of his 1973 season -- "consistent" -- sounds much like Kenseth's year, too.

"I could have bad luck, yet I'd always manage to finish in the top 10," Parsons said Sunday.

Kenseth had 25 finishes in the top 10 this season, and 11 in the first five in the 36-race season. He failed to finish only two races -- including Sunday, when his Ford's engine blew after just 28 laps in the season-ending race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

"It didn't really give us an indication -- something just broke," said Kenseth, who clinched the points title a week earlier. "It's real disappointing."

Although Kenseth has drawn criticism for his steady yet unspectacular season, Parsons vehemently defended the man who has joined him in NASCAR trivia.

"People who don't follow our sport say, 'How can he be the champion when he's won one time, and we've got a guy (Ryan Newman) who's won eight times? How can that be?"' Parsons asked. "But you poll the people inside this (pit row) fence, and (Kenseth) is the champion."

Homestead changes
Sunday's Ford 400 was the first race held at Homestead-Miami Speedway since the track underwent a $10 million renovation earlier this year.

The track increased its banking in the turns, designed to create three competitive racing grooves.

The previous banking was a nearly flat six degrees. Drivers were able to go two-and three-wide in the turns on Sunday, something they had not been able to do in past visits.

"It was really, really fast," race winner Bobby Labonte said. "I think the guys here did a great job with making a race track that was great to race on. ... This thing had a groove."

Track officials used a variable-degree banking system to create the new turns. The banks range from 18 degrees at the bottom of the turn's midpoint to 20 degrees at the top.

"It reminds you of the tracks like Charlotte, Atlanta, Michigan, California, places like that," Labonte said. "But it has its own uniqueness. This is the track of the future. It's going to only get better."

The track also added new SAFER barriers on the turns to lessen impact. Michael Waltrip, who crashed out of the race on lap 74, commended the new walls.

"They'll soon refer to these guys who used to race around this track with concrete walls around them as pioneers," said Waltrip, who rammed the wall after being bumped from behind. "These SAFER barriers, I can't overemphasize or overstate, how significant it was that they were out there."

Rough day for Roush
Roush Racing endured a day it would like to forget, with two drivers put out by accidents, another slowed by a collision and Kenseth blowing an engine. Only Jeff Burton persevered, finishing 14th.

Kurt Busch was the first to go, when a three-car accident on the fourth lap sidelined him for a spell. He returned to finish 36th, costing him 10th place in the season standings by 12 points.

Kenseth's engine failure took him out after 34 laps, and rookie Greg Biffle wrecked on lap 200 after he cut down a tire. Mark Martin, tangling with Ward Burton, went out 44 laps later.

Also, Ricky Rudd -- running with a Roush engine -- was forced out with mechanical problems 15 laps from the finish.

Jack Roush said his crews were experimenting with different engine settings.

"Everybody held hands when we did that," he said. "But we've got to get better for next year."

Fine farewell
Johnny Benson made the most of his last ride in the No. 10 Valvoline Pontiac.

Benson finished fourth in his best race of the season; his previous best was a fifth-place finish at Dover, Del., in June.

MB2 Motorsports team owner James Rocco has decided to replace Benson in 2004, signing Scott Riggs from the Busch series.

Starter Serena
Tennis star and South Florida resident Serena Williams was the honorary starter for Sunday's race.

"As fast as I drive, I think I could be a race car driver," Williams said. "I think I missed my calling."

A self-proclaimed NASCAR fan, Williams had previously been to the Daytona 500 and said she had been eager to return to another race and wave the starting flag.

"I couldn't believe how exciting it was and how thrilling it was to see the cars go around the track," said Williams, who was wearing a self-designed revealing shirt with racing patches on the arms.

Williams, who has won four grand slam titles on the court the last five years, said her favorite drivers are Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Spark plugs
CART champion Paul Tracy was in attendance as a guest of the Ford Motors Co. ... This was the last NASCAR competition for Pontiacs. General Motors will race only Chevrolets next year. ... It also was the last race for Unocal 76 after 53 years as the exclusive fuel supplier for NASCAR. Sunoco will replace Unocal in 2004.