Matt Kenseth
Wisconsin’s Matt Kenseth has lost his front-row starting spot for Sunday’s Daytona 500. The Cambridge native got into a six-car crash on the final lap of Thursday night’s second 150-mile qualifying race.
Kenseth will have to use a backup car for Sunday’s Sprint Cup season opener, and that means he’ll start at the bottom of the 40-car field for the Great American Race, losing the number-two spot he earned in last Sunday’s pole qualifying.
Kenseth led for 23 laps and was in second for 22 more before the crash sent him, Martin Truex Junior, Jimmy Johnson and A-J Allmendinger to the infield care center. All four escaped injury.
Paul Menard of Eau Claire finished second-to-last after his engine overheated. He’ll start 37th on Sunday.