This season’s Daytona 500 champion and Cambridge, Wisc. native, Matt Kenseth, stopped by the W Hotel Lakeshore for a fan event and Q&A hosted by Chicagoland Speedway.
Kenseth, currently second in the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points standings, will return to Chicagoland Speedway this September for the first race in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup (think Stanley Cup playoffs, but NASCAR, this is the second year in a row Chicagoland has kicked it off)– the GEICO 400, September 15-16. Kenseth was last year’s pole winner at Chicagoland Speedway.
The fan event was limited to just 25 spaces and took place in the “Altitude” Lounge on the 33th floor of the hotel. It was rescheduled from February, when the crazy weather delays in Daytona postponed Kenseth’s arrival in Chicago.
This weekend Kenseth will race at Kansas speedway in Sunday’s STP 400. The Kansas City speedway is very similar to the one here in Joliet.
“They’re pretty much sister tracks, built at the same time, same layout, same garage, all that stuff, it’s just that there’s a little less banking in Kansas than there is in Chicago. They’re tearing up Kansas on Monday and paving it after we leave so that will pretty much change everything,” Kenseth said.
The 2009 Daytona 500 winner and 2003 Winston Cup champion talked about what he likes about Chicagoland:
“I’ve always really liked the track, it’s real fast, high bank. The pavement is getting older and wore out which makes for better racing I think, makes for more grooves. Hopefully, they won’t have to pave this one for awhile, cuz they’re paving a lot of racetracks right now and that’s tough to put on a good race that’s exciting to watch on a paved racetrack I think.”
Kenseth is one of the most fan-friendly stars in auto racing, and perhaps in all of sport. You can often find him answering questions from his fans on Twitter (@mattkensenth)
“One thing I really like is that if you don’t have time, you don’t have to sit down and do it everyday at 8 o’clock,” said Kenseth.
“You can do it on your schedule, like this morning I was at the airport waiting for my flight, just sitting there so I started answering questions. I spent a half hour there answering 25 different questions and some people see a different side of me, cuz I’m kind of smart on there sometimes, or sarcastic or whatever you want to use to describe me,” he continued.
“I really enjoy that because I’m not like I am when I’m in front of the camera or at the track, I’m more like myself on there.”
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit ChicagolandSpeedway.com or call 888-629-RACE. Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup tickets start at low as $45. Fans have until April 28 to take advantage of the lowest prices of the season.
Watch the video below featuring Kenseth, Speedway President Scott Paddock, and WGN/Comcast Sports Net’s David Kaplan at the fan meet and greet. They discuss Kenseth’s love for the Green Bay Packers, his favorite tracks to race and other topics.
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