Poor Matt

By Mark Young

I read the article on the front page of the mother ship last night that Jim Utter wrote called "When Do You Say That It's Over?" http://www.thatsracin.com/mld/thatsracin//15997555.htm where he wrote about the chances Matt Kenseth and Kevin Harvick have at winning the NEXTEL Cup on Sunday at Homestead and to say the least I was disappointed.  Matt was asked if he was optimistic about his chances and his response was "No, not really".  In fact, it kind of ticks me off that he has all but conceeded the championship to Jimmie Johnson when there are 40 other drivers and teams out there that would give anything to be where his team sits right now.

o63 points is not impossible to overcome, but when you talk like it is already over that number might as well be 630.  Has Matt forgotten all of the weird things that have happened during the 35 races he has run since Daytona back in February?  Sure it will take a little luck and a lot of help but with the right attitude it could be overcome.  What do those kind of comments mean to the hundreds of people that build those cars, tune those engines, and bust their butts during race weekend?

A race car driver is like the quarterback on a football team.  He is the heart and soul of the team and his attitude trickle downs to the rest of the team.  To come out in the media and talk about how badly the team has run sends a message that he has given up.  Conversely Kevin Harvick is talking about how they are out there having fun and working hard to get the best finish they can.  Granted they are riding a wave of jubilation following another win at Phoenix but I truly believe a positive attitude makes a ton of difference.

If Matt has already cashed in the season it is truly a shame.  He and the team have had a great season, one that guys like Kyle Petty, Dave Blaney, and Michael Waltrip would do anything to have a taste of.  Tony Stewart could have thrown in the towel after Richmond when he didn't make the Chase but instead they went out and worked harder, dominated races, and are reminding people that they are still there hungry for wins.