Father knows best ... Kenseth vs. Kenseth
Like father, like son.
St. Bede Academy junior Ross Kenseth grew up in the shadow of racing along side his dad, 2003 Winston Cup champion Matt Kenseth, before eventually starting a racing career of his own.
On Sunday, the two Kenseths had a family first as they squared off against each other for the first time in a pair of 50-lap Late Model feature races at the Madison International Speedway. The event was dubbed “Kenseth vs. Kenseth” by the race promoter, who was none other than Kenseth family patriarch Roy Kenseth, Matt’s father. (The race between the father-son duo may be the first to take place on a track, but some Farm and Fleet commercials starring the pair have already illustrated their shopping-cart racing prowess.)
The elder Kenseth showed his experience, posting first-place finishes in both races on Sunday. Ross showed that he was indeed a chip off the old block, as he finished second and sixth in the two features to take an overall second-place finish.
“I thought I had realistic dreams of beating him,” Ross told the Wisconsin State Journal Sentinel after the race . “I thought we could’ve had him. I don’t like to lose at all, much less to someone I know pretty well.
“I lost to a Cup champion, so it’s not really a big deal. I wish I could’ve had something for him and maybe raced a little harder, but it didn’t happen.”
While Ross was a little upset with finishing second to his father, it’s clear to see he has a great drive for competition. He will be bringing that passion for winning to the hardwood at St. Bede when he suits up for the Bruins’ basketball team this year.
His father said the experience and pressure of the race will be a bonus to Ross’s racing career.
“I know his car wasn’t like he wanted the whole time he was here,” Matt told the Journal-Sentinel. “And honestly, there was probably a little pressure on him. There have been a lot of people giving him a hard time about racing against me. He usually runs here, and I don’t … all that kind of stuff.
“So I think there was a little extra pressure on him, and he was disappointed with his car from the first lap to the last lap. So I think that was a learning experience for him. I didn’t put any pressure on him. We were just doing it for fun. But I think there was some unseen pressure on him, which I think is a good learning experience.”
As Ross continues in racing, he will hopefully have a few more chances to take on his old man, and get the victory he is looking for. If he keeps on improving, it just might come somewhere down the road in a Nascar Sprint Cup race.
Chris Yucus is a sports writer for the BCR. He can be contacted at cyucus@bcrnews.com.
