Chat Transcript
CBS SportsLine.com
February 15, 2001

Rogers was runner-up for rookie-of-the-year in 2000. (Keystone Marketing)

Kenseth won the season opener in Daytona Beach in 2000. (Keystone Marketing)

Check out what NASCAR Busch Series drivers Matt Kenseth and Clay Rogers had to say during their live chat.

Kenseth had a great 2000 racing season. He drove for both the Busch and Winston Cup Series. After competing 10 Busch Series races, he already had eight top-10 and seven top-five finishes. He won the season opener in Daytona Beach and won the pole award at the Atlanta Motor Speedway in March.

The 20-year old Rogers begins his first year in the Busch Series after is first full season with the United Speed Alliance Racing Hooters ProCup Series. He finished seventh in the points standings and was runner-up for rookie-of-the-year. He finished in the top-five nine times and top-10 11 times in 20 races. Chat transcript below.

Matt Kenseth: Hi! Thanks for joining us tonight.

Clay Rogers: Hi everybody. Be easy on me, this is my first chat.

Question: aimee: I read that the key to winning a championship in NASCAR is consistency - do you both agree with that and how do you achieve that consistency?

Matt Kenseth: You need that and performance. You have to finish every race and to be a champion you have to finish in the top 5 of every race. Those are the 2 keys to winning.

Clay Rogers: I think consistency is important in winning and going after a championship. But having never competed at this level, I think you have to go out and try to win every week, not just finish. Like Labonte and them did last year.. they ended up on top.

Question: nasfan: Your season lasts from February thru mid-November. How do you prepare yourself for that long of a season?

Matt Kenseth: Good question! It is hard to prepare for until you go through it and realize what is involved and how many weeks you are on the road. It is hard until you do it.

Clay Rogers: I have never competed in a season this long. From the outside looking in it is glamour and fun and a dream. But being here in Daytona since Monday has given me a taste of the grueling hours the teams spend. And this is just the first week of the year! As far as preparing? I don't know if you -can- do such a thing.

Question: visinefan: How similar are you guys?

Clay Rogers: Unfortunately we haven't driven the same car on the same track. I was looking forward to seeing if my style compared to Matt's and see if we can complement one another. I am looking forward to it.

Matt Kenseth: From watching the tests I think we will run similar setups and have similar styles.

Question: lynxms17: How do you get from race to race and engagement to engagement during the season?

Matt Kenseth: Usually we fly. They have us going from coast to coast and everywhere so we fly.

Question: evernham: When did each of you start driving and when did you know that would be your career?

Matt Kenseth: I started racing at 16. It was something I always wanted to do and was doing it full time when I was 24. I always wanted it to be my career but wasn't sure it could be until about 2-3 years ago.

Clay Rogers: I started racing at 8 with go karts. That is about all I have ever done is race. I have been working on karts and legacy cars and when I won my first race I realized that is what I wanted to do. If it is going to be my career this is the year I find out if I have what it takes.

Question: aimee: Matt, how big an honor was it to be named Rookie of the Year last year?

Matt Kenseth: It was a big honor and something we all shot for last year. It is different than winning a race or a championship. We are racing 7 drivers and trying to measure up to the others. I never thought about Rookie of the Year until the year was about over.

Question: evernham: Clay, how ready are you for your first full season in the Busch Series?

Clay Rogers: That is a hard one to answer. This season will be a partial season with 12 races. I have to go out and get the experience and prepare for next year if this one goes well. We expect it to go well.

Matt Kenseth: In other words, He's ready!

Clay Rogers: Yeah, lets Rock and roll!

Question: mcqueen: Matt, what track on the circuit do you like best?

Matt Kenseth: There are a lot I like a lot. If I had to pick one, Dover. Or Darlington is good. So is Charlotte.

Question: visinefan: Clay, are you learning a lot from Matt?

Clay Rogers: Well, Matt has so many commitments that I haven't had much time with him. He stays busy. We spent some time together last week at Rockingham and gave me pointers with what the car may or may not do and everything he said came true. He's been there and remembers being a rookie. He is fresh from being a rookie and can hopefully help me learn. It's not too long ago he was in my position.

Question: kenseth17: I hate to ask this question but did the deaths of Kenny and Adam have any impact on you and kinda get you scared of what could happen to anyone on the track?

Matt Kenseth: Of course it always has an impact. There are a lot of negatives there since they happened at the same track and all. They are looking to make the track and the cars safer and yeah...you think about it every time you go to the racetrack.

Clay Rogers: I raced against Adam in Gokarts and before his death I was looking forward to racing against him again. It isn't something *I* think about. You try to block that out and think of the good things. You would be crazy to say it doesn't lurk in your mind. But you try to do your best. Matt is good in that respect, looking into a lot of good safety equipment. The guys are good about doing what I want in the car, as far as placement to make me feel safer in the car when I am out on the racetrack.

Question: aimee: What do you guys think of the new tracks at KC and Chicago?

Matt Kenseth: I think it is exciting. Kentucky is a new one also. I am excited to go to Chicago, since it is only 2 hours or so from where I grew up in Wisconsin. Clay is running the Kentucky track and can tell you some about that.

Clay Rogers: Like Matt said I will run Kentucky. I have studied it some but haven't tested it yet. I have talked to people who have tested it. The asphalt is good. A good smooth track with a lot of grip. I'm sure it will prove to be some good racing.

Question: evernham: What has been the biggest wins for each of you so far?

Matt Kenseth: My first Busch series win at Rockingham when we didn't have a sponsor or anything on the car.

Clay Rogers: I guess the biggest was when I had the opportunity to run for the biggest purse in October in Concord. It was a $55,000 series and the biggest ever then. You had to win one of the 2 races before to qualify. It was exciting to run for that kind of money and claim a little piece of history.

Question: legit: What veteran drivers do each of you look up to?

Matt Kenseth: I look up to Mark Martin. He helped me get where I am. He's a teammate with a lot of experience and helps not just with the on track stuff but the business stuff and what goes on behind the scenes.

Clay Rogers: That is a tough one for me. I don't really look at veterans that way. The people I look up to are Matt and Dale Jr. The way they carry themselves and they are where I want to be. They have goals like I have. I sit back and look at how they have done things, they are both younger and are serious about their racing. That is what I look up to. They are serious about their racing and their winning and that is all I have to say about that.

Question: mcqueen: Do you think that all possible safety measures are taken in the pits? And if not...what improvements would you like to see?

Matt Kenseth: In the pits they are pretty safe. A good speed limit, the guys wear their safety equipment. A lot of it is in the drivers hands, to watch where they are going. But the gas men don't always wear the helmets and all. They should be required to wear all the fireproof gear.

Clay Rogers: I haven't had a chance to see much what is going on during the Busch and Winston Cup races. So I wouldn't have much to add.

Question: rebelfan: There has been a lot of talk this week about the Fords being at a disadvantage at Daytona. What are your feelings on this matter?

Matt Kenseth: I think they are! I would almost guarantee that Ford is not going to win unless there are rules changes. Unless Dodges break down and all. Barring that, they don't have much of a chance.

Question: visinefan: Do either of you like other sports besides racing?

Matt Kenseth: I like to watch NFL football. And that is about it, besides racing.

Clay Rogers: I watch the Super Bowl and the NCAA basketball finals. But other than that I am not into any other sports. I will get on any station that has racing. Cars, cycles, boats.. if it is racing, I am going to watch it.

Clay Rogers: I appreciate the questions and hopefully I will do a good job for the Visine Chevrolet team and keep Matt's tradition of winning with Reiser Enterprises alive. Matt has set goals and I will see what I can do. Enjoy the Rockingham race.

Matt Kenseth: Thanks for talking with us tonight and I'll see you later!