Matt Kenseth holds off late charge for Sprint Unlimited win
By Pete McCole
Posted 10:50PM on Saturday, February 14, 2015
Matt Kenseth held off Martin Truex, Jr. to score the win in Saturday night's NASCAR Sprint Unlimited non-points event at Daytona International Speedway. / Photo: Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR
Just three months after finishing his first winless season in four years, Matt Kenseth got his 2015 Sprint Cup season started off on the right foot with a win in the 37th annual Sprint Unlimited at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday night.<br />
<br />
With help from his new Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Carl Edwards, Kenseth grabbed the lead with 56 laps to go and survived a final four-lap shootout to hold off Martin Truex, Jr. for his first victory in NASCAR's traditional pre-season opener.<br />
<br />
Edwards just barely missed getting second from Truex at the line and settled for third, followed by Casey Mears and Kyle Larson.<br />
<br />
The victory was Kenseth's fifth overall Sprint Cup victory at Daytona and second-straight win for JGR in the Sprint Unlimited after Denny Hamlin took the checkered flag in 2014.<br />
<br />
Despite making the Chase last year, Kenseth endured his first winless season since 2010 but was buoyed by the off-season signing of his former Roush Fenway Racing teammate Edwards, who helped give Kenseth an edge in the late stages of the race.<br />
<br />
"This is a great feeling. It's always fun to win at Daytona for sure