Can Kenseth break the Johnson stronghold?
The deal: If there’s one driver who can challenge Jimmie Johnson at Lowe’s it’s Matt Kenseth, writes Monte Dutton of the Gaston Gazette. Kenseth won his first Cup race at Lowe’s and, despite his run-in with Tony Stewart during last week’s all-star race, has the ability to stay out of trouble and outlast most opponents. “I always like coming to Charlotte,” Kenseth said. “It’s a really long race, so it’s probably the one I look forward to and enjoy more than any other race. For me, it’s one of the biggest races of the year.” Kenseth was running third last week when he and Stewart got together. Why we care: Much has been made of the smaller fuel cells, and what factor the increased number of pit stops will have on the drivers.