Fontana, Calif. — The best part about Ol’ Steady Matty’s start to this season is that he's doing it in such a Kensethian way.

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On Sunday, he became the first driver in a dozen years to start with back-to-back victories—despite really not showin’ much durin’ practice and qualifyin’.

But, when it came down to race day, Kenseth did what he does best: He found a way.

And, the ’09 season, for him, became a win-win situation.

But, that’s Ol’ Steady Matty.

The win at Daytona was Kensethian in that he put himself in the right position at the right time, and the right time for him is the end of the race. He’s very much like David Pearson in that way. The Wood Brothers used to talk about how Pearson would never really show what he had during practice, but when the end of the race was near, so was the Silver Fox, and chances were that he was goin’ to be the first to the finish line.

Who does that sound like?

At Fontana, Kenseth worked his way to the front and then held off a furious charge by Jeff Gordon—a four-time champion, who, by the way, was the last driver to follow up a Daytona 500 win with a victory the followin’ week. And, for the record, Gordon won the championship that year.

Now, two weeks into the season is too early to start thinkin’ about championships—in fact, it’s too early to think about pretty much everything but this weekend’s race at Las Vegas—but Kenseth sure has that championship look about him, doesn’t he?

Back in ’03, when he did win the title, he got the points lead early, and then never, ever let go, carryin’ it a record 33 consecutive weeks to gain Jack Roush’s first-ever Cup title.

Ol’ Sparky saw Ol’ Steady Matty briefly at Fontana, walked up to him, shook his hand, and said, “Let me be the 10,000th person to congratulate you on your Daytona 500 win.”

And, Matt Kenseth, who shuns the spotlight like an inmate escapin’ prison, was very gracious. Surprisingly, he seems to be, well, almost enjoyin’ the responsibilities that come with Daytona 500: TV in New York; TV in California; bein’ pushed and pulled in a million different directions.

That can be pretty difficult for someone who doesn’t seek or relish attention, but Kenseth has handled it like, well, a champion, that champion that he is.

Now, for the record, in NASCAR’s modern era, which is everything that’s happened startin’ with 1972, two other drivers have won the first two races—but the first race of the year was not the Daytona 500. When Richard Petty, in 1973, and Cale Yarborough, in 1977, opened up with two consecutive wins, they were at Riverside first and then Daytona. And, again, for the record, Yarborough went on to win the championship that year.

No driver has ever opened a season with three consecutive victories, but that gives Kenseth something to shoot for this week when the series visits Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Kenseth won there back-to-back (anybody else seein’ a theme developin’ here?) in 2003 and 2004, and his teammate Carl Edwards won there last year.

Carl Edwards, remember him? All he did was win nine races last year to lead the entire series.

And it’s just another one of many race tracks that Jack Roush’s teams own. Roush has six wins in 11 trips.

By the way, anyone but Sparky notice that not only has Ford won the first two of this year, but also three of the last four in 2008? That would be ... well, that would be five in the last six Cup races for Ford and Roush Fenway.

This weekend’s race will be known as the Shelby 427, which pays tribute to the legendary Carroll Shelby.

Oh, and another by the way, despite that second straight victory for Matty, the best car at Fontana probably didn’t belong to Kenseth. And, it didn’t belong to Edwards.

But, it was a Ford Fusion.

The fastest car in southern California last weekend belonged to Greg Biffle, another one of the Sparkster’s all-time personal faves. He is as honest as can be. When he tells you he has a fast car, he has a fast car.

He was disappointed in himself that he didn’t put his No. 16 Ford Fusion on the pole on Friday, and he put that squarely on himself. It was fast, he told Sparky.

And, two days later, his Fusion was turnin’ the fastest lap times many, many times durin’ the race. Unfortunately, he stopped on the air hose durin’ one late pit stop, and lost a number of spots. But, again, runnin’ the fastest lap times in the field, he made up a number of spots before the end, finishin’ fourth.

And, was he upset.

Again, he took all the blame, tellin’ Sparky that it would’ve been easier to take had a lugnut been dropped or somethin’. But, he left California thinkin’ that he had let his teammates down.

This, after finishin’ fourth!

Greg Biffle is goin’ to win his share of races this year.

And, so is Ford.

Right now, the Blue Oval is two for two, and headin’ to Vegas, where it has done very well over the years, startin’ in 1998, when, in the very first race run there, Ford swept the first seven spots and took 13 of the top 14.

Now, that’s not goin’ to happen on Sunday—because there won’t be 13 Fords in the field!

Ol’ Sparky’s tryin’ not to get too far ahead of himself (that’s where the other racers usually are), but after Vegas is Atlanta, a break, and then Bristol.

Five in a row to start the season?

Just watch.

MORE THAN ONE TRICK PONY
Meanwhile, did anybody happen to see what Mike Neff accomplished in his NHRA Ford Mustang Funny Car over the weekend?

Neff’s crew chief, John Medlen, is experiencing some health problems, so he didn’t make the trip to Phoenix. So, Neff, an old crew chief—an old championship-winnin’ crew chief— tuned and drove that Ford Drive One Mustang Funny Car all the way to the finals after qualifyin’ it at No. 2. Tunin’ and drivin’ and winnin’ rounds—man, that’s just like the old days.

Talk about findin’ a way.

That sure sounds like somethin’ Ol’ Steady Matty would’ve done.

Mr. Medlen is truly one of the good guys in all of motorsports, and the Sparkster joins the many who wish him a speedy recovery.

Dear Sparky:

I see you ended up going to Daytona—and Ford broke your winless streak by winning the Daytona 500. You went to Fontana, and Ford won again. So, have you made plans for your trips for all of the races for the rest of the year?

Austin,
Nevada

Well, Austin, Ol’ Sparky’s been around long enough to know that what these Ford racers—especially Matt Kenseth—are doin’ has absolutely nothin’ to do with whether the Sparkster is watchin’ the race from the infield, grandstands, pits or livin’ room sofa. These guys are good and they’re dialed in. Just look at the lineup that is out there right now: Kenseth, a past champion and no doubt future champion; Edwards, who led all drivers in wins last year and seems to be the consensus pick to dethrone Jimmie Johnson this year; Biffle, who’s already won titles in the Truck and Nationwide series; Ragan, who’s future is as bright as Kenseth’s present; McMurray, who has really been a factor, headin’ back to the last three races of last year; Bobby Labonte, another former champion, who’s revvin’ up with Yates Racing; Travis Kvapil, who, with a less-than-fully-sponsored team has raced his way into the first two races (plus, rallied for an unbelievably strong finish at California; and Paul Menard. That’s not even mentionin’ the Wood Brothers and Bill Elliott, who have turned the clock back and are competin—emphasis on competin—in a handful of races this year. Those guys certainly don’t need the Sparkster. But, since the Funny Cars are still Oh-for-2009, so maybe a trip over there might be in the works.