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News Kenseth Wraps Up 2009 Season with 13th-Place Run at Homestead-Miami Speedway HOMESTEAD, Fla. (Nov. 22, 2009) - Matt Kenseth and the No. 17 DEWALT Race team concluded the 2009 season with a 13th-place finish in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. In a season highlighted by back-to-back wins on the frontend, including a victory in the famed Daytona 500, Kenseth and the team rallied to finish 13th in the Ford 400; posting their 21st top-15 finish of the season. "The DEWALT Team did a good job today," said Kenseth, who ran as far back as 37th early in the race while battling a ‘tight‘ handling race car. "We were able to make the car better as the race went on. We would have liked to have finished better and it‘s disappointing to finish 13th, but we‘ll have to keep building on what we have and come back stronger next season and look to compete each week." Kenseth started the race 34th after struggling in qualifying on Friday. He fell as far back as 37th early in the race; dropping a lap down to the leader on lap 52. However, the team was able to rally; earning the ‘lucky dog‘ on lap 99, while still running back in 32nd position. From there they were able to pick up several positions on pit road, while using a series of adjustments to continue to make the Fusion better. By lap 126 Kenseth and the team had used a combination of quick pit work and pit strategy to move the DEWALT Ford inside the top 15. By lap 200 the No. 17 Ford Fusion was turning some of the fastest times on the 1.5-mile track. Kenseth would run as high as 11th en route to the top-15 finish. With the finish, Kenseth ends the season with two wins, seven top-five and 12 top-10 finishes. He finished inside the top 15 in 21 of the 36 races and ran inside the field‘s top 20 in 26 of 36 events. The team ends the season 14th in the Sprint Cup point standings. The race was the final for DEWALT on the No. 17 Ford, after 10 years of serving as the primary sponsor on the car. During that span the duo of Kenseth and DEWALT teamed to forge one of the most successful partnerships in NASCAR history, winning the 2000 Rookie of the Year award, the 2003 Sprint Cup Championship and the 2009 Daytona 500. The 2010 NASCAR season will kickoff on Feb. 6 at Daytona International Speedway with the Budweiser Shootout. Kenseth and the No. 17 team will look to defend their Daytona 500 crown the following week on Feb. 14.