SUBSTANCE OVER STYLE; Without much fanfare, Matt Kenseth has won four races this season-including two in a row-and is second in the points chase.(Motorsports)

Byline: AL PEARCE

Matt Kenseth deflects the playful dig that NASCAR might change its points system if he wins another championship. And why not? It was never proved, but some series watchers believe the organization was embarrassed when Kenseth won just one race en route to the 2003 Winston Cup. "I'm not even going there,'' Kenseth said, smiling broadly after winning the Sharpie 500 at Bristol. "We've got so much work to do before I can even think about that.''

Fair enough. But while Kenseth is working, think about this: Dismiss him as a legitimate championship contender at your own peril. Granted, Kenseth and crew chief Robbie Reiser are as bland as vanilla yogurt and as compelling as the WNBA. It is rare they get in trouble or make waves. They seldom say anything even remotely memorable. Unlike many of their colleagues, they are more substance than style. Low-key? Well, how low can you go? They've been there and done that. But don't be lulled into thinking they are too, ah, normal, to win another Cup. Don't overlook them in your haste to bet on points-leader Jimmie Johnson or the holy trilogy of Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon. Or anyone else, for that matter.

Kenseth's win at Bristol came six days after he won at Michigan. That one came two weeks after his second-place finish in the Brickyard 400 at Indy. Kenseth gained 117 points on Johnson at Michigan and Bristol, and that is the kind of momentum drivers look for heading into the 10-driver, 10-race Chase for the Cup.

"Right now is the best we've ever run,'' Kenseth said after dominating the final 100 laps at Bristol. "It feels like '03, in that we're not making mistakes. The crew has been really good on pit road, and the car has been prepared well at the shop. We haven't had stuff break. All that compares to how we did in '03, but our cars have been running so much better this year. We were slightly disadvantaged aero-wise in '03, so that was a spectacular year for us. We were real consistent, real competitive, in position to win a lot of ...