Matt Kenseth knows it takes more than just making the Chase to have a good season. The 2003 Cup Series champion is entering his tenth full season at NASCAR's highest level and has set his sights on the 2009 title.

"The goal is to try to win a championship and to be able to do that you have to make the chase," Kenseth explained, "so that's been the good parts about our season, but we haven't quite been able to do what we wanted to once we got in."

Throughout the first half of the 2008 season, many thought Kenseth and his No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing team would have no shot at making the Chase. Starting the year off on the wrong foot with a 36th-place finish in Daytona, Kenseth struggled to find the consistency he has been known for.

Kenseth almost broke into the top-10 in points by week five, leaving Bristol 11th in the standings, but just five weeks later the Cambridge, Wis.-native had fallen to 22nd in the standings.

"It was a really trying season," Kenseth said of his 2008 campaign. "You look at the numbers and it was probably our worst season since 2001. To me, it was a disappointing season. I think we know we can do better than that. We've got a better group than that. We've got better equipment than that. I think we really underachieved most of the season last year."

Hitting his stride as the season progressed into the second half of the year, Kenseth slowly climbed his way up the series standings and back into contention. The former champion locked himself into the Chase, but suffered a crushing blow in New Hampshire getting caught up in a wreck and finishing 40th.

This type of luck continued throughout the Chase as the lack of consistency that plagued the team during the first half of the season came back when it mattered most. Unable to make it to victory lane in the regular season, Kenseth's closest shot at winning came at Dover when the Roush Fenway brigade fought it out amongst themselves. Greg Biffle made the late pass on Kenseth and took the win, leaving Kenseth winless for the first time since 2001.

While Jeff Gordon's winless season stole the headlines, Kenseth's winless year did not go unnoticed - especially by him. "The bright spot was we made the chase," Kenseth pointed out, "but we didn't win a race for the first time in seven years or something like that and finished out of the top 10 in points for the first time in like seven years so, to me, it was a disappointment."

Working without Robbie Reiser atop his pit box for the first time in his career, Kenseth never could find the right connection with replacement Chip Bolin. Looking to make a change for the better, Drew Blickensderfer made the move from the Nationwide side of the shop to call the shots for Kenseth in 2009.

"We've run Nationwide Series cars for a couple of years together, so I already know Drew pretty well," Kenseth added. "There's not really a 
barrier there to get to know him, but I'm looking forward to it. Chip, I think, is excited that he gets to work on the cars a lot more 
than he's been able to last year and Drew did a great job turning Carl's Nationwide Series effort around last year. It was an eighth- 
to tenth-place car until Drew got there and he turned that thing around into winning eight races and almost caught all the way up and won the championship. Drew is really capable. I think he'll be a good leader. He's young. He's enthusiastic. It's his first Cup job. I think he's gonna really add some enthusiasm to the team and spark to the team and I'm looking forward to that."

Perhaps bringing Blickensderfer up to the Cup level is all this team may need to go from simply a Chase contender to a legitimate championship threat. Kenseth is one of the most consistent and talented drivers to make his way into the Cup Series and don't expect his disappointing 2008 season carry over into 2009.