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Reading, PA EagldTimes Piedinp MaI Ir.. Saturday SAT e6,369 AUG 28, 1999 1111111i111111111111111111111IIIIIII ill N51310 rRP.sSCGIPrINGS Kenseth scores Bristol victory  Dominating run helps Matt Kenseth close in on Busch Grand National points leader Dale Earnhardt Jr., who finishes third. From our news services Matt Kenseth chipped into Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s NASCAR Busch Grand National points lead Friday night with a dominating victory in the Food City 250. Kenseth led twice for 169 of the 2501aps, including the final 93 cir- cuits around Bristol Motor Speed- way, for his fourth victory of the season. He finished about four car lengths ahead of Michael Waltrip. It was another 12 car-lengths back to Earnhardt in third place. Kenseth, who came to Bristol's .533-mile, high-banked oval trail- ing Earnhardt by 89 points, cut his deficit to 69 with eight events left on the 34-race schedule. "That's not much," Kenseth said, "but the main thing is we're back in Victory Lane." Earnhardt, bidding for his sec- ond consecutive Grand National title, had won 5-of-9 races heading to Bristol, but was no match for Kenseth, who started third and never strayed too far from the lead. "We were just not as strong as Matt," Earnhardt said. "I was try- ing to save it the first 501aps, and then the last 50, I didn't have any- thing left for Matt. To come home third was not a bad deal for us, though." Earnhardt started fifth and stayed near the fiont all ntght, but he never was able to get the lead. That honor belonged almost exclu- h'tUT['tR SPORTS sively to Kenseth over the last half of the race. "We haven't had the best of times lately," Kenseth said. I was wondering if we ever would get back in Victory Lane, but thanktLl- ly we did." The field was bunched by a se- ries of late caution flags, but each time Kenseth would get a good jump on the restart and build a lead of 6-8 car-lengths after just one lap. Waltrip closed the gap with 15 laps left but was unable to pull even, and Kenseth surged out to a lead of several carlengths over the f nal eight laps. IRL  Al Jr. visits: AI Unser Jr. paid an informal visit to Pikes Peak In- ternational Raceway Friday,.hud- dling with his cousin, driver Robby Unser, and chatting with car owner Rick Galles, for whom he once drove. Unser, a two-time CART cham- pion who hasn't won on that circuit since 1995, is lo 'ng for a ride next season. H' contract with Reading-base Pgr,ske-ends a er this season. Unser said he is talking to po- tential owners in three circuits: CART, the Indy Racing League and NASCAR Winston Cup. His father, Al Unser, a four-time Indy 500 winner who is a driving coach and consultant for the IRI„ said he would love for his son to join him on the circuit but insisted he would not try to influence his ' decision.