If Winston Cup drivers were asked to list the three calmest, most collected competitors in the series, Matt Kenseth's name would be on virtually everyone's list.

Compared to the fire of Tony Stewart, the 'aw-shucks' demeanor of Jeff Gordon or the hip-hop generation face of Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kenseth is the iceman of Winston Cup. He rarely deviates from a controlled and centered personality. He speaks monotone, with very little inflection, often leaving listeners to wonder what he's really thinking or what he really means. He rarely gets rattled behind the wheel, and when he does, you'd be hard-pressed to see it in his face.

He doesn't punch out fellow drivers, he doesn't attack reporters or photographers, he doesn't hang around with the likes of Limp Bizkit or Britney Spears. Kenseth is so non-controversial that some reporters have called him boring.

But if boring means being as consistent as Kenseth has been for most of this season, give me boring any time.

That's why we've seen so little reaction in the last two weeks from the current points leader. Even though he's lost a combined 177 points off his lead in his last two races -- 82 at Talladega and 95 at Kansas -- he still maintains a fairly strong hold on the standings, leading his closest challenger, Kevin Harvick, by a substantial 259-point margin with six races left (after leading by as many as 436 points heading into Talladega).

But what little emotional response we've seen from Kenseth after his last two outings -- his worst finishes of the season -- doesn't mean there isn't concern belying the undemonstrative look on his face. With a championship nearly within his grasp, Kenseth continues to display a stone-cold poker face that would be the envy of any high-rolling Las Vegas gambler.

Even if he's dealt a lousy hand, as has been the case the last two weeks, Kenseth continues to cast a gaze that increasingly makes people wonder what exactly he's thinking, and even more importantly, what he and his team may have up their sleeves for the final sixth of the season.

	Do you see any panic anywhere in this face?

Don't be fooled by the face; this is still Winston Cup racing, and it's a safe bet that Kenseth and everyone around him is not taking the recent course of events lightly. I've seen a lot of determined teams over nearly 20 years of covering motorsports, and I'd rank the Roush Racing group among the best when it comes to attacking a problem collectively.

They want this championship in the worst way, and rightly so. However, I have to raise a red caution flag … and I'm sure it's one that has been waving conspicuously in the garage and boardroom of Roush Racing headquarters in Concord, N.C., since the Talladega finish. More than anything, this is not a time for Kenseth, crew chief Robbie Reiser or anyone else in the Roush organization to panic. Sure, Kenseth has lost roughly 40 percent of his points in just the last two weeks, but that 259-point lead still is a lot.

And, what's more, if he can shake off the poor performances he's had the last two weeks and return to the incredible consistency that he displayed in the previous 25 races, his recent run of bad luck will look like nothing more than a hiccup by the end of the season.

Admittedly, the Roush organization can't help but feel increasing pressure in light of Kenseth's struggles. After all, it's been down this road several times before and always came up short.

Consider: Mark Martin, who was the team's first original full-time driver when Jack Roush formed his first Winston Cup team in 1988, has been the organization's top driver overall. He's come close to winning the championship four times (1990-1994-1998-2002), yet at the end of each of those seasons, he was forced to be content with finishing runner-up to the eventual champion (Dale Earnhardt in 1990 and 1994, Jeff Gordon in 1998 and Tony Stewart last season).

Martin also finished fourth three times: 1989, 1993, 1997 and 1999.

And then there's been Martin's teammates, Jeff Burton, who finished third in 2000, and Kurt Busch, who was third last season.

Add all those together, and the Roush group has earned 10 top-three season finishes since forming 15 years ago, yet is still seeking its first Cup title. At the same time, Kenseth has done what no other driver within the organization has been able to do: lead and dominate the points for 27 consecutive weeks. The lone remaining question is whether he can finish with the title in hand.

The way I see it, Kenseth will continue to display his iceman-like demeanor and won't let the last two races significantly rattle him.

What else can Kenseth do now but go out, give it his best shot and let the chips fall where they may? He's done everything possible to get his team this far. From this point forward, he's merely along for the ride; only time will tell whether that ride reaches its intended destination or falls short.

Jerry Bonkowski covers NASCAR for ESPN.com. He can be reached at Motorsportwriter@MSN.com.