Motorsports FanHouse http://motorsports.fanhouse.com Motorsports FanHouse http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/media/feedlogo.gif Motorsports FanHouse http://motorsports.fanhouse.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Sprint Cup N's & Q's: AMP Energy 500http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/11/04/sprint-cup-ns-and-qs-amp-energy-500/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/11/04/sprint-cup-ns-and-qs-amp-energy-500/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/11/04/sprint-cup-ns-and-qs-amp-energy-500/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Notes, quotes & commentary from a NASCAR weekend at Talladega.

What a weekend it was, huh? Yes, I do have some comments and ideas about the overall product at Talladega this week. I'm going to wait, though, until the end of this post. First, the finer notes on Sunday.

Can anyone make sense of NASCAR's pit road penalties? Had Sunday's race been at another track where track position isn't so easily gained like it is at Talladega, Jimmie Johnson, Ryan Newman, Tony Stewart and eventual race winner Jamie McMurray would have been downright hosed.

And good or bad as it relates to your particular driver, the rule that nabbed them just isn't fair.

The four drivers ended up in a sticky situation when they dropped from 190-plus mph to Talladega's pit road speed of 65 mph on lap 50 to make a pit stop. As they did so, Kurt Busch blew a tire and murdered the pit road commitment cone just in front of them before spinning through the grass.

Jeff Gordon, originally with the aforementioned drivers, swerved back on track and didn't pit after worrying that the caution flag would negatively affect his team's decision to pit. But the other drivers, yards from the pit road commitment line when Busch spun, continued down pit road and some made their pit stops.

Upon further review, NASCAR determined that the four had entered pit road while it was closed -- replays showed the red light activated before they crossed the pit road commitment line, meaning they had indeed done so. The penalty was to restart at the tail-end of the field.

But come on, had those guys made aggressive maneuvers to stay off pit road as Gordon had, they would have all piled up in a hot mess of bent metal. How is it smart for NASCAR to think that the drivers should have made such an ill-advised maneuver?

It's not, frankly, and someone will soon get burned on the rule at a track where it matters like, say, Texas Motor Speedway, the site of this weekend's race.

You've got to feel bad for Joe Nemechek after he was a part of Sunday's first caution.

Nemechek, who is trying to keep his race team afloat this season by pulling the start-and-park pattern, was intending to run his Nemco Motorsports car the distance on Sunday and maybe squeeze out a decent finish to earn some more cash for his generally unsponsored team to keep it racing.

But Paul Menard's tire had another idea as it exploded in turn two on lap 6, shooting Menard into the side of Nemechek and both into the wall. Nemechek wound up 43rd and went home with a destroyed race car.

Do you want to accuse Jamie McMurray of winning a fluky race? Go ahead, but not only does he not care, the stats from the race don't back it up. McMurray led 32 laps Sunday to take home five extra points for leading the most.

Mark Martin came with a completely different attitude to Talladega than his normal "I hate this place" shtick. It worked so well that Martin completed all but one lap and spent time sliding on his roof.

Dude can't catch a break at these restrictor plate joints, I suppose. He did, though, reason on why Talladega has reared into a big, ugly monster that fans love or hate (and from the sound of those comments, its mostly hate right now).

"It used to be we'd come here and it'd be all about speed and power," said Martin, talking about the difference between then and today's uniform set of rules designed with mostly safety in mind, before he identified what's to blame for Talladega's controversies. "Technology has brought us to this."

Very true. And sadly, technology doesn't exactly allow us too many things to fix it.

As promised, some ramblings and questions about Talladega, as a whole. Agree or disagree as you wish.

♦ Single-file lines are not new at Talladega. If you remember back to the fall of 2007 with the same car, Jeff Gordon led all of one lap that day after the race got crazy near the end. But before that, there was plenty of guys (i.e. Gordon) riding in the back to stay out of trouble and single-file lines in the middle of the race.

Heck, I even posted about it on Oct. 8, 2007:
For much too long Sunday, it was obvious drivers were scared to be aggressive or dice for the lead. Single-file packs and drivers purposely staying at the back of the pack to avoid trouble just doesn't cut it at this level.

Jeff Gordon managed to pull off the race win by sailing through the draft after a restart with eight laps to go but for a large majority of Sunday's race, Gordon rode around at times five to seven seconds behind the leader with teammate Jimmie Johnson and other Chase contenders.

That's not racing. That's riding.
Sounds eerily familiar to Sunday, doesn't? Like I said, single-file lines aren't new at Talladega, and we really can't blame NASCAR's no bump drafting in the corners edict for it.

♦ Do you think the fact that Jimmie Johnson skirted through the messes of Talladega and came out with what is really an insurmountable point lead had any factor on fan frustration?

I really think that's part of the case. Had Jimmie wrecked, it might have changed the whole rest of the season. You get the feeling people were banking on that.

♦ Ryan Newman is right. NASCAR Sprint Cup cars don't need to be taking off on their own. Something needs to be engineered -- bigger roof flaps? -- to keep them on the ground.

♦ People that think racing at Talladega without restrictor plates would solve everything couldn't be further from the truth. Going faster means race cars fly better. And when cars fly, they don't have control. And when you don't have control, you don't know where they'll land.

Therein lies the complete problem with going faster at Talladega.

♦ After much thinking about the subject, I think I've nailed down the frustration I felt after Sunday's race. It's simple: Talladega is too predictable in its unpredictability.

Other race tracks have different types of races nearly every visit and there's often quirks that are completely unexpected. NASCAR fans like quirks and the unexpected -- it makes things exciting and fresh to watch.

But at Talladega (I'm not lumping Daytona into this) the formula is simple: Ride, ride, pass, ride, ride, crash, race, crash, checkered flag.

We've gotten so used to the "Big One" and extraordinary crashes that they've become just ordinary and an off-shoot winner -- we should have had three in-a-row going to back to last season's terrible call to rob Regan Smith of the win -- happens more often than not now.

Simply, we've seen three-wide racing so much that we expect it and its not massively thrilling to the longtime viewer. And for the drivers, they've reached the point where they realize that nothing counts until the checked flag waves. Why, then, would they want to ride in peril for three hours?

Can you blame them? I can't.

It's not a good show for the fans, and there's no incentive for the drivers. That leaves one variable on the table: NASCAR.

Love it or hate it, Talladega has reached an interesting point with problems -- not the safety ones -- that really have no clear cut answer.

Sprint Cup N's & Q's: AMP Energy 500 originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:14:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]>Geoffrey MillerWed, 04 Nov 2009 11:14:00 EST McMurray Snaps 86-Race Winless Streakhttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/11/01/mcmurray-snaps-86-race-winless-streak/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/11/01/mcmurray-snaps-86-race-winless-streak/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/11/01/mcmurray-snaps-86-race-winless-streak/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Jamie McMurrayTALLADEGA, Ala. (AP) -- Jamie McMurray was the unlikely winner of an uncharacteristically dull race at Talladega Superspeedway, where a ban on bump-drafting forced most drivers to coast until the end Sunday.

It almost cost three-time defending champion Jimmie Johnson dearly. He puttered around at the back of the pack most of the afternoon and almost ran out of time to charge back through the field.

But when Ryan Newman's harrowing accident with five laps remaining caused a red-flag delay of nearly 13 minutes while Newman was cut out of his car, drivers ahead of Johnson began to run out of gas. He was credited with an eighth-place finish -- enough to likely seal his NASCAR-record fourth consecutive championship.
More Coverage: Amp Energy 500 Results | Sprint Cup Standings

Newman's accident set up a two-lap sprint to the finish, but the race still ended under caution because of another spectacular crash that sent Mark Martin flipping across the race track.

McMurray, stuck in an 86-race winless streak dating to Daytona in July 2007, coasted across the finish line for the third victory of his career.

Kasey Kahne was second, followed by rookie Joey Logano.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

McMurray Snaps 86-Race Winless Streak originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 17:24:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]>FanHouse NewswireSun, 01 Nov 2009 17:24:00 EST So-So Stats Mark McMurray's Roush Erahttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/07/30/so-so-stats-mark-mcmurrays-roush-era/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/07/30/so-so-stats-mark-mcmurrays-roush-era/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/07/30/so-so-stats-mark-mcmurrays-roush-era/#commentsFiled under: ,

Jamie McMurray NASCAR Roush Fenway Racing Sprint Cup pocono raceway Yates Racing GanassiWith his sponsor gone and a pending NASCAR rule ready to dismantle his race team, there's not a bit of surprise in the NASCAR world that Jamie McMurray's time is likely ending with Roush Fenway Racing.

There's no shock, no outcry and nothing being written saying McMurray shouldn't have drawn the short stick in RFR's transition to the NASCAR-mandated four-team cap in 2010, and the reasoning is quite simple.

Why? It's as simple as looking at the incredibly unimpressive numbers Jamie McMurray has compiled since his Roush debut in 2006.

Just to gauge how far off his No. 26 Ford has been since his first Daytona 500 with RFR in 2006, just look at how the Joplin, Mo.-driver has stacked up against the three of his teammates that have been on the RFR roster since McMurray completed his move to Roush.

In a basic stat, teammate Matt Kenseth has earned a whopping 51 more lead-lap finishes than McMurray's 68 in the three and a half year stretch totaling 128 races. Granted, Kenseth likely leads all drivers in the category seeing as how he has failed to finish on the lead lap just 9 times, total.

Another comparison, though, doesn't make McMurray look a whole lot better when he's also placed against other RFR teammates Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards. Biffle has totaled 112 lead lap finishes while Edwards has picked up 104 -- a number that McMurray would only top if Edwards took a one season hiatus and McMurray completed each and every lap of that season.

And yes, all four drivers -- Biffle, Edwards, Kenseth and McMurray -- have competed in the exact same number of races since 2006. The numbers also stack up against each other quite fairly because each RFR team has nearly identical equipment. In fact, since leaving Ganassi Racing after the 2005 campaign, McMurray's average finish has actually gotten worse -- from a 16.2 at Ganassi to a 19.1 at Roush.

Just last season, I pondered what about McMurray still makes him desirable to team owners when his name was being thrown in the NASCAR Silly Season rumor mill.
All those factors aside, though, if you're a car owner are you hiring McMurray?

Sure, the guy has two wins in his career and the argument could be made that he drove for Roush during two of the team's "off" years in Sprint Cup competition, and the crew chief carousel on top of the No. 26 box hasn't helped either.

McMurray seems to be one of the stand up guys in the garage area as he stays out of trouble and doesn't get into many controversies with drivers on track. He's mostly a clean racer and gets an A+ for out-of-the-car sponsor representation.

But is that enough for you? Do you think McMurray deserves another shot at the Sprint Cup level? Can he be a consistent top finisher or just another flash in the pan?

I like McMurray a lot -- what's there to hate? -- but when you look at the numbers, he just hasn't come through. Slow cars at Chip Ganassi Racing was his crutch when Jack Roush signed him for what was reported to be $20 million a year in 2005, but the performance in the Fords at Roush hasn't done much for that.
Truth be told, it'd be pretty easy to state the same case again this time around as the rumors of McMurray's ouster from Roush are seemingly coming together in a firestorm of bad news for the two-time Sprint Cup race winner.

Just months ago, however, it seemed like all the disappointment and all of the unimpressive finishes were starting to disappear from the team.

McMurray finished the 2008 campaign on an especially hot note, piling up 5 Top-10s in the final six races -- including three consecutive third-place finishes to wrap up the season. The No. 26 appeared to be firing on all eight cylinders, but the success didn't even come close to transferring to 2009, just as it has failed to do -- in most part -- for the Roush operation this season.

Questionable, however, was the fact that McMurray's team changed crew chiefs during the latest offseason as Donnie Wingo, former McMurray crew chief from his days at Ganassi Racing, replaced Larry Carter. The move was heavily blessed by McMurray but second-guessed by many who saw McMurray finally put together a string of good races before having the whole system unravel to point A again.

The move hasn't paid off, and now, McMurray has been given the option to talk with other teams as RFR tries to find a sponsorship for him as a satellite operation of Yates Racing. Many have speculated that McMurray's first NASCAR team owner Chip Ganassi is interested in bringing Jamie back to his NASCAR operation, but that tree has yet to bear fruit.

McMurray has certainly had his chance to at least run competitively with his teammates despite Roush weathering a pair of "down" seasons during his tenure, and he's failed to meet those expectations. So, just as a I asked last season, would you hire Jamie McMurray?

It may become null and void if he takes a role with the RFR satellite operation of Yates Racing, but that team appears to be unsponsored and lacking a clear future.

As for me? I'll keep shopping.

So-So Stats Mark McMurray's Roush Era originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Thu, 30 Jul 2009 22:18:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]>FordJamie McMurrayRoush Fenway RacingSprint CupGeoffrey MillerThu, 30 Jul 2009 22:18:00 EST Sprint Cup Notes & Quotes: Richmondhttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/05/03/sprint-cup-notes-and-quotes-richmond/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/05/03/sprint-cup-notes-and-quotes-richmond/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/05/03/sprint-cup-notes-and-quotes-richmond/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Let's take a quick glance at some of the Richmond post-race storylines:

"We lost the brakes."

Jimmie Johnson, as Saturday night at Richmond International Raceway proved, isn't the racing robot with a switch stuck on "Dominate" we've come to think he is after three-straight Sprint Cup titles. Nope, not even at a track where he's won three of the last four events before Saturday night's race.

In fact, it was an all-around miserable night for the No. 48 after brake problems caused him to spin once, get caught up in another crash and then race the rest of the way with a damaged race car. Unfortunately for the rest of the competition, his 36th-place finish won't be a barometer of his 2009 season.

McMurray still leads Roush short track attack

I've pretty much beat the statistic saying that Jamie McMurray's 10th-place Bristol finish was the highest for any Roush-Fenway car at a short track this season to a pulp, but the Missouri driver led the the RFR pack again Saturday night with his 7th-place finish.

"I joked around and said, 'I don't want to have bad luck. I want to have some great luck,' and tonight we got to have some great luck with the way the cautions fell," said McMurray. "It couldn't have went much better for us."

That enthusiasm followed a night where McMurray got wrecked with teammate Carl Edwards, lost a lap, got the free pass and ended up in the Top-5 at one point.

Edwards struggled home to a 26th-place finish with teammates Matt Kenseth in 13th, Greg Biffle in 17th and David Ragan in 23rd.

Hornish Jr. knows how to start the month of May

Almost as if he's turning up the wick before the illustrious Month of May in Indianapolis ahead of the Indy 500, Sam Hornish Jr. has turned in some very nice results lately, including Saturday night's 400-lapper at Richmond.

Hornish, despite a tangle with Kevin Harvick in the middle of the race, drove to a 6th-place finish that included passing a fading Jeff Gordon in the closing laps.

Last week at Talladega, Hornish stuck out the race despite not feeling well at all before getting caught in the second "Big One" and finishing 34th. A week before, he was 9th to earn what was then his only Top-10 finish.

Don't think this is a start of any Hornish-to-Indy speculation, though, as he'll be heading to Charlotte with what promises to be a good outlook. In fact, before getting loose and wrecking in a Nationwide race there last year, he led early.

Sadler: "Lot of work ahead of us"

You could nearly throw a blanket over the Richard Petty Motorsports cars on Saturday night as they crossed the finish line and that, unfortunately, wasn't a good thing.

Reed Sorenson led the team with a 20th, A.J. Allmendinger in 21st, Elliott Sadler in 25th and Kasey Kahne in 29th.

"It's disappointing," said Sadler. "We got behind early and had to battle the entire night trying to get it back. We were back there with our teammates, so there's a lot of work ahead of us."

Right now, that team is a long way from keeping Kasey Kahne and Budweiser around.

Sprint Cup Notes & Quotes: Richmond originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 03 May 2009 18:47:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]>Carl EdwardsCarlEdwardsJamie McMurrayJamieMcmurrayJimmie JohnsonJimmieJohnsonKasey KahneKaseyKahnePenske RacingPenskeRacingRichard Petty MotorsportsRichardPettyMotorsportsRichmond International RacewayRichmondInternationalRacewayRoush Fenway RacingRoushFenwayRacingSam Hornish Jr.SamHornishJr.Sprint CupSprintCupGeoffrey MillerSun, 03 May 2009 18:47:00 EST Talladega Marred by Early 13-Car Wreckhttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/04/26/talladega-marred-by-early-13-car-wreck/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/04/26/talladega-marred-by-early-13-car-wreck/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/04/26/talladega-marred-by-early-13-car-wreck/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

TALLADEGA, Ala. (AP) --The "Big One" hit early at Talladega Superspeedway.

A massive 13-car accident just seven laps into Sunday's race at Talladega Superspeedway took out race favorites and left it open for an unlikely winner to emerge from the field.

The accident started just seven laps into the race near the front of the field when Matt Kenseth appeared to make contact with series points leader Jeff Gordon.

The bump made Gordon's car slide toward the top of the track, and the drivers running around them couldn't avoid the wreck.


"It was a little bit of aggressive driving, but everybody's jockeying for position here in the early laps," Gordon said. "I got squeezed and didn't have anywhere else to go. I saw an opening, went for it, and it closed up in a hurry."

Six of the drivers caught up in the wreck are Chase for the championship contenders. They are Gordon, Kenseth, Kurt Busch, Kasey Kahne, Clint Bowyer and Mark Martin, winner of last week's race at Phoenix.

"It's Talladega. You expect it," Gordon said. "You just hope to survive it."

Kevin Harvick, Casey Mears, Jamie McMurray, Scott Riggs, AJ Allmendinger, David Gilliland, and Brian Vickers were also involved.

"How could it not happen," Martin said. "It's not guys losing control of their cars. It's so many in such a wad that you can't help but move up or down on each other and it starts a wreck."

DYST V3 test

    LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers watches as Mo Williams #2 takes a shoe to the face by Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers after a steal in the closing seconds of the first half at The Quicken Loans Arena on February 8, 2009 in Cleveland, Ohio. (David Liam Kyle, NBAE/Getty Images)

    David Liam Kyle, NBAE/Getty Images

    Brazil's Diogo (L) vies for the ball with Paraguay's Hernan Perez during their U-20 South American Championship football match in Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela on February 8, 2009.(Juan Barreto, AFP/Getty Images )

    Juan Barreto, AFP/Getty Images

    A Dalmatian looks at its handler as a judge goes to touch the dog during the first day of the 2009 Westminster Dog Show in New York February 9, 2009.(Lucas Jackson, Reuters)

    Lucas Jackson, Reuters

    Denver Nuggets forward Chris Anderson touches his head during a time out in the first half of their NBA basketball game with the New Jersey Nets in East Rutherford, New Jersey February 7, 2009. (Ray Stubblebine, Reuters)

    Ray Stubblebine, Reuters

    Margarita Marbler, of Austria, skis to a bronze medal finish the ladies moguls freestyle FIS World Cupskiing qualification at Cypress mountain in West Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2009. (Jonathan Hayward, The Canadian Press/AP)

    Jonathan Hayward, The Canadian Press/AP

    West Virginia guard Darryl Bryant (25) is fouled by Providence guard Jeff Xavier (1) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Morgantown, W.Va. Saturday, Feb. 7, 2009. West Virginia won 86-59. (Don Wright, AP)

    Don Wright, AP

    Missouri's DeMarre Carroll, top, celebrates the Tigers' 62-60 win over Kansas in Columbia, Missouri, Monday, February 9, 2009. (Rich Sugg, Kansas City Star/MCT)

    Rich Sugg, Kansas City Star/MCT

    David Clarkson #23 of the New Jersey Devils fights Erik Reitz #4 of the New York Rangers during their game on February 9, 2009 at The Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey (Al Bello, Getty Images)

    Al Bello, Getty Images

    Driver Patrick Sheltra (60) begins to spin coming out of the fourth turn during the ARCA 200 auto race in Daytona Beach, Fla. Saturday, Feb. 7, 2009.

    Darryl Graham, AP

    Spain's Nuria Llagostera Vives serves the ball, in this multiple exposure, to Iveta Benesova of the Czech Republic during their Fed Cup tennis match in Brno February 7, 2009.

    Petr Josek, Reuters



NASCAR issued a stern warning before the race, telling the drivers to avoid aggressive driving, which is common at Talladega but policed heavily for safety precautions.

Race director David Hoots warned drivers at the prerace meeting to show caution on the track.

"If you're thinking you're getting ready to get too close to crossing over this line then draw back," he said.

Several teams were in the garage trying to repair the cars and get them back on the track and get in more laps in the 500-miles race. Others, like Martin, had already called it a day.

Harvick returned about 50 laps later. Gordon, the points leader, and Kahne also returned.

"Everyone's trying to position themselves," Harvick said. "I don't think it's anybody's fault."

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

Talladega Marred by Early 13-Car Wreck originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 26 Apr 2009 16:57:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]>a.j. allmendingerA.j.Allmendingerbrian vickersBrianVickerscasey mearsCaseyMearsclint bowyerClintBowyerjamie mcmurrayJamieMcmurrayjeff gordonJeffGordonkasey kahneKaseyKahnekurt buschKurtBuschmark martinMarkMartinmatt kensethMattKensethscott riggsScottRiggsFanHouse NewswireSun, 26 Apr 2009 16:57:00 EST Jamie McMurray: Las Vegas Drifting Starhttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/03/01/jamie-mcmurray-las-vegas-drifting-star/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/03/01/jamie-mcmurray-las-vegas-drifting-star/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/03/01/jamie-mcmurray-las-vegas-drifting-star/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Roush Fenway Racing's Jamie McMurray has been under the weather since last Wednesday thanks to a nasty bout with the flu.

Throughout the Las Vegas race weekend, he made several trips to the infield care center for drugs and IV's after previous medications didn't quite work and before the race, he wondered aloud if he could stay focused and on top of his game during throughout the day.

Well, on lap 66 of the 285-lap Shelby 427, McMurray got a major wake-up call.

Driving through turns 1 and 2 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, McMurray's No. 26 Ford got clipped in the rear end by rookie Joey Logano. From there, I'll let the video do the talking:



The contact sent McMurray's rear-end heading towards the wall but thanks to some great moves, he kept the car off the wall and finished the rest of the race with a 9th-place finish.

"I didn't hold it wide open the whole time, but I just modulated the gas pedal and the steering wheel," said McMurray after the race. "I was really worried because I was a little groggy from having a cold and I didn't feel like I was as alert as what I needed to be and when that was over I thought, 'Pretty alert.'"

"Pretty alert" is definitely right.

This isn't the first time McMurray has made a nice save during Sprint Cup competition. Going back a few years to his time with Chip Ganassi Racing, McMurray kept his car from spinning after having it all-but sideways coming off of turn four at Lowe's Motor Speedway during the All-Star event at the track (I believe it was the qualifier race).

For now, though, our only video evidence is his fine piece of driving from Sunday's race at Las Vegas. And for that, I'll say I'm impressed.

Jamie McMurray: Las Vegas Drifting Star originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 01 Mar 2009 19:33:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]>JamieMcMurrayLasVegasLasVegasMotorSpeedwayNASCARVideosRoushFenwayRacingSprintCupGeoffrey MillerSun, 01 Mar 2009 19:33:00 EST Sunday Notes and Quotes: Daytonahttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/02/15/sunday-notes-and-quotes-daytona/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/02/15/sunday-notes-and-quotes-daytona/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/02/15/sunday-notes-and-quotes-daytona/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Here's a few rumblings and bumblings from a soggy evening at Daytona:

Are television viewers more important than full races? I think its a very valid question to wonder why NASCAR is so willing to push the snooze button later and later on Sunday afternoons with the start times of its Sprint Cup Series races.

It was just eight years ago that the Daytona 500 started at 12:30pm local time, while Sunday, it started after 3:40pm local time. The reason? Television ratings and commercial advertising rates go up the later in the day thanks to West Coast viewers and the "prime time" effect kicking in on the East Coast.

Sunday, the late start time produced one good thing: racing under the lights. But it also produced a shortened race that could have been avoided by just starting the race an hour earlier. It did rain Sunday morning at Daytona, but the track was ready to roll by 2 p.m. local time.

I know that its not a perfect system, but when it comes to finishing races or catching viewers -- NASCAR ought to think about what made this sport: competition.
Elliott Sadler was bitterly disappointed with himself following the race despite earning a 5th-place finish.

"You know, it's tough. It's hard to swallow," said Sadler. "But I'm proud of my guys. New team. New pit stops. They all worked out great tonight. To look in their faces when the rain was coming down when I got out of the car, man, that was hard, because I felt like I let them down."

The 5th-place finish for Sadler wasn't as bad as it could have been Sunday night. Just over a month ago, he had been removed from his ride before later being reinstated.
Joey Logano's weekend ended pretty appropriately for the troubles he had throughout Speedweeks. The 18-year-old lost it coming off turn four on lap 79 and pounded the inside wall head-on before spinning into the infield grass.

Logano had never been to Daytona in a race car, and it showed. He made contact with the wall several times throughout his time here and even had Kyle Busch get in the car on Friday to try and make it handle better and run faster. Sunday, he lost the lead draft early in the event.
Jamie McMurray's strong run ended with a multi-car crash that took out what was probably the strongest Roush Fenway Ford for the early part of the race. McMurray never led, but was a constant figure in the Top-10 before getting tangled in the Dale Earnhardt Jr.-Brian Vickers mess on lap 125.

"I was getting run into from the abck and I'm hitting the guy in front of me, and it looked like someone got spun around in the right," said McMurray. "I drove really well and we had some awesome horsepower this weekend from Yates and all those guys.

"Sometimes, it's just not your day."
FanHouse in Daytona officially comes to a close Sunday night, and its sure been a fun ride. It's been an incredible four days hanging around the grounds of NASCAR's most-famous track and to feel the energy that this race brings and the passion that the competitors put in to winning it makes this race second-to-none.

I hope you've enjoyed our coverage this weekend and we'll certainly look forward to bringing plenty of NASCAR news, notes and opinions as the 2009 season gets started and for the rest of the year. Holly and I will be both be at-track for a number of races in 2009, and we hope you'll be along for the ride.

Next week? Stop by for plenty of analysis of the news from Auto Club Speedway.

See you then.

Sunday Notes and Quotes: Daytona originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 15 Feb 2009 22:09:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]>DaytonaDaytona500ElliottSadlerFanHouseinDaytonaJamieMcMurrayJoeyLoganoGeoffrey MillerSun, 15 Feb 2009 22:09:00 EST Harvick Snags Wild Bud Shootout Winhttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/02/07/harvick-snags-wild-bud-shootout-win/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/02/07/harvick-snags-wild-bud-shootout-win/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/02/07/harvick-snags-wild-bud-shootout-win/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Kevin Harvick has found the key to winning the biggest races at Daytona International Speedway: lead as few laps as possible. Harvick, who won the 2007 Daytona 500 after leading just four laps, led just one Saturday night en route to winning his first Bud Shootout.

His improbable win was just the tip of the iceberg on a wild, full moon Florida night as 28 of NASCAR's stars knocked the dust of the steering wheel in the season-opening exhibition.

"I say we have offseasons from November to February every year," said Harvick. "That was the most exciting race I've been a part of in a long time."

Opting to wait out what proved to be a crash-heavy race, Harvick stayed towards the back of the pack during most of the race before charging to the front when it really mattered.

The 75-lap affair under the lights on the high banks of Daytona's 2.5-miles truly lived up to its wild expectations, after an off-season with limited testing, multiple driver moves and an interesting draw for Shootout starting positions left the the events scheduled to take place following the drop of 2009's first green flag with a myriad of questions.

The race -- the longest in the history of the season-opening event thanks to NASCAR's new format for 2009 -- featured a record eight caution flags. The final yellow flag sealed the deal for Harvick as drivers behind him tangled in Turn 3 of the last lap.

The final wreck happened during a two-lap, green-white-checkered finish after Jimmie Johnson and Casey Mears made contact entering the second-to-last corner. Johnson's car slammed the outside wall as Mears spun, collecting Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin while fourth-place finisher Jeff Gordon slipped past the carnage. Gordon's move was the second time that the two-time Shootout winner narrowly escaped a crash Saturday night.

The final crash froze the field immediately, per NASCAR's rulebook, after the yellow flag was displayed -- giving Harvick the win and leaving Jamie McMurray second, Tony Stewart third, Gordon fourth and A.J. Allmendinger an impressive fifth. The race finished in a green-white-checkered fashion, thanks to a crash with just three laps to go involving David Stremme and Greg Biffle coming off turn four.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., as is usual at Daytona, looked strong early by leading 24 laps, but the No. 88 got loose underneath teammate Gordon while battling for the lead and fell to the back of the pack. Just laps later, the drop in position cost Earnhardt Jr. after Paul Menard got loose off turn four and slammed the side of the No. 88.

In a measure of just how wild and crazy Saturday night was, of the record 28 drivers who started the event, just 14 finished on the lead lap.

Harvick Snags Wild Bud Shootout Win originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 07 Feb 2009 22:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]>AJAllmendingerBudweiserShootoutDaleEarnhardtJrDaytonaJamieMcMurrayJeffGordonKevinHarvicknascarSprintCupTonyStewartGeoffrey MillerSat, 07 Feb 2009 22:59:00 EST Jamie McMurray Enjoys Truck Stops, Kartinghttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/12/30/jamie-mcmurray-enjoys-truck-stops-karting/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/12/30/jamie-mcmurray-enjoys-truck-stops-karting/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/12/30/jamie-mcmurray-enjoys-truck-stops-karting/#commentsFiled under: , ,

We already heard about Tony Stewart's non-NASCAR racing exploits on Monday, so obviously, it's high time to keep that theme moving along with this tale about Jamie McMurray.

McMurray, the driver of the No. 26 Ford for Roush-Fenway Racing, could be found early this week doing some hot laps at the always-famous Daytona International Speedway.

Nope -- he wasn't breaking NASCAR's testing ban to get a head start on the 2009 season -- but rather, McMurray made the trip to DIS for "Daytona Kartweek" for some Sunday practice and racing on Monday and Tuesday.

And according to some DIS release material, the Crown Royal driver made the trip to Daytona the day after Christmas with his dad from North Carolina -- via car.

"My dad and I left 8:30 in the morning after Christmas," McMurray said. "I drove the whole way. This might sound odd but I wouldn't want to drive to Cup races but I missed the fact of stopping at a truck stop and experiencing that. It's different."

Oh, the truck stop experience. Mediocre coffee, questionable restrooms and more knock-off brand gadgets than anyone can handle -- here's to hoping that McMurray got the fill he desired.

Wanna read some more? Just click the link above to the track's release.

Jamie McMurray Enjoys Truck Stops, Karting originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Tue, 30 Dec 2008 01:12:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]>DaytonaInternationalSpeedwayJamieMcMurrayOtherRacingSeriesRoushFenwayRacingSprintCupGeoffrey MillerTue, 30 Dec 2008 01:12:00 EST '08 Rear-View Mirror: Jamie McMurrayhttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/12/19/rear-view-mirror-jamie-mcmurray/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/12/19/rear-view-mirror-jamie-mcmurray/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/12/19/rear-view-mirror-jamie-mcmurray/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Warning: Objects in this post may be the only way to successfully live through the NASCAR off-season. For best results, read rearview mirror early and often.

Driver: Jamie McMurray
Team: No. 26 Roush Fenway Racing Ford
'08 Final Standing: 16th (-2875)
Best Race: Texas, Phoenix & Homestead (3rd-place)
Worst Race: Bristol (43rd-place)

Season in a box: I don't know if there was a driver who had more of a roller coaster season than Jamie McMurray, but the way the ride ended surely was pleasing for the driver from Joplin, Missouri.

Finishes of 26th, 22nd, 25th, 40th and 43rd led off the season for McMurray in a way that had no other description except for "embarrasing". After that dead-last result at Bristol, McMurray found himself 36th in points and soon after, reports surfaced that McMurray was done in the No. 26 at Roush Fenway at season's end.

The reports were never confirmed and McMurray improved marginally through the season. It was, however, until the season entered its final turn that the No. 26 showed some signs of the potential driver Jack Roush thought he was getting. After getting caught up in one of the many Talladega wrecks, McMurray posted a fifth-place finish the next week at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

Mechanical problems plagued the team the next weekend at Martinsville, but from there, the No. 26 was more than impressive with finishes of 7th, 3rd, 3rd and 3rd to end the season.

Through the crystal windshield:There was just one driver who finished the 2008 season stronger than Jamie McMurray's final three races and that was his teammate Carl Edwards. Other than Edwards -- two wins in two races will trump most drivers -- the three third-place finishes to finish out the season are a huge momentum booster for McMurray heading to 2009.

It's no secret that McMurray, in the last year of his Roush Fenway contract, has to make considerable gains in 2009 to find himself driving within the confines of the Roush organization that includes Yates Racing. He'll be aided in doing so by teaming up with his old friend and crew chief Donnie Wingo in a move that will be closely-watched after his impressive finish to 2008.

Next up: Martin Truex Jr.

'08 Rear-View Mirror: Jamie McMurray originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Fri, 19 Dec 2008 17:38:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]>FordJamieMcMurrayRearViewMirrorRoushFenwayRacingSprintcupGeoffrey MillerFri, 19 Dec 2008 17:38:00 EST Roush Fenway Racing Extends Matt Kenseth, Appears to Leave Out Jamie McMurrayhttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/11/20/roush-fenway-racing-extends-matt-kenseth-appears-to-leave-out-j/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/11/20/roush-fenway-racing-extends-matt-kenseth-appears-to-leave-out-j/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/11/20/roush-fenway-racing-extends-matt-kenseth-appears-to-leave-out-j/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Matt Kenseth's contract at Roush Fenway Racing got extended Thursday afternoon and that was seemingly bad news for his teammate Jamie McMurray.

Kenseth got a new "multi-year dear" from RFR to keep him as the driver of the No. 17 Ford for well past 2010, when his current contract was set to expire. Terms weren't disclosed by the team, but I'd imagine the contract puts Kenseth in a position to make RFR his final place of stock car employment with either a heavily extended contract from his current one or one loaded with options.

Kenseth, a native of Cambridge, Wisc., turns 37 in March.

For teammate McMurray -- who's been nothing short of a disappointment during his time at RFR but showed some flashes of brilliance towards the end of the 2008 -- Kenseth's re-signing might be a nail in the coffin for his future at RFR.

NASCAR has mandated that by 2010, all Sprint Cup teams must have no more than four drivers in a stable. RFR currently has five.

The RFR other drivers, Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards and David Ragan, all seem to have the cards stacked in their favor for 2009 and beyond.

Biffle, who had some questions during the early part of 2008 after several part failures and other team problems kept him from winning races, re-signed with RFR in July to a contract throught 2011. Edwards obviously isn't going anywhere with his near-championship run in 2008 and has a contract through 2011 and Ragan hasn't officially inked a contract to the best of my knowledge for 2009 but he has a "multi-year" deal with sponsor UPS starting next season.

So, Biffle plus Edwards plus Kenseth plus Ragan equals four drivers locked in at RFR for well past the 2010 NASCAR cutoff deadline, and seems to leave McMurray without a RFR-associated ride in 2010 once his current contract runs out.

An option appears to be at Jack Roush's disposal, however, if he decides to keep McMurray around after 2009 -- especially if the Jopin, Mo., driver can pile together a season-full of finishes like he had to close out the 2008 season. Roush has a significant alliance with Yates Racing, and if needbe, I can certainly see McMurray's services getting transferred to the satellite operation.

Roush Fenway Racing Extends Matt Kenseth, Appears to Leave Out Jamie McMurray originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Thu, 20 Nov 2008 23:26:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]>CarlEdwardsDavidRaganFordGregBiffleJamieMcMurrayMattKensethRoushFenwayRacingSprintCupYatesRacingGeoffrey MillerThu, 20 Nov 2008 23:26:00 EST New Crew Chief, Fiancée Good for McMurrayhttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/11/06/mcmurray-happy-about-new-crew-chief-fiancee/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/11/06/mcmurray-happy-about-new-crew-chief-fiancee/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/11/06/mcmurray-happy-about-new-crew-chief-fiancee/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Jamie McMurray is probably one of the happier guys in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series this week. Here's why:

1) He finished third at Texas Motor Speedway last weekend and could have very easily won the event.

2) He proposed to his longtime girlfriend Christy Futrell. (FanHouse supposes she said yes)

3) He's getting to team up with his longtime friend and former crew chief from the Chip Ganassi Racing days, Donnie Wingo.

There's no official indication on which aspect he's the happiest about, however. Grin.

Regardless, it's been more than a good week for McMurray, who has had one of the most disappointing performances in his brief career at Roush Fenway Racing that a guy could in that situation. In the past few weeks, McMurray has notched finishes of 5th, 7th and 3rd with one exception of a 38th-place finish at Martinsville thanks to mechanical troubles.

He's been so good, in fact, that ABC's commentators have wondered plenty about why Jack Roush is wanting to move Larry Carter off of the pit box for the No. 26 when it seems that McMurray has finally started to see the light at the powerhouse Ford team.

McMurray, though, isn't questioning that decision and instead is very pleased to know that Wingo will be leading the No. 26 come Daytona in February.


McMurray made his remarks to ESPN's Marty Smith:
"I am all for the crew chief change because I've worked with the crew chief in the past," McMurray said of bringing in veteran Donnie Wingo. "He's like my best friend, and ever since I left Ganassi, I have remained very good friends with Donnie.

"The whole time I was at Ganassi, I can remember seeing crew chiefs that had an engineering background and thinking in my head, 'Damn, I really wish I had a crew chief with that background, because I think that would take me to that next level. Instead of running sixth to 12th, we'll maybe contend for wins.'

"But I didn't realize how great I had it. I've missed Donnie ever since. Larry's done a great job, but you kind of get used to working with someone, and I feel like everyone I've had since [Wingo], I've compared to my times with Donnie. And those were probably some of the best races for me. Next year, I think, should be my best year ever."
Best year ever? That's a pretty bold statement, but not impossible.

McMurray came very close to making the Chase during his tenure at Ganassi, and one would have figured like Jack Roush did that making the Chase would be a natural fit when the driver from Joplin, Mo. made his way to the Ford camp.

That didn't happen, and McMurray's reputation has taken quite a hit since then -- enough, even, to lead a whole parade of rumors about the driver getting canned from Roush-Fenway at the end of this season. Of course, that doesn't seem to be the case now.

McMurray's a talented driver and he desperately needs to find consistency and winning ways in 2009, or he will be out the Roush door at season's end. For now though, he's got one more shot.

New Crew Chief, Fiancée Good for McMurray originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Thu, 06 Nov 2008 12:36:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]>DonnieWingoFordJackRoushJamieMcMurrayLarryCarterNASCARSillySeasonRoushFenwayRacingSprintCupGeoffrey MillerThu, 06 Nov 2008 12:36:00 EST Truex Jr. Appears to Have Contract Signed; McMurray Denies Free Agent Reportshttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/07/26/truex-jr-appears-to-have-contract-signed-mcmurray-denies-free/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/07/26/truex-jr-appears-to-have-contract-signed-mcmurray-denies-free/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/07/26/truex-jr-appears-to-have-contract-signed-mcmurray-denies-free/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

FanHouse's Geoffrey Miller is on location & blogging away at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for Sunday's 15th Running of the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard.

Martin Truex Jr. appears set to end the rumor mill swirling around his future.

ESPN.com's David Newton reported on Saturday that "several sources" are confirming that Truex will now stay right where he's at -- with Dale Earnhardt Inc. -- until at least 2010:
The 28-year-old New Jersey native has agreed in principle to a two-year deal that will keep him at Dale Earnhardt Inc. through the 2010 season, multiple sources close to the situation told ESPN.com on Saturday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Sources said an official announcement is expected any day, and that details with multiple sponsors remain to be finalized.

Truex, asked if he has an agreement, said: "We're getting there, yeah. Things are going well right. I'm pretty happy. I just want to think about racing this weekend."
That quote from Truex seems to seal the deal for me, as he definitely didn't make any attempt to deny the report. He pretty much gave the "yeah, that's been correctly reported but I can't say anything yet so I'm going to get back in my race car and stay away from you media-types"-style answer.

I'm glad Truex has got his deal seemingly worked out with DEI, a team where he'll remain as the No. 1 driver in the camp. I don't think, however, that re-signing with the team will lead him towards a Sprint Cup championship any time soon.

McMurray Grows Weary of Constant Free Agency Reports

It must be tough to have the media firing you from a high-profile job before you get the news, unless, you know, the media is wrong.


That's what Roush Fenway Racing's Jamie McMurray is claiming after more speculation came about Friday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway that he would be out of the No. 26 ride effective at the end of the 2008 season -- one year before his RFR contract expires.

The speculation came after his team owner Jack Roush virtually threw McMurray under the bus during a press conference on Friday at IMS -- telling the world that he's been disappointed with Jamie's performance compared to the rest of the team among other less-than-loving statements about the Missouri driver.

McMurray responded on Saturday to both Roush's remarks and the rampant speculation that they induced in the media about his future:
"If you guys want to print the truth, the truth is I'll be there with Crown Royal," he said. "There's not a question. It's 100 percent. I know there's been some reporters that have speculated again on where I'll be and who the sponsors will be - and certainly everyone is entitled to their opinion - but I wish that for all the media that they would base it on facts."
He even stated that he was somewhat puzzled by his team owner's statements on the previous day:
"They haven't discussed that with me and I don't think that's really even been discussed," he said. "I can't control what Jack says, and sometimes Jack will go off a little bit and it maybe gets out of control. It's not that big of a deal."
It can't be too easy to focus completely on driving when not only the media is down your back about your future but also your team owner is offering any public help.

Regardless, McMurray -- currently 22nd in Sprint Cup points -- will start Sunday's Allstate 400 at the Brickyard from the 7th spot.

Truex Jr. Appears to Have Contract Signed; McMurray Denies Free Agent Reports originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 26 Jul 2008 17:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]>Allstate400DEIIndianapolisMotorSpeedwayJamieMcMurrayMartinTruexJr.RoushFenwayRacingSprintcupGeoffrey MillerSat, 26 Jul 2008 17:20:00 EST Brickyard Bloggin': Wallace Slams Newman, Roush Isn't Happy & Busch's Bum Anklehttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/07/26/brickyard-bloggin-wallace-slams-newman-roush-isnt-happy-and-b/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/07/26/brickyard-bloggin-wallace-slams-newman-roush-isnt-happy-and-b/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/07/26/brickyard-bloggin-wallace-slams-newman-roush-isnt-happy-and-b/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

FanHouse's Geoffrey Miller is on-location at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for Sunday's 15th Running of the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard.

It's Saturday morning in Indianapolis, and after forgetting my parking tag on the way in this morning, I have finally made my way to the media center here at the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

With that, let's get started on some news and notes from Friday afternoon at the Brickyard:

Rusty & Ryan Still Don't Like Each Other

Rusty Wallace must not be a fan of Ryan Newman, even after all these years. The two drivers had a lukewarm relationship at best while they were teammates, and Rusty decided to pile on some more bad blood Friday at IMS.

Newman said he left Penske Racing on mutual terms but Rusty says not say fast:
"He didn't leave. I've read many, many stories that said that,'' Wallace said. "Roger Penske called Ryan Newman up to his offices and said 'I don't need your services next year.' Ryan Newman didn't come to him and say 'I'm leaving.'''
Now why Rusty feels its imperative that he rag on Newman is beyond me, and apparently Ryan feels the same way. You can read more about the "He Said, He Said" battle here.

I wonder how happy ESPN (Rusty's employer) is about their driver analyst ripping on a driver that is racing in the same series they will be covering on Sunday? They can't be too pleased.

Roush Doesn't See McMurray Coming Back, Apparently

Jack Roush had some interesting words during a Friday press conference at IMS about the future drivers in his operation, and more exclusively about Jamie McMurray:
"With the line I've drawn across the sand, nobody is going to take Carl Edwards from me, nobody is going to take Matt Kenseth from me, nobody is going to take David Ragan from me, nobody's going to take Greg Biffle from me," Roush said.

Asked later about McMurray, left out in his discussion, Roush seemed down on the driver.

"Jamie is important to me," Roush said. "But today Jamie is not the driver that's been productive to the extent the other four are. I look forward, certainly I expected and expect great things from Jamie, but the productivity has not been there at this point."
In other words, could Roush be any more clear that Jamie will most definitely not be back in the No. 26 ride in 2008? I don't think so. Of course, we've known McMurray will more than likely be gone for a few months now, and Jayski is saying he'll end up in the fourth car at Richard Childress Racing next season.

Kyle Busch's Bum Basketball Ankle

There was word following practice on Friday afternoon that Sprint Cup point leader Kyle Busch had been required to go to the infield care center at IMS to have his ankle checked out after NASCAR found out that the young phenom had been to the hospital earlier in the week.

Why was Mr. Busch visiting the hospital, you ask? He apparently injured his ankle during a basketball game this week and needed to go get it looked at because it swelled considerably.

While mingling in the Craftsman Truck Series driver introductions area last night at O'Reilly Raceway Park, I was standing near Busch as he was talking with fellow truck series driver Ron Hornaday about the injury saying that the injury didn't really hurt but the swelling wasn't going down, and that it was a possible torn ligament.

He was cleared to drive Friday and hasn't shown a noticeable limp, so there shouldn't be any worries unless you've got some money on Kyle hitting a jump shot to win an NBA title any time soon.

Of course, that may not be so far-fetched after the type of season he's had this year.

Now, let's get ready to qualify.

Brickyard Bloggin': Wallace Slams Newman, Roush Isn't Happy & Busch's Bum Ankle originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 26 Jul 2008 09:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]>Allstate400IndianapolisMotorSpeedwayJackRoushJamieMcMurrayKyleBuschPenskeRacingRoushFenwayRacingRustyWallaceRyanNewmanSprintCupGeoffrey MillerSat, 26 Jul 2008 09:59:00 EST Would You Sign Jamie McMurray?http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/06/02/would-you-sign-jamie-mcmurray/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/06/02/would-you-sign-jamie-mcmurray/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/06/02/would-you-sign-jamie-mcmurray/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Jamie McMurray is gone from Roush Fenway Racing after 2008, ThatsRacin.com reported Sunday.

It's not a huge shock to me to see McMurray headed out the door -- the FanHouse talked about this in April -- thanks to a few factors. The most significant, though, is that McMurray has never been able to be a consistent front runner in the Sprint Cup Series in RFR's race cars.

That being said, what is the real likelihood that McMurray even finds a Sprint Cup ride for 2009?

I'd say there are quite a few factors running against him in that pursuit -- the least of which has been his driving statistics over the past few years. Those stats -- one win at Daytona, 6 Top-5s, and 18 Top-10s since signing with Roush -- don't help much, though.

The Sprint Cup Series is entering a pretty busy "silly season" period that will definitely see some moving and shaking for 2009. Among those candidates eligible for moving to different seats are Tony Stewart, Martin Truex Jr., Bobby Labonte, Reed Sorenson, and possibly more.

McMurray, if he is indeed out the door at Roush and seeking new employment, is vacating a seat that won't be filled. His sponsor Crown Royal is expected to move in with teammate Greg Biffle and Roush could use the chance to measure his team down to four cars as NASCAR has mandated for 2010.

All those factors aside, though, if you're a car owner are you hiring McMurray?

Sure, the guy has two wins in his career and the argument could be made that he drove for Roush during two of the team's "off" years in Sprint Cup competition, and the crew chief carousel on top of the No. 26 box hasn't helped either.

McMurray seems to be one of the stand up guys in the garage area as he stays out of trouble and doesn't get into many controversies with drivers on track. He's mostly a clean racer and gets an A+ for out-of-the-car sponsor representation.

But is that enough for you? Do you think McMurray deserves another shot at the Sprint Cup level? Can he be a consistent top finisher or just another flash in the pan?

I like McMurray a lot -- what's there to hate? -- but when you look at the numbers, he just hasn't come through. Slow cars at Chip Ganassi Racing was his crutch when Jack Roush signed him for what was reported to be $20 million a year in 2005, but the performance in the Fords at Roush hasn't done much for that.

I'd imagine McMurray will find a home in Sprint Cup next season, and it wouldn't surprise me to see him at Dale Earnhardt Inc. or another run-of-the-mill team. It won't be long, though, before McMurray finds an exit from Sprint Cup if he doesn't start putting together a string of good finishes.

Would You Sign Jamie McMurray? originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Mon, 02 Jun 2008 23:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]>BestBuy400BobbyLabonteGregBiffleJackRoushJamieMcMurrayMartinTruexJrNASCARSillySeasonReedSorensonRoushFenwayRacingSprintCupTonyStewartGeoffrey MillerMon, 02 Jun 2008 23:10:00 EST McMurray's In For Now, But For How Long?http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/04/03/mcmurrays-in-for-now-but-for-how-long/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/04/03/mcmurrays-in-for-now-but-for-how-long/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/04/03/mcmurrays-in-for-now-but-for-how-long/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Jamie McMurray, on all accounts, had a more than decent weekend at Martinsville Speedway in the Sprint Cup Series.

McMurray qualified inside the Top-5 and brought the car home virtually without a scratch in eighth to score the top finish among all Roush Fenway Racing drivers.

That's how it was supposed to be when McMurray signed the contract with Roush a few years ago -- Jamie would become a household NASCAR name among the top stars of the sport.

Unfortunately, that hasn't happened.

There's hardly anything to not like about Jamie McMurray. That's true, at least, if you don't despise Jeff Gordon.

McMurray's background on the short tracks of the midwest prepared him for his NASCAR career, and when he scored his first-career win at Lowe's Motor Speedway in his second-career race, the future couldn't have been brighter.

After flirting with making the Chase with Chip Ganassi Racing, McMurray was viewed as one of those drivers that could make it over the hump with quality equipment.

Roush Fenway brought that equipment, but the results haven't panned out. A combination of Roush and Ford falling behind for the past 2 years in the Sprint Cup Series didn't help his cause, but McMurray has had nothing short of a revolving door atop the pit box during that time.

McMurray, despite picking up a dramatic restrictor-plate, Michael Waltrip-style, victory at Daytona in 2007, just simply hasn't lived up to his billing.
Falling out of the Top-35 after the first 5 races with a highest finish of 24th just won't cut it at Roush.

Some writers have the opinion that McMurray just isn't strong-willed or hardheaded enough mentally inside the race car to truly go from a finisher to a winner.

Regardless, McMurray knows that 2008 is very much a hot seat for him in the Roush Fenway program that has made big strides with their offseason development of the next-generation race car. Jack Roush himself hasn't said that, but you have to believe its in his mind.

The Martinsville finish for McMurray may have been the single-biggest success story of the weekend for any driver because of the situation that Jamie faces. The half-mile track takes a strong-willed individual to last 500 laps anyways, but to finish well, not damage the car, and not get overly aggressive takes a driver that has what it takes to get it done in this series.

McMurray has shown flashes of brilliance at times, and at other times, flashes of a has been.

What's it going to be in 2008? Can he improve his season and find himself in a stable ride?

Maybe now, with some that weight lifted off his shoulders, McMurray can get down to business and string together some solid finishes.

It'll definitely be worth watching.

McMurray's In For Now, But For How Long? originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Thu, 03 Apr 2008 19:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]>Geoffrey MillerThu, 03 Apr 2008 19:40:00 EST Jamie McMurray Selected for Jury Dutyhttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/01/24/roush-fenways-mcmurray-selected-for-jury-duty/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/01/24/roush-fenways-mcmurray-selected-for-jury-duty/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/01/24/roush-fenways-mcmurray-selected-for-jury-duty/#commentsFiled under: , ,

H/T to Jayski on this one.

Roush Fenway Racing hosted its annual stop on the NASCAR Media Tour Thursday afternoon, but one of the Ford team's top drivers wasn't anywhere to be found. And lucky for him, this wasn't a mandatory post-race interview.

Jamie McMurray, driver of the No. 26 Crown Royal Ford for Roush Fenway, decided he had better things to do -- like not going to jail -- rather than attend the meet & greet media function. Yeah, McMurray was serving his civic duty as a juror in his now-home area of Iredell County.

Like always, McMurray sounded pretty upbeat about the process in the news release from the team:
"I can't believe that I'm going to miss the media tour this year," said McMurray. "Instead of being the driver of the #26 Crown Royal Ford Fusion, I'm Juror #7 at the Iredell County Courthouse, after being selected for jury duty earlier this week.

"So rather than joining my teammates at Roush Fenway Racing this afternoon, I'll be at the courthouse serving my civic duty. I'm looking forward to returning to Daytona in a couple weeks and hope to catch up with all the media when I get there.

Now, if I'm McMurray, I don't know if I'm telling the whole world my specific juror number in a specific courthouse. That would concern me as an average person, much less someone of McMurray's fame. There's far too many weird people in the world in my book.

It is cool, though, to see that Jamie has no problem with serving on a jury. You'd think there would be multiple ways for McMurray to first avoid the interview process, but also to avoid being selected.

And heck, you just don't see famous people in a local court room on good terms everyday. Way to go Jamie.

Jamie McMurray Selected for Jury Duty originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Thu, 24 Jan 2008 14:44:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]>jurydutyNASCARMediaTourSprintCupGeoffrey MillerThu, 24 Jan 2008 14:44:00 EST NASCAR FanHouse Top 25 Year-in-Review: <br>Jamie McMurray, No. 26 Roush-Fenway Fordhttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2007/12/18/nascar-fanhouse-top-25-year-in-review-br-jamie-mcmurray-no-2/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2007/12/18/nascar-fanhouse-top-25-year-in-review-br-jamie-mcmurray-no-2/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2007/12/18/nascar-fanhouse-top-25-year-in-review-br-jamie-mcmurray-no-2/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Welcome to the 2007 NASCAR FanHouse Year in Review. Follow along each day until the end of 2007 as we look back on the top 25 drivers of the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series for the 2007 season. Heck, bookmark us if you have to! Today, we review the season of 17th-place Jamie McMurray.

Driver: Jamie McMurray -- Joplin, Missouri
Team: No. 26 Crown Royal Ford
Points: 17th (-3167)
2006: Finished 25th in Season Standings
Key Stats: 1 win, 1 pole, 3 Top-5s, 9 Top-10s
Back in 2008?: Yes

Jamie McMurray did something in 2007 that he hadn't accomplished since his 2nd-career race in 2002.

Win a NASCAR Nextel Cup Series points-paying race.

McMurray captured a thrilling win at the Pepsi 400 in July at Daytona International Speedway. McMurray's Crown Royal Ford Fusion slid just in front of Kyle Busch at the stripe to his first race ever with his Roush-Fenway Racing team. McMurray's first-career win came in Charlotte in '02 with Chip Ganassi Racing.

Despite the win, McMurray had his second-worst season ever in terms of Top-10 finishes. Just 9 times did the high-profile team find its way to the Top-10 at the end of the 36-race season. Compared to his career-low in 2006 with 7 Top-10s it's an improvement until you realize McMurray had 23 of those Top-10s in 2004.

Without a doubt, McMurray has shown some minute signs of success with Roush-Fenway, but a revolving-door crew chief position atop his No. 26's pit box sure doesn't make things easy on the Show Me State driver. In the same breath, one could also say McMurray's job security for 2008 is in extreme jeopardy with Roush but the facts are simple.

Roush-Fenway hasn't performed a whole lot better as a team.

McMurray still needs to be battling to make the Chase fot Sprint Cup in 2008 in order for those rumors to not swell for the 2009 campaign. McMurray's got talent behind the wheel, but putting the cogs in motion together has to happen in '08.

Otherwise, that revolving door might find its way to the driver's seat.

NASCAR FanHouse Top 25 Year-in-Review:
Jamie McMurray, No. 26 Roush-Fenway Ford originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Tue, 18 Dec 2007 08:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]>Top25DriversGeoffrey MillerTue, 18 Dec 2007 08:00:00 EST Kahne, Montoya Start Out Front at Bristolhttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2007/08/24/kahne-montoya-start-out-front-at-bristol/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2007/08/24/kahne-montoya-start-out-front-at-bristol/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2007/08/24/kahne-montoya-start-out-front-at-bristol/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,

I don't think I could ever pick Kasey Kahne to win at Bristol after seeing him crash out of his first Nextel Cup race at the track during his rookie season. Needless to say, Kahne was so shook up from the experience that he was literally shaking on camera.

Friday night, though, he apparently found a good way to calm down.

Kahne won the pole for Saturday night's Sharpie 500 at the half-mile Bristol Motor Speedway with a lap of 16.016 seconds, or 119.805 mph.

Juan Pablo Montoya will line up on his outside with Jamie McMurray, David Ragan and Dave Blaney rounding out the top-5. Virginia-native Ward Burton dropped a nice lap and will start 14th.

Bristol just got a facelift over the summer with a brand-new concrete repaving job, and it really set back the lap times at the track. Jeff Gordon won the pole at BMS in April with a lap 125.453 mph in the first Car of Tomorrow race, obviously much quicker than Kahne's lap.

Slower speeds, though, could add up to better race Saturday night with more side-by-side racing because cars are more even.

As if Bristol really needs to get any better though.

Kahne, Montoya Start Out Front at Bristol originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Fri, 24 Aug 2007 18:28:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]>Bristol Motor SpeedwayBristolMotorSpeedwaySharpie 500Sharpie500Geoffrey MillerFri, 24 Aug 2007 18:28:00 EST Cut to the Chase: Post Poconohttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2007/08/06/cut-to-the-chase-post-pocono/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2007/08/06/cut-to-the-chase-post-pocono/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2007/08/06/cut-to-the-chase-post-pocono/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The race to the Chase for the Nextel Cup is well under way and the points margins are narrowing as the stakes get higher with each passing race. Following each race on the the road to the Chase, the Fanhouse takes a look at the week's biggest winners and losers.

Standings following the Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway:

7. +2 Jimmie Johnson
8. -- Kyle Busch
9. -1 Kevin Harvick
10. -- Clint Bowyer
11. -- Martin Truex Jr.
12. +1 Kurt Busch

13. -1 Dale Earnhardt Jr.
14. -- Ryan Newman
15. +1 Greg Biffle
16. +1 Mark Martin
17. -1 Jamie McMurray

Biggest Winners
Kurt Busch again. As predicted, he has passed Ryan Newman and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Jimmie Johnson also had a great week regaining the two positions previously lost with a top 5 finish.

Biggest Losers
Ryan Newman's good run and solid 7th-place finish didn't do a thing for his points situation given the other Chase contenders good performances.

Despite a 2nd place finish, Dale Earnhardt Jr. fell to the unlucky 13th position with a 7-point differential. It's not much, but for some drivers that could affect the psyche. I don't anticipate that happening to Junior, but something's gotta give for him to make the Chase. Will it be his teammate?

Five more races to go and over 20,000 points to go around. Please stand by.

Cut to the Chase: Post Pocono originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Mon, 06 Aug 2007 20:04:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]>tallglassofmilkMon, 06 Aug 2007 20:04:00 EST