Motorsports FanHouse

Rain at Pocono Raceway Pushes Pennsylvania 500 to Monday

FanHouse Newswire — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Jimmie Johnson, Roush Fenway Racing, Sprint Cup

LONG POND, Pa. (AP) -- Jimmie Johnson's White House visit will have to wait. So will the start of the Sprint Cup race at Pocono Raceway.

Steady rain postponed Sunday's race and it has been rescheduled for 12:15 PM Monday.

Heavy rain hit the track Sunday morning. It let up about an hour before the scheduled 2 PM start and the sky brightened for driver introductions. The rain returned about 3:30 PM and soaked the surface again. There was light rain the rest of the afternoon, forcing the postponement.

More Coverage: Pennsylvania 500 Preview

There was also some concern about "weepers" -- water that seeps up through the track following heavy precipitation on the triangle track. Pocono does not have lights and faced a time crunch to start the race.

"It's just kind of rough to endure it when you're here waiting for it to either rain more or rain less," Bobby Labonte said.

Johnson, the three-time defending Cup champion, was among a group of NASCAR drivers to be honored at the White House by President Barack Obama on Monday. Johnson's No. 48 Chevrolet was going to be parked at the White House.

NASCAR spokesman Kerry Tharp said the date of a future visit was being discussed with White House officials.

Rain also washed out qualifying on Friday, which automatically gave the pole to points leader Tony Stewart. Stewart lost his pole position and will start from the back of the pack after wrecking his car during Saturday's practice. He leads Johnson by 192 points in the standings.

Stewart won the Pocono race in June from the rear of the field after a similar practice wreck knocked him from the pole.

Drivers had to wait about 2 1/2 hours from the scheduled green flag before the race was called. It's the second postponement this year, following the Coca-Cola 600 in May.

"I just think being around another day won't be fun for anybody," Jamie McMurray said.

McMurray had been informed by Roush Fenway Racing that he can talk to other organizations about a ride for next season. Crown Royal has been with the team as sponsor for McMurray, who is in the final year of his contract. RFR officials have said they want to re-sign McMurray, but only if they can find additional sponsorship.

Crown Royal's sponsorship was moved to Matt Kenseth's car after Dewalt Power Tools said it would not return in 2010.

McMurray said on Sunday that two or three owners had already called him with good opportunities for next season.

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.

Rain at Pocono Raceway Pushes Pennsylvania 500 to Monday originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 02 Aug 2009 20:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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So-So Stats Mark McMurray's Roush Era

Geoffrey Miller — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 22:18:00 EST

Filed under: Jamie McMurray, Roush Fenway Racing

With 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.

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Edwards Repeats at Milwaukee Mile

FanHouse Newswire — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 01:30:00 EST

Filed under: Carl Edwards, Roush Fenway Racing

WEST ALLIS, Wis. (AP) -- Carl Edwards made the most of his one-day Wisconsin getaway, winning Saturday's Nationwide series race at the Milwaukee Mile after taking a brief break from his Sprint Cup duties in California.

It's a repeat victory at Milwaukee and the first Nationwide win of this season for Edwards, who took the lead from fellow Cup commuter Kyle Busch with 44 laps left in the race and wasn't significantly challenged the rest of the way.

Edwards, who also won last year's race at the Mile, did his customary backflip on the frontstretch after taking the checkered flag Saturday.

"I'm just glad I got to do it tonight,'' Edwards said in a radio interview in victory lane.

Busch finished second, followed by Brad Keselowski.

"We just didn't keep up with the track, I guess,'' Busch said in a postrace radio interview. "Carl beat us out there fair and square.''

Rookie Erik Darnell, a part-time Nationwide driver who qualified on the pole earlier Saturday, was running second in the late stages of the race but slipped to fourth at the finish.

Edwards and Busch flew more than 2,000 miles from California earlier in the day, missing qualifying for Saturday's race - meaning they would have to start at the back of the pack after replacement drivers qualified their cars- but arriving in time to take the green flag.

Both drivers quickly made up ground once the green flag dropped, climbing into the top 20 only 18 laps into the race and into the top 10 by lap 55.

Busch then took over the lead on lap 123, coming off pit road first after a round of pit stops under caution. But Edwards began to gain ground on Busch during a subsequent long green-flag run, and some drama developed as a piece of metal began dragging and sparking near Busch's right-rear wheel.

Busch's crew turned in another fast stop under caution on lap 194, getting him off pit road ahead of Edwards, Keselowski and Steve Wallace. But Busch couldn't shake loose of Edwards after the restart, and Edwards took the lead with 44 laps to go - just as Brad Coleman, who spent much of the first half of the race running in the top five, crashed to bring out a caution.

Darnell then took second place from Busch with 30 laps to go, making a bold move to the outside through Turns 1 and 2. Busch retook second place in the closing laps, but it was too late to challenge Edwards for the win.

It was a breakout performance by 21-year-old former USAC standout Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who took over the lead on lap 56. In only his fourth career start in the series for the powerhouse Roush Fenway team, the Olive Branch, Miss., native held the lead through a round of green-flag pit stops until Keselowski passed him on lap 105. Stenhouse finished fifth.

Ron Hornaday Jr., who celebrated his 51st birthday by winning the Camping World Truck series race earlier Saturday, was penalized for speeding on pit road early but rebounded to finish ninth. The trucks race originally was scheduled to run Friday night, but was postponed because of rain.

After making the long flight back to California, Busch is slated to start second in Sunday's Sprint Cup road race at Sonoma. Edwards will start 34th.

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.

Edwards Repeats at Milwaukee Mile originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 21 Jun 2009 01:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Roush's 50th Is Braun's First

Bruce Ciskie — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 17:25:00 EST

Filed under: Kyle Busch, Roush Fenway Racing, Camping World Truck Series

For Jack Roush, it was a milestone win in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. For different reasons, it was a milestone for Colin Braun.

Roush has been here before. Saturday's Michigan 200 at Michigan International Speedway marked the 50th time Roush has been to victory lane as a truck owner. Braun has never been there, and it was a sweet first win for the youngster.

Making the win doubly sweet for Roush was the fact this race was held in Michigan, the home state of Ford. Braun drove his Ford to the front of the field on Lap 76, passing race leader Kyle Busch when the latter had trouble getting around the lapped truck of Norm Benning. Benning appeared to head toward the bottom of the racetrack after initially giving Busch a lane on the bottom. Busch checked up, and Braun went to the high side to pass both trucks.

Braun took advantage of the clean air after making the pass, and he opened up a two-second lead over Busch by the end of the race.

Brian Ickler drove his Toyota to a third-place finish, but was nearly seven seconds behind Busch, who had to hustle after the race to travel to Kentucky Speedway for Saturday night's Nationwide Series race. Before he left, Busch lamented his continued string of generally bad luck to SPEED TV's Ray Dunlap. In a post-race interview, Busch said he would "head off to Kentucky to finish second".

Busch also took the blame for misreading Benning and losing the lead to Braun. For his part, Braun said he felt like he had a good enough truck to win, but he "wasn't sure" if he could have passed Busch without Benning getting in the way.

Matt Crafton's fourth-place finish vaulted him into the points lead, 30 ahead of defending points champion Ron Hornaday.

Roush's 50th Is Braun's First originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 13 Jun 2009 17:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Roush Team Targets Michigan Speedway

Holly Cain — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 21:45:00 EST

Filed under: Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle, Ford, Roush Fenway Racing, Sprint Cup

What with Tony Stewart going it on his own just fine, thank you; Kyle Busch smashing trophies in victory lane; Dale Earnhardt Jr. struggling to live up to his hype; 50-year old Mark Martin winning races; and Hendrick Motorsports being, well ... Hendrick Motorsports, the once dominant Roush Fenway Ford team finds itself on NASCAR's attention periphery here at the midseason point.

Three of Roush's five drivers are currently ranked among the championship top-12, but only one -- Matt Kenseth -- has reached victory lane.

Roush drivers have led laps and led them late -- Carl Edwards at Talladega, Greg Biffle at Dover, for example -- but inevitably another story seems to come along and swipe the checkered flag and the spotlight.

Of course, that could all change this Sunday at Michigan International Speedway, where Roush Fenway Racing owns 11 victories -- eight in the past 10 years.

"I think we're a little under the radar obviously," said Greg Biffle, who's ranked seventh in the standings. "The 16-team, we tend to fly under the radar a little bit more. We're there every week, right there, right there. ... And tend not to make too much racket, which does and doesn't bother me that we don't get the attention.

"Pretty much everything I saw and read after the Dover race was about Tony Stewart and Jimmie Johnson -- 'two of the best drivers in the world, did you see em?' "

"I wasn't even mentioned," Biffle said smiling. "It was like I wasn't even there. I was the one leading. Tony and I battled for position, then he got by me. ...Then the 48 got by me.

"I don't let that bother me, it's just where the storyline is. Sometimes we'll be the storyline and sometimes we won't."

Latest NASCAR Images

NEW YORK - JUNE 10: Brian Vickers, driver of the NASCAR #83 Red Bull Toyota, pulls away after making a full pit stop with the Red Bull Racing pit crew on 7th Avenue in Times Square on June 10, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Jaime L. Mikle/Getty Images for Red Bull) *** Local Caption *** Brian Vickers

Getty Images for Red Bull

NEW YORK - JUNE 10: Brian Vickers, driver of the NASCAR #83 Red Bull Toyota, makes a full pit stop with the Red Bull Racing pit crew on 7th Avenue in Times Square on June 10, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images for Red Bull) *** Local Caption *** Brian Vickers

Getty Images for Red Bull

NEW YORK - JUNE 10: Brian Vickers, driver of the NASCAR #83 Red Bull Toyota, makes a full pit stop with the Red Bull Racing pit crew on 7th Avenue in Times Square on June 10, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images for Red Bull) *** Local Caption *** Brian Vickers

Getty Images for Red Bull

NEW YORK - JUNE 10: Brian Vickers, driver of the NASCAR #83 Red Bull Toyota, makes a full pit stop with the Red Bull Racing pit crew on 7th Avenue in Times Square on June 10, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images for Red Bull) *** Local Caption *** Brian Vickers

Getty Images for Red Bull

NEW YORK - JUNE 10: A NASCAR racing lollipop is held in the street before Brian Vickers, driver of the NASCAR #83 Red Bull Toyota, makes a full pit stop with the Red Bull Racing pit crew on 7th Avenue in Times Square on June 10, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images for Red Bull) *** Local Caption *** Brian Vickers

Getty Images for Red Bull

NEW YORK - JUNE 10: Brian Vickers, driver of the NASCAR #83 Red Bull Toyota, makes a full pit stop with the Red Bull Racing pit crew on 7th Avenue in Times Square on June 10, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Jaime L. Mikle/Getty Images for Red Bull) *** Local Caption *** Brian Vickers

Getty Images for Red Bull

NEW YORK - JUNE 10: Brian Vickers, driver of the NASCAR #83 Red Bull Toyota, makes a full pit stop with the Red Bull Racing pit crew on 7th Avenue in Times Square on June 10, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images for Red Bull) *** Local Caption *** Brian Vickers

Getty Images for Red Bull

FILE - This is an April 19, 2008 file photo showing Colin Braun posing for photographers after winning his first pole position in his three-year career, during the NASCAR Nationwide qualifiers in Mexico City. Braun figures there couldn't be a better time for his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory than in Saturday's race at Michigan International Speedway. The 20-year-old Braun, in his second full season driving trucks for Roush Fenway Racing, would love to be the driver to give team co-owner Jack Roush his 50th series victory. (AP Photo/Miguel Tovar, File)

Tony Stewart (14) drives from the garage area for practice Saturday, June 6, 2009, at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa. Darian Grubb had no intention of leaving his engineering job at Hendrick Motorsports. But when Tony Stewart called him with an offer to be the crew chief of his upstart team, Grubb couldn't say no. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

More often than not, the Roush team is the storyline at Michigan, a driver-favorite 2-miler where the Roush Fenway team has scored at least one victory in the past seven consecutive years -- a track record. The last time the Cup Series raced here (August, 2008), all five of the Roush Fords finished in the top-10.

And as far as team founder Jack Roush is concerned, there's no finer place for the success. He lives outside Detroit and his ROUSH Industries engineering company is headquartered a half hour away from the track. He got his first Michigan win two decades ago with a 30-year-old Martin.

"It's just fun to race in front of the home crowd and we have a history of being successful based on the foundation that Mark Martin put under us 20 years ago," said Roush, who counts a 1997 win during Ford Motor Company's 100th anniversary celebration as his most memorable victory here.

Edwards, Biffle and Kenseth -- who are ranked sixth, seventh and eighth in the championship -- are among the leaders in nearly every statistical category at Michigan in the last four years and considered heavy favorites this weekend.

Edwards holds the top driver rating at MIS, Kenseth is third and Biffle fourth. Edwards, who has two wins in nine Cup starts here, is also tops in Average Running Position (seventh), Laps Run in the Top 15 (90.2 percent) and Fastest Race Laps (134).

"Trust me, I want to win so badly," said Edwards, who won at Michigan last August and is coming off a runner-up effort at Dover on Sunday.

"Even though it's only been 13 or 14 races [since a win], it feels like forever. But I think if we just keep our heads down, I think we'll get what we deserve. And definitely points feel good."

Biffle concurs.

"Big picture, we're right there," said Biffle, adding with a laugh. "We're not lousy by any means."

Roush Team Targets Michigan Speedway originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Thu, 11 Jun 2009 21:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Paging Matt Kenseth: Where's He Been?

Geoffrey Miller — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 11:38:00 EST

Filed under: Matt Kenseth, Roush Fenway Racing, Sprint Cup

Just weeks ago, the name Matt Kenseth was the only available substitute for '2009 Sprint Cup winner'.

The Roush Fenway Racing driver picked up the Harley J. Earl Trophy for winning the rain-soaked Daytona 500 and followed it up a week later with a 'W' in the season's second race at Auto Club Speedway.

Since then, however, Kenseth has fallen through the standings at a clip rivaling a Ryan Newman qualifying lap.

The brutal drop from 1st to 12th in the standings happened quickly after the checkers and cheers that was ACS' victory lane. The No. 17 misfired badly in the very next race weekend with a 43rd-place finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway thanks to a blown motor just 34 laps into the race.

The Matt Kenseth we know, however, returned a week later at Atlanta Motor Speedway with a 12th-place run that is the trademark style of the consistent Cambridge, Wisc., driver.

The first Sprint Cup jaunt to the short tracks, though, didn't turn out so well.

Kenseth tallied up finishes of 33rd and 23rd at Bristol Motor Speedway and Martinsville Speedway, respectively. The lack of front-running performance was somewhat of a shock at Bristol for Kenseth on a personal level because he's got two career wins at the track -- including a dominating performance in 2005 where he led 415 of the 500 laps in the fall race.

On a team level, though, the Roush Fenway stable massively underperformed at the short tracks as a whole with just one car -- Jamie McMurray in 10th at Martinsville -- finding a Top-10 finish.

Kenseth's paced picked up again at the longtime Roush stronghold of Texas Motor Speedway with a fifth-place finish, but just last weekend at Phoenix, the dismal ways returned. Kenseth 27th after starting 17th.

"We had a really tough race last week," said Kenseth. "To be honest, we've been less than stellar since winning the first two races of the season. We have to get the cars running better and we have to be much more consistent on pit road to have a shot at making the Chase and competing this season."

Unfortunately, the Sprint Cup Series heads to Talladega Superspeedway this weekend, a place Kenseth lacks a solid record at. The No. 17 has averaged an 18th-place finish over the years, but in 18 races, he's led the field 13 times.

Naturally, the biggest obstacle to Kenseth's success at Talladega should be getting caught up in someone else's mess. Should he miss that, it's not entirely possible to rule out a solid finish thanks in part to his decent drafting skills. Kenseth did make a late pass for the win around Elliott Sadler at Daytona.

But Kenseth couldn't be more spot on in his assessment of the season. Sure, the first two races had a nice, positive ring to them, but getting into the Chase is going to require much better consistency from the No. 17 -- even for a team that has yet to miss the season-ending championship format.

Paging Matt Kenseth: Where's He Been? originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Thu, 23 Apr 2009 11:38:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fishing Mishap Costs Greg Biffle Race

Geoffrey Miller — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 16:51:00 EST

Filed under: Greg Biffle, Roush Fenway Racing, Nationwide Series, Sprint Cup

A little off-week fishing turned into a big headache -- or rib-ache, if you will -- for Roush Fenway Racing's driver Greg Biffle.

Biffle, slated to drive in both the Sprint Cup Series' Food City 500 on Sunday and the Nationwide Series' Scotts Turf Builder 300 on Saturday for RFR, will now sit out the Saturday event to rest a sore set of ribs after the No. 16 Ford driver fell awkwardly -- he termed it a "freak accident" -- while trying to get off a boat Tuesday night.

Judging from his remarks Friday afternoon at Bristol Motor Speedway's half-mile, Biffle wasn't too proud of the way he injured himself.

"I wish I had a better story, I really do. Me and a couple buddies went out fishing on Tuesday night and we were just messing around in our cove right there and we came back to the dock," said Biffle. "I jumped over to the dock and the boat was kind of drifting out a little bit. One guy had the front corner and I said, 'I'm gonna jump back over and grab a rope and then jump back again.'

"It was about 11:30, so there was a little bit of dew in the air and the platform must have been wet, and when I jumped over it just shot my foot out from underneath me. It turned me around backwards and put me right on my side and on my back on the edge of the boat."

In other words, Biffle is a human like the rest of us and just slipped. Ow.

Fortunately, Biffle isn't going to be running 500 laps in the driver seat of a stock Ford Fusion, and instead will have a seat that has been custom-formed to the contour of his frame.

"I went down yesterday as a precaution and got in my Martinsville car because the Bristol car had already left, and I feel better in that seat than I do sitting in anything," said Biffle. "I drove over there in my truck and I actually feel better sitting in that seat (race car seat) because it's hard foam and it's molded. It doesn't create any pressure points."

As for the Saturday Bristol race, teammate Matt Kenseth will jump in the No. 16 in place of Biffle, and the pair will switch a race date later in the season, possibly the Nationwide event at Daytona. Biffle has no concerns that he'll be able to complete Sunday's race.

Fishing Mishap Costs Greg Biffle Race originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Fri, 20 Mar 2009 16:51:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jamie McMurray: Las Vegas Drifting Star

Geoffrey Miller — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 19:33:00 EST

Filed under: Jamie McMurray, Roush Fenway Racing, NASCAR Videos, Sprint Cup

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.

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Toyota's NASCAR Monopoly on Hold

Geoffrey Miller — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Ford, Toyota, Roush Fenway Racing, Sprint Cup

Jack Roush, co-owner of NASCAR's Roush Fenway Racing, can sleep a little better these days.

Toyota Racing Development -- long the rotten apple in the eye of Roush -- acknowledged this week in a conference call that it too expects budgetary cuts in the coming year thanks to an automobile market that's having a problem or two selling cars.

TRD's NASCAR point man, Lee White, said the entire company posted its first annual loss in 70 years in 2008 and that "there is probably not anything on this earth here that Toyota is involved with now that is not under some level of review regarding budget expenditure" thanks to sorry market conditions.

Since joining the Camping World Truck Series in 2004 and Sprint Cup & Nationwide Series in 2007, Toyota has been greeted by some in the garage area with a cold shoulder, thanks to the company's overseas ties and seemingly endless cash stream.

Roush, ever the Ford man, has long had not-so-nice things to say about the company mainly because he fears the deep pockets could overwhelm his race team's ability to compete. Roush's Sprint Cup drivers include Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth, David Ragan, Jamie McMurray and Greg Biffle.

The latest round of Roush vs. Toyota came at Atlanta Motor Speedway last March, a week after Edwards' race-winning Las Vegas failed post-race inspection due a loose oil tank cover. White, a former Roush employee, didn't buy the argument, and Roush responded.

Needless to say, relations between the blue oval and Toyota are roughly as warm as a sheet of ice.

Perhaps today, though, Roush's idea of being overrun by Toyota's deep pockets has simmered some. That being said, I wouldn't go as far as to say that Christmas cards are going to be exchanged anytime soon.

Toyota's NASCAR Monopoly on Hold originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Thu, 15 Jan 2009 15:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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'08 Rear-View Mirror: Matt Kenseth

Geoffrey Miller — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 15:02:00 EST

Filed under: Matt Kenseth, Roush Fenway Racing, Sprint Cup

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: Matt Kenseth
Team: No. 17 Roush-Fenway Racing Ford
'08 Final Standing: 11th (-500)
Best Race: Dover (2nd-place)
Worst Race: Lowe's (41st-place)

Season in a box: Kenseth started his 9th full-time Sprint Cup season for the first time with a guy that wasn't named Robbie Reiser aboard the team's pit box thanks to Reiser taking on a higher role at the Roush-Fenway organization. Unfortunately, with Chip Bolin now calling shots, the season turned into one where Kenseth was hardly ever a factor.

His best finish (2nd) came at Dover -- a track that Kenseth has excelled at in recent years. Kenseth's best streak of the season came after what was likely his worst with finishes of 38th, 41st and 38th Martinsville in April to Richmond in May. From that point, Kenseth railed off eight Top-10 finishes in the next ten races in the Wisconsin driver's trademark style.

That stretch was enough to jolt Kenseth back to the Chase and he succeeded in making it, but he never showed any type of performance that could stand up to Jimmie Johnson or Carl Edwards thanks to another ill-timed bout with inconsistency. Kenseth landed five Top-10s in the final ten races -- including that season-best finish -- but two finishes of 40th and 41st laid the nail to the coffin for his championship hopes.

A 25th-place finish at the season-finale at Homestead did the same for his potential trip to New York on the banquet stage.

Through the crystal windshield: RFR has already announced that Kenseth will get a new crew chief in 2009 with Bolin heading to another role with the team and Drew Blickensdorfer -- of Carl Edwards' Nationwide Series team fame -- moving to the No. 17 it box.

After years with Reiser and a single season with Bolin, I'm not entirely sure that a crew chief change will make a drastic impact on the 2009 outlook for Kenseth. He wasn't close to being terrible this season and some possible early season woes thanks to the new crew chief weren't really a factor in Kenseth's final Chase standing.

Let's face it, Kenseth is a driver that can knock 'em dead with consistency, but it's just tough for a driver to win a Chase championship when other teams -- Johnson, Edwards and likely Kyle Busch in 2009 -- can secure multiple wins.

Next up: Kyle Busch

'08 Rear-View Mirror: Matt Kenseth originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Mon, 29 Dec 2008 15:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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'08 Rear-View Mirror: David Ragan

Geoffrey Miller — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 03:01:00 EST

Filed under: David Ragan, Roush Fenway Racing, Sprint Cup

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: David Ragan
Team: No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford
'08 Final Standing: 13th (-2385)
Best Race: New Hampshire (4th-place)
Worst Race: Kansas & Phoenix (43rd-place)

Season in a box: Ragan's biggest impact on the Sprint Cup Series came after his first race at Martinsville when Tony Stewart deemed the then-rookie a "dart without feathers." After 2008, though, Ragan has gained quite a bit more respect from the entire series.

Ragan started the season in an ugly fashion with a wreck that took out teammate Matt Kenseth at the Daytona 500 to find the driver from Unadilla, Ga., (go ahead, say it. U-NA-DILL-UH) with a 42nd-place finish in the season's first race. Fortunately, such mistakes weren't typical of Ragan's season.

Ragan picked up an impressive 6 Top-5 finishes and 14 Top-10s over the 36-race schedule, with his best finish of 3rd at Michigan and Talladega. Over the course of the last 8 races after narrowly missing out on an improbable run to the Chase for the Sprint Cup, Ragan reeled off 7 Top-15 finishes and had a lowest finish of 24th in the final race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Through the crystal windshield: Looking ahead to 2009, the future really couldn't be brighter for Ragan.

He truly finished 2008 in a fashion that at least met the expectations of car owner Jack Roush, and for everyone else in the garage area, far exceeded them. His No. 6 car has been close to victory lane, and more importantly, Ragan has shown he's about as cool as them under pressure and that he has the consistency to make a worthwhile run in NASCAR.

Ragan has shown a lot talent quite quickly in NASCAR, and after his 2008 campaign, I see Ragan being a Chase contender in 2009.

Next up: Dale Earnhardt Jr.

'08 Rear-View Mirror: David Ragan originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Wed, 24 Dec 2008 03:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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'08 Rear-View Mirror: Jamie McMurray

Geoffrey Miller — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 17:38:00 EST

Filed under: Jamie McMurray, Roush Fenway Racing, Sprint Cup

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.

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Edwards In Favor of Testing Ban Contract

Geoffrey Miller — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 15:26:00 EST

Filed under: Carl Edwards, Roush Fenway Racing, Sprint Cup

As this oh-so-creative writer from the St. Petersburg Times put it, Carl Edwards is "bringing out his inner-Allen Iverson" with talk of a self-imposed testing ban and a limit for practice on Sprint Cup race weekends.

[Edwards] said a contract is circulating among teams that would impose a self-ban on testing. The deal would go beyond NASCAR's one-year moratorium at venues that host races in the top three series.

"I've seen a contract that was written that (owner Jack Roush) said he's willing to sign, I'm willing to sign, that says if everyone will agree to this, then we won't test at all," Edwards said. "I think that's fine. That's great."

Edwards' approval of this total test ban isn't exactly walking far out on a limb because, come on, who's going to disagree with the guy who is writing your paychecks?

I do find it interesting, though, that Edwards said later in the article that NASCAR could be well-served with an elimination of Friday and potentially Saturday practice during a race weekend. In his mind, it would save significantly on team costs associated with staying at a track for another day.

The cost savings would be good for the teams, but it certainly wouldn't be beneficial to a race track that is open for NASCAR events between three and six days per year -- as Edwards acknowledged -- nor would it be good for competition. A lack of practice and testing would be the easiest way for a team who is has been consistently good to stay consistently better than the rest because the teams that falter wouldn't have near the amount of chances to catch back up.

In other words, it makes a lot of sense for the guy who finished the year on the hottest note in the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series to advocate for less practice, doesn't it?

Limiting practice is definitely the wrong way to go, and as I see it, NASCAR should instead give teams the chance to put all of the data-gathering equipment they have for testing purposes on their rides for all practice that comes before qualifying in at each race weekend in 2009.

The teams already own the equipment anyways and its the easiest way for a race engineer to get a gauge on the shock travels, ride heights and other statistics I can't even begin to explain that are measured on a stock car to help with the setup.

(tip of the hat to Jayski for the link)

Edwards In Favor of Testing Ban Contract originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Mon, 24 Nov 2008 15:26:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Roush Fenway Racing Extends Matt Kenseth, Appears to Leave Out Jamie McMurray

Geoffrey Miller — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 23:26:00 EST

Filed under: Carl Edwards, David Ragan, Greg Biffle, Jamie McMurray, Matt Kenseth, Roush Fenway Racing, NASCAR Silly Season, Sprint Cup

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.

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Jimmie Johnson Wins 2008 Sprint Cup Title; Carl Edwards Wins Fuel Mileage Gamble

Geoffrey Miller — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 20:27:00 EST

Filed under: Carl Edwards, Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, Roush Fenway Racing, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Sprint Cup, Hendrick Motorsports

Dominance and dynasty were the two words most thrown around in post-race celebrations at Homestead-Miami Speedway after Sunday's Ford 400.

And most of those words were aimed at NASCAR's second driver in history to win three-straight NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championships -- Hendrick Motorsports' Jimmie Johnson.

Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus had a solid car Sunday night in the season-finale event of the 36-race NASCAR season, but with the race playing out in a fashion that required drivers to stretch fuel mileage to earn the race victory, the driver and team leader opted to play it safe by coming in for a splash of gas. The pit stop left Johnson to finish 15th and ultimately surrender 72 points to race winner Carl Edwards.

Edwards, though, couldn't overcome Johnson's enormous 141-point prerace advantage despite leading the most laps and winning the event thanks to a spectacular fuel mileage. It was Edwards' ninth win of the season and doubled as the most wins for any driver in 2008.

Edwards appeared to be the only driver who didn't pit either late in the race or out of sync with the race leaders, as the rest of the Top-5 featured drivers who pitted during the final caution flag. Kevin Harvick took 2nd, the resurgent Jamie McMurray took 3rd, Jeff Gordon remained winless in 2008 with a 4th-place finish and Clint Bowyer ended his run in No. 07 with a fifth-place finish.

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MARTINSVILLE, VA - OCTOBER 18: Justin Skinner, driver of the #03 Germain Toyota Toyota, poses on tack prior to the start of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway on October 18, 2008 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Justin Skinner

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MARTINSVILLE, VA - OCTOBER 18: Mike Skinner (L), driver of the #5 Toyota Tundra Toyota, poses with son, Justin Skinner (R), driver of the #03 Germain Toyota Toyota, on the track prior to the start of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway on October 18, 2008 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Mike Skinner;Justin Skinner

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MARTINSVILLE, VA - OCTOBER 18: Jeff Green, driver of the #40 Westerman Companies Chevrolet, spins as leader Ron Hornady, driver of the #33 Camping World Chevrolet passes during the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway on October 18, 2008 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Jeff Green;Ron Hornady

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MARTINSVILLE, VA - OCTOBER 18: Johnny Benson, driver of the #23 Toyota Tundra Toyota, celebrates winning the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway on October 18, 2008 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Johnny Benson

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MARTINSVILLE, VA - OCTOBER 18: Johnny Benson, driver of the #23 Toyota Tundra Toyota, leads the field on the final restart during the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway on October 18, 2008 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Johnny Benson

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MARTINSVILLE, VA - OCTOBER 18: Johnny Benson, driver of the #23 Toyota Tundra Toyota, makes a pit stop during the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway on October 18, 2008 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Johnny Benson

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L Carriers Chevrolet, during the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway on October 18, 2008 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Ron Hornaday Jr.;Johnny Benson;Kevin Harvick

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MARTINSVILLE, VA - OCTOBER 18: Johnny Benson, driver of the #23 Toyota Tundra Toyota, crosses the finish line to win the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway on October 18, 2008 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Johnny Benson

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MARTINSVILLE, VA - OCTOBER 18: Johnny Benson, driver of the #23 Toyota Tundra Toyota, celebrates after winning the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway on October 18, 2008 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Johnny Benson

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Tony Stewart, in his final race with Joe Gibbs Racing after deciding in July to get into the ownership side of NASCAR in addition to driving, led in the final 20 laps with a very strong race car but wound up 9th after coming to pit road for fuel.

Matt Kenseth led 73 laps of Sunday's race and was trying to outrun Edwards late in the race when he ran out fuel with less than three laps to go. He wound up 25th

Two other Chase for the Sprint Cup contenders also suffered late-race problems to impact the final point standings and whether or not they would be heading to New York City during the first week of December for the Sprint Cup Series Awards banquet.

Jeff Burton made contact with Joe Nemechek on the backstretch and spun his No. 31 around and wound up 40th, 8 laps down. Dale Earnhardt Jr. suffered an odd brake failure that broke the caliper in the final 30 laps of the race to push him to a 41st-place finish.

Kenseth and Earnhardt Jr. finished 11th and 12th, respectively, and if NASCAR continues its tradition, they won't be attending the awards banquet that is only open to the sport's Top-10 drivers -- not the Chase for the Sprint Cup field.

Some other notable finishers included Travis Kvapil in 7th, Casey Mears in 8th, A.J. Allmendinger in 11th, Bill Elliott 12th, Scott Riggs 14th, Scott Speed 16th and pole-sitter David Reutimann in 20th.

Jimmie Johnson Wins 2008 Sprint Cup Title; Carl Edwards Wins Fuel Mileage Gamble originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 16 Nov 2008 20:27:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jimmie Johnson Dominates Again in Phoenix, Prepares to Celebrate Third Championship

Geoffrey Miller — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 20:53:00 EST

Filed under: Carl Edwards, Jimmie Johnson, Roush Fenway Racing, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Sprint Cup, Hendrick Motorsports

Carl Edwards had his hopes for an improbable run at removing Jimmie Johnson from the top of the Sprint Cup world dashed Sunday night at Phoenix International Raceway, and none of it was it his own doing.

Edwards can solely blame that one on Johnson for having the most dominating car at the Phoenix-area track, leading the most laps and taking home his third-straight win at PIR. All of that success for Johnson meant a hole of 141 points for Edwards as the series heads to Homestead-Miami Speedway next Sunday for the final race.

In other words, the NASCAR world can ultimately turn next weekend's race into a salute to the incredible history Jimmie Johnson and the No. 48 team is making, because Edwards has next to zero chances of overcoming those odds.

The road to Johnson's win Sunday took quite a while thanks to two separate red flag periods that ultimately caused ABC to switch the race broadcast to ESPN2 -- likely angering many fans who don't have cable. What they missed didn't necessarily affect the Top-5 running order but it did affect driver relations.

First, Tony Stewart and Greg Biffle had a minor on-track bumping scuffle, as did Paul Menard and Jeff Burton. Then, A.J. Allmendinger got into turn one too hot underneath Matt Kenseth and spun the No. 17 and Tony Stewart. Kenseth wasn't too happy and exacted revenge on Allmendinger as they came to the checkered flag, causing Allmendinger to collect Juan Pablo Montoya, Stewart, and a host of other cars in a worthless, unintentional move that many race cars mangled.

Behind Johnson, Kurt Busch tried to pass the No. 48 on a final green-white-checkered sprint to the finish but couldn't quite get to the No. 48. Jamie McMurray led 28 laps early in the race and wound up third, Edwards finished a notable fourth after battling track position all day and Denny Hamlin scored the fifth-place finish.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., who never had a car to challenge Johnson but was solid all day, finally turned in a consistent run with a sixth-place finish and Kevin Harvick was seventh. Kyle Busch, Jeff Burton and David Ragan rounded out the Top-10.

Jeff Gordon appeared to have a car that might have challenged Johnson if not a Top-3 finish early in the race until engine troubles relegated him to a 40th-place finish after running around for at least 100 laps on seven cylinders. Luckily for Johnson, those Hendrick engine problems were isolated to the No. 24.

Two wrecks were pretty notable during Sunday's race with the first involving Brian Vickers. The No. 83 had a mechanical problem in the rear-end as Vickers prepared to enter turn three and it sent Vickers slamming into the outside wall and out of the race.

Scott Speed and David Gilliland were involved in the other wreck that was more accurately described as quirky. Both drivers were part of a multi-car incident after Casey Mears spun in turn three and somehow Speed ran into Gilliland's rear-end hard enough to shove the No. 38's wheels off the ground and on top of Speed's windshield. Gilliland had to jump down out of his car to get out.

As for the point standings that Johnson now has such a commanding hold on, the No. 48 leads Edwards by 141 points, by 203 over Greg Biffle, by 269 over Jeff Burton and by 328 over Kevin Harvick who jumped two spots.

Jimmie Johnson Dominates Again in Phoenix, Prepares to Celebrate Third Championship originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 09 Nov 2008 20:53:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Crew Chief, Fianc�e Good for McMurray

Geoffrey Miller — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 12:36:00 EST

Filed under: Jamie McMurray, Roush Fenway Racing, Sprint Cup

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, Fianc�e 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.

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Carl Edwards and Jack Roush Kick Off Chase-Related Whining

Geoffrey Miller — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 13:47:00 EST

Filed under: Carl Edwards, Jimmie Johnson, Roush Fenway Racing, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Sprint Cup, Hendrick Motorsports

Sprint Cup driver Carl Edwards and team owner Jack Roush officially kicked off the whining about Jimmie Johnson's incredible Chase for the Sprint Cup dominance Sunday evening at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

And you can bet that said whining is going to be pouring on heavily over the last three weeks of the NASCAR season from all sides of the catchfence as Johnson looks to wrap up his third-straight title before the season finale in Homestead, Fla.

Edwards, who trails Johnson by an astounding 183 points after seven races, has suffered two bad races in the Chase -- a crash at Talladega and electrical problems at Lowe's Motor Speedway. And because of that, he and team owner Roush have started a lobby for a new Chase format.

"[...] that's what we want to go back and [remember] about 2008 - think about our championship run and what it meant," Roush said. "But, unfortunately, I think it will come down to thinking about the broken engine parts, the ignition and the other frustrations we've had, but it would be my suggestion as NASCAR looks at how to make this [Chase] more exciting, [that] every team had an opportunity to throw out one race and be able to just count nine of the 10.

"That means you could have a mulligan, and you could be able to come back from it."

What about that makes you a more legitmate NASCAR champion than the current format that shortchanges past Winston Cup champions?

By Roush's logic, and Edwards' agreement, Johnson's incredible point lead and overall flawlessness shouldn't be what Chase-eligible teams strive for in the Chase. Instead, a guy who hasn't finished on the lead lap in two of the races should be within striking distance of a guy who hasn't finished worse than 9th.

Frankly, adding more loops and sideshows into the Chase format is only turning NASCAR into a over-promoted Saturday night short track series, sans a figure-eight track -- though who's to say that's not a possibility.
I get Roush's and Edwards' frustration on how close and how good they've been. But come on, do we really need to penalize a dominant driver in NASCAR?

It doesn't happen in other sports. Monday night, the Philadelphia Phillies won't be putting eight players on the field simply because they have a three games to one lead in the World Series. The Indianapolis Colts, also playing Monday night, won't get the advantage of another player or more timeouts because the Tennessee Titans have a better record.

In both situations, teams will be competeing head to head, no matter what's on the line.

We've already had enough of a sideshow -- also known as the Chase -- forced into the NASCAR world for what I deem to be artificial hype and entertainment. Just ask Kyle Busch (this year) and Jeff Gordon (2007) what it feels like to have a monstorous lead pulled from under your feet in the point standings just to make things more interesting.

Is that something we really need more of? In my book, no way.

Carl Edwards and Jack Roush Kick Off Chase-Related Whining originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Mon, 27 Oct 2008 13:47:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Biffle is Boomin' as Roush Dominates Dover

Geoffrey Miller — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 19:31:00 EST

Filed under: Greg Biffle, Roush Fenway Racing, Chase for the Sprint Cup

It wouldn't have been too incredulous to say that season-long favorites Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards or Jimmie Johnson would have won the first two races of the 2008 Chase for the Sprint Cup.

But Greg Biffle? Come on.

I would have called it a crazy guess, and after Sunday's race at Dover, I would have looked like the dumber person in the conversation, though that's not much a surprise. Biffle, though, definitely fits the "surprise" bill.

Biffle is now two-for-two to lead off the Chase but thanks only to his No. 16 Ford being able to fend off teammates Matt Kenseth (2nd) and Greg Biffle (3rd) in the closing laps of the Camping World 400 to accentuate one of the most enjoyable races of the 2008 season.

Looking back to Richmond just two weeks ago, the duel between Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart was an exciting one, but the 20-or-so lap show put on by the Roush Fenway Racing trio easily topped that. It all started with roughly 25 laps to go as the three drivers could have easily tossed a single picnic blanket over them as they crossed the start/finish line.

From there, three-wide racing was the name of the game for several corners and two-wide racing was even more common. Edwards appeared to fall off some from Kenseth and Biffle with about 15 laps to go but soon roared back into contention by coming out of nowhere and nearly taking the lead as the Top-3 positions kept changing.

Finally, Biffle got in front of both of his teammates and was able to drive off with eight laps to go as tire wear began to take effect. Biffle would keep the No. 16 in the lead and out of trouble for the rest of the way and led his 29th and final lap as the checkered flag waved at the flagstand -- sealing his second win in two weeks and second of the season.

Interestingly, Biffle still isn't the Sprint Cup point leader in the Chase despite winning the two races as teammate Edwards took sole command of the top spot by 10 points over Biffle and Jimmie Johnson.

Johnson lead 81 laps and finished fifth and Mark Martin, who finished fourth, filled in the Top-5.

Biffle is Boomin' as Roush Dominates Dover originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 21 Sep 2008 19:31:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Calling the Chase: 2nd - Carl Edwards

Geoffrey Miller — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 19:54:00 EST

Filed under: Carl Edwards, Roush Fenway Racing, Chase for the Sprint Cup

The NASCAR season truly kicks in Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway when the 10-race Chase for the Sprint Cup begins. From now through Friday, FanHouse will preview each of the 12-drivers and evaluate their championship chances.

2nd - Carl Edwards, Roush Fenway Racing

Starting Deficit: 20 points

2008 Stats: 6 wins, 11 Top-5s, 19 Top-10s

2008 Regular Season Point Standing: 2nd (-207)

2007 Chase Result: 9th

Chase Chances: Had Kyle Busch not gone on an absolute terror in 2008, Carl Edwards would have stolen most of the thunder of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series thanks to his six wins this season. Edwards began the season with a bang by taking two races in a row at California and Las Vegas, though the Vegas win came with a price. After the race, Edwards failed post-race inspection for an illicit aerodynamic device inside the cockpit and had his Chase bonus points for that event stripped away, leaving him with 10 fewer points than his wins account for.

Edwards, though, is an obvious choice to win this Chase because of not only his win count in 2008, but also for both the wins he could have had and the otherwise strong consistency the team has had. Many tracks in the Chase -- including Dover and the 1.5-milers -- are Edwards' strong points and for him to win two or three events early on would necessarily be out of the question. If nothing else, Edwards will make things interesting down the stretch as he, Busch, and Johnson show their strength.

Prediction: In It to Win It.

Calling the Chase: 2nd - Carl Edwards originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Fri, 12 Sep 2008 19:54:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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