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Sprint Cup
CUP: McMurray After Third Straight ‘Plate’ Win
Jamie McMurray won the season-opening Daytona 500 after taking the lead with two laps left...
Jamie McMurray has struggled since winning the 2010 Daytona 500. (Photo: LAT Photographic)
Jamie McMurray has won the last two restrictor-plate events, so maybe he knows a secret on how to win events at Talladega and Daytona.
And, then again, maybe he just got in the right line in the draft.
Whatever it is, McMurray will try to make it three consecutive restrictor-plate victories this weekend in the Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway.
“When you go to those plate tracks, as excited as I am that I know we have a car that is capable of winning and those are really good tracks for me, it’s just about getting down to the end,” says McMurray, who has three career restrictor-plate victories.
“[It’s] not even to the last lap, but crossing the start-finish line because so many times those races will come down to the last lap or two, there will be a big wreck and you can finish 30th. I try to keep in the back of my mind that reality can set in and there’s a 50 percent chance you don’t finish those races.”
When he won the Daytona 500 in February, McMurray led only the last two laps.
“Dale Earnhardt Jr. helped me as much as anyone because he went up through the middle and kind of bounced off both sides and stalled both lines out,” McMurray says. “There’s no secret to that.”
The secret is learning who will work well with the driver during the race – and then hoping those drivers will help each other out at the end.
“You look at the cars in front of you and you always try to think a lap ahead and who is going to help you and who will hang you out,” McMurray says. “Once you’ve done enough of those races, you kind of know who you think your friends are.
“As the race goes on, you always get with two or three guys and your cars work well together. You know they’re not going to hang you out and you’re not going to hang them out. So it’s just about being lucky and putting yourself in the right place at the right time.”
McMurray has been in the right place at the right time for two different racing organizations. He won the Talladega race last November in one of his final races for Roush Fenway Racing. Then, in his first race back driving for team owner Chip Ganassi, McMurray won the Daytona 500 in February.
They both were significant events. His win was one of the few great highlights he had in four years at Roush Fenway.
And of course the Daytona 500 was the biggest win of his career.
“There’s just nothing that is going to top Daytona,” McMurray says.
And, then again, maybe he just got in the right line in the draft.
Whatever it is, McMurray will try to make it three consecutive restrictor-plate victories this weekend in the Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway.
“When you go to those plate tracks, as excited as I am that I know we have a car that is capable of winning and those are really good tracks for me, it’s just about getting down to the end,” says McMurray, who has three career restrictor-plate victories.
“[It’s] not even to the last lap, but crossing the start-finish line because so many times those races will come down to the last lap or two, there will be a big wreck and you can finish 30th. I try to keep in the back of my mind that reality can set in and there’s a 50 percent chance you don’t finish those races.”
When he won the Daytona 500 in February, McMurray led only the last two laps.
“Dale Earnhardt Jr. helped me as much as anyone because he went up through the middle and kind of bounced off both sides and stalled both lines out,” McMurray says. “There’s no secret to that.”
The secret is learning who will work well with the driver during the race – and then hoping those drivers will help each other out at the end.
“You look at the cars in front of you and you always try to think a lap ahead and who is going to help you and who will hang you out,” McMurray says. “Once you’ve done enough of those races, you kind of know who you think your friends are.
“As the race goes on, you always get with two or three guys and your cars work well together. You know they’re not going to hang you out and you’re not going to hang them out. So it’s just about being lucky and putting yourself in the right place at the right time.”
McMurray has been in the right place at the right time for two different racing organizations. He won the Talladega race last November in one of his final races for Roush Fenway Racing. Then, in his first race back driving for team owner Chip Ganassi, McMurray won the Daytona 500 in February.
They both were significant events. His win was one of the few great highlights he had in four years at Roush Fenway.
And of course the Daytona 500 was the biggest win of his career.
“There’s just nothing that is going to top Daytona,” McMurray says.
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