Jamie McMurray and the No. 26 Crown Royal team took a gamble near the end of the race that paid off with their second top-10 finish in two weeks. Crew Chief Larry Carter made the call to pit when no one else came down pit road. The gamble paid off and the team was rewarded with their fifth top-10 finish of season.
Pole winner Jimmie Johnson led the field of 43 cars to the green flag at 2:21pm, before a crowd of over 100,000 fans at Pocono Raceway. McMurray started from the 41st position. Throughout most of the afternoon, the No. 26 team moved up the board as high as 20th, but wasn't able to make a charge to the front.
When the caution flag came out again on lap 137 for a wreck off turn two, crew chief Carter had a plan. On lap 139, Carter summoned a hesitant McMurray down pit road for what would be a two tire and fuel stop. During the stop, Carter called for four tires. The Crown Royal pit crew reacted to the call and moved to the left side to change two additional tires. McMurray exited pit road in the 35th position, and at the time, unsure with the call to pit.
As the racing continued on, Carter knew the No. 26 team would only have to pit one additional time to make it to the scheduled distance of 200 laps, and that most other teams on pit road would have to pit twice. On lap 155, the leaders began coming down pit road for scheduled pit stops. McMurray remained on the track and eventually was scored as the leader; earning the team five additional points.
On lap 170, Carter called McMurray back down pit road for four tires and fuel. After exiting in the 21st position, it was left into the hands of McMurray to make it to the end. And as the laps counted down, drivers ahead of McMurray dove down pit road for a splash of fuel to make to the end, but not the No. 26 team. With just 10 laps remaining in the event, McMurray was scored 14th. During the final lap of the race, McMurray took the white flag from the 13th position, and was able to pick up four more positions on the last lap to finish ninth.
“We certainly didn’t have the best car out there today, but we made the most of our finish,” said McMurray following the race. “Larry and Derek (Stamets) made a great call to pit when no one else came down pit road. After the call, I was pretty upset because it looked like it was going to rain, and I felt we gave up a lot of track position, but when the skies cleared and we only had to pit one more time, I knew that Larry had made the right call. We took a gamble this afternoon and it paid off in a top-10 finish for this Crown Royal team.”
“It’s tough to explain racing to the media, to the fans, to people on the outside — how important the crews and the cars and the chemistry are and having all of them at one time, how great that is,” (Jamie) McMurray said. "You get an offer from a team that has ... a winning thing going for it, and you take it." McMurray did, and in 2006, he began driving Roush Fords.
Last year, he finished 17th, got just one victory — in July at Daytona — and people began wondering. McMurray didn’t wonder, because he understands how racing goes. But that doesn’t mean he has been satisfied.
“When I got over here,” he said, “I thought that everything you need is here and I thought it (success) would just happen. But, racing’s hard.”
The current season has been another challenging one for McMurray. There have been lots of freakish happenings and lots of rumors about his future with Roush.
“There’s always pressure,” McMurray said, “but none more so than what I put on myself.”
Geoff Smith, president of Roush Fenway, said his team remains patient with McMurray.
“We have not soured on Jamie by any means,” Smith said.
Making things even tougher on McMurray this season is the quick start of his four teammates. Two are in the top 10 in points and the other two are in the top 18. McMurray, meanwhile, is 25th. Yet there was no hint of frustration in his voice as he talked about his season last weekend at Texas Motor Speedway.
“It’s always tough being on a multi-car team,” Smith said, “when a couple of your teammates are clicking and you’re not. I’ve seen some drivers prone to big mood swings. Jamie has the good outlook. He’s determined to make it better.”
McMurray was asked if he thinks the corner has been turned. He took a deep breath.
“We have all the tools,” he said. “We just have to use them.”
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