Should the Charlotte Observer report that Jamie McMurray will be parting ways with Roush-Fenway Racing at the conclusion of the 2008 season be true, then adding McMurray’s name to the list of silly season spectacles could add yet another twist to this ongoing saga. Roush has already locked up Carl Edwards to another multi-year deal and appears to be only a few minor details away from re-signing Greg Biffle to his current contract. So, with Bobby Labonte, Martin Truex Jr, and Elliott Sadlerall already being reported as being re-signed with their teams for 2009, and Joe Gibbs Racing going on record by stating that they would not allow Tony Stewart to exit his contract obligations early, that would leave McMurray and Ryan Newman as the two biggest names on the market assuming that Roush’s deal with Biffle does in fact go through.
Richard Childress Racing has already stated that they are in search of a driver to field their fourth Cup car for next season, and the lineup at Penske Racing remains uncertain with Ryan Newman yet to be re-signed and the future of Sam Hornish Jr. with the team potentiall in question. There have also been a few reports that a release from Hendrick Motorsports for Casey Mears might not be out of question, and nobody appears to be safe over at Chip Ganassi Racing, so a potential return for McMurray there could even be in play. So, there could definitely be some opportunities for McMurray should the rumors of his departure from Roush hold true. As stated earlier, however, McMurray told reporters on Monday that as of right now the rumors are false.
McMurray first broke onto the Cup scene in 2002 while substituting for an injured Sterling Marlin over at Chip Ganassi Racing. He won the Fall race at Lowe’s that season in only his second career start. He drove the next three seasons full-time for Ganassi, finishing between 11th and 13th in points in each of those seasons. Since moving to Roush in 2006, McMurray has won only one more race (the Pepsi 400 last year at Daytona), and finished 25th in points in ‘06 and 17th in points last year. Jamie fell outside of the top-35 in points following the fifth race of 2008, but has since been able to climb his way back to 22nd thanks to seven top-20 finishes in the past nine races.
"As Danica Patrick and Sam Hornish Jr. lay crashed in front of me in Turn 1 at Iowa Speedway, I didn't even think about having Hornish in the tri-fecta. I was too pissed at Vitor Meira for not keeping his pace on the restart, bunching the cars up and creating the crash that I didn't think about the board. I had yelled "This is ####!" audibly over the sound of the engines as they came toward us to take the green because I could see an accident was likely imminent before it happened.
There were some great IRL fans sitting next to me in "standing room only" seating (oxymoron). We discussed 1) my theory that the poor restart by Meira created the situation, 2) others (including the announcers) perceptions that Danica failed to come up to speed while running third, and 3) another fan's perception that Carpenter crowded Danica and she swerved back at him on purpose to create space but accidentally hit him starting the wreck . It was pure racing discussion and speculation there for a several minutes during the caution among racing fans at the track. It was awesome! "
"It is at least partially her fault. I initially chalked this incident up to her notoriously poor restarts, but after hearing Sam Hornish, it sounds like that part of it was Vitor (Meira) break checking Marco which forced Danica to pull up slightly and allowed the other three cars to get around her. So that part is not her fault. However, once she was in that position, she was very indecisive and was wobbling back and forth before finally making contact with Carpenter."
Dan Wheldon said his victory in the 2006 season finale was a statement of what to expect in '07 from Target Chip Ganassi Racing. Point taken, Dan, and thanks for the warning. Wheldon became the first IndyCar Series driver to win at the same racetrack three years in a row, dominating the season-opening XM Satellite Radio Indy 300 under the lights at Miami's Homestead Raceway.
The victory at Chicagoland Speedway last September allowed Wheldon to tie Sam Hornish Jr. in championship points, but Hornish claimed his third series title based on the first tiebreaker – victories (his four to Wheldon's two). There appears to be another spirited battle brewing, with two 1.5-mile ovals and a temporary street course race on the docket before teams set up shop at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
"It's a great way to open up the season," said Wheldon, the 2005 series champion who started from the pole for the fifth time in his career. "I think with Ganassi Racing -- this is not a sales pitch, this is the truth -- we've worked very hard over the winter to try to perfect what we started last year.
"I think I definitely underestimated how difficult the transition would be coming to a new team. And I think some of what you saw tonight is just the experience.
"Hopefully, this bodes well for the rest of the season."
Wheldon is familiar with the omen: Four times in the previous six years the driver to win the opener went on to win the league title.
Wheldon's teammate Scott Dixon was runner-up – 6.4993 seconds behind. Reigning IndyCar Series champion Sam Hornish Jr., driving the No. 6 Team Penske Dallara/Honda/Firestone, finished third for the second year in a row. Delphi Panther Racing's Vitor Meira was fourth, followed by Andretti Green Racing's Tony Kanaan and Vision Racing's Ed Carpenter.
Dario Franchitti, who started third in the No. 27 Canadian Club car for Andretti Green Racing finished seventh, followed by Vision Racing's Tomas Scheckter and Team Penske's Helio Castroneves. Buddy Rice, making his first start for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, rounded out the top 10.
HAMPTON, Ga. -- Jeff Burton made it two Busch Series victories in a row Saturday, easily holding off Richard Childress Racing teammate and reigning Busch champion Kevin Harvick to win the Nicorette 300 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Kyle Busch again appeared to be on his way to a victory Saturday, building leads of a full straightaway before the last of six caution flags came out on Lap 167 of the 195-lap race when Todd Kluever hit the wall after being hit from behind by open-wheel star Sam Hornish Jr. All the leaders pitted and Busch easily led everyone back onto the track. But a NASCAR official spotted a missing lugnut on Busch's left front wheel and called him back into the pits. The Hendrick Motorsports driver fell all the way to 15th for the restart. The race restarted on Lap 174 and Busch charged through the field. He got all the way to third before running out of laps.
Series points leader Carl Edwards finished fourth, followed by Casey Mears, Clint Bowyer -- in the third RCR car, Kasey Kahne, rookie Juan Montoya -- the former Formula One star's best stock car finish on an oval -- Matt Kenseth and Tony Stewart, all cup regulars who will also race on the 1.5-mile oval in Sunday's Kobalt Tools 500.
Jeff Burton may not have been the fastest car, but he was fast enough. Burton battled a vibration the final four laps. “These things are never over until their over. We’ve just been on it here, lately,” said Burton. Obviously we had a little bit of luck." It is Burton’s second victory of the 2007 campaign and 24th of his Busch Series career.
Teams fought tire wear problems most of the day. Because of heavy rain that fell on Friday and the consequence of lost practice time, NASCAR mandated a competition caution early in the race and allowed teams an extra set of tires.
At one point during Saturday’s race, Burton felt a vibration while running in the top-10 and was forced to pit for new tires under green. Luckily for him, the rest of the lead lap cars did as well shortly thereafter and he didn’t fall out of sequence.
"I had to pit with a big vibration there at one point and I thought it was over then. But they found what was wrong," he said. "Then I got another vibration with about five laps to go, but I couldn't pit then." “We had some luck today. Nonetheless (our car) was fast,” Burton said. “That’s the key to racing – get yourself in position and good things can happen.”
"Obviously, the 5 car today, he was the class of the field," said Burton. "The last run, I thought we might be able to have something for him, but he was so fast and just had some bad luck."
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