The Granite State and New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS) were the site of race number 28 for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS). Jamie McMurray rolled off from the 23rd starting position and was a top-15 car throughout most of the 300-lap race, ultimately wheeling the FLIR Chevrolet SS to a 14th-place result.
The Sylvania 300 was race number two of three for the Challenger Round 16 in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. McMurray managed to advance to the second round of qualifying on Friday, however he would settle for a 23rd-place starting result. After making several changes to the FLIR Chevy during the final two practices on Saturday, the team felt that they finally hit on a competitive set-up for Sunday’s race.
With track-position being so valuable, crew chief Matt McCall worked his strategy, aided with timely cautions, to put McMurray in position for a strong finish after pitting for just two tires on the final stop of the day on Lap 239. Although the move netted track position inside the top-10, the handling of the car got really tight and McMurray would cross the finish line with a 14th-place finish.
With his finish, McMurray moved up to 11th in the 2015 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup standings.
NOTES OF INTEREST
· McMurray is currently ranked 11th of the 16 drivers in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup standings, one point ahead of the 12th and final cut-off position
· The No. 1 pit crew ranked fifth for least total time on pit road during the Sylvania 300
· The Sylvania 300 was slowed by caution nine times for 41 laps
CGRFS Quote board:
Jamie McMurray – No. 1 FLIR Chevrolet SS: – “We battled the same thing that I think most teams do at Loudon. We were tight in the middle and loose on entry and exit to the corners. The guys did a great job on pit road today and we tried to gamble on track position when the cautions fell our way, but the FLIR Chevy got really tight in the middle on the last run. We ran about 60 laps to the finish under green which worked out good for us as a few others that were gambling on fuel mileage came up short, giving us a few extra spots at the end.”
NSCS teams will run the AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway next Sunday, Oct. 3. NBC Sports Network will have live coverage beginning at 2:30 p.m. EDT.
About Chip Ganassi Racing Teams
Chip Ganassi has been a fixture in the auto racing industry for over 25 years and is considered one of the most successful as well as innovative owners the sport has anywhere in the world. Today his teams include four cars in the IndyCar Series, two cars in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and one Prototype in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship. Overall his teams have 18 championships and 170 victories, including four Indianapolis 500s, a Daytona 500, a Brickyard 400 and six Rolex 24 At Daytonas and the 12 Hours of Sebring. Ganassi boasts state-of-the-art race shop facilities in Indianapolis and Brownsburg, Ind. and Concord, N.C., with a corporate office in Pittsburgh, Pa.
For more information log onto chipganassiracing.com
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