The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) made the second stop of the 2015 season at Phoenix International Raceway, however the “Valley of the Sun” did not live up to its name on race day. The start of the Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 was delayed by more than six hours due to rain. The race, scheduled for 312 laps, was shortened because of rain on lap 219. Jamie McMurray was credited with a 15th-place finish.
The Sherwin-Williams team unloaded with a fast No. 1 Chevy on Friday and was near the top of the speed charts in practice, before transferring to the third and final round of qualifying on Friday evening, earning a 12th-place starting position.
Sunday’s early morning clouds gave way to persistent rains causing a delayed start. Once the race was able to get underway, McMurray consistently raced among the top-15, however with back-to-back long green-flag runs, it was difficult to gain considerable track position. Prior to the race’s final caution coming out, McMurray pitted and was caught a lap down before the final rain showers started, forcing the race to be called complete with 93-laps remaining. McMurray would ultimately finish 15th.
With his finish, McMurray remains in the 12th position in the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup standings.
NOTES OF INTEREST
· The race was red-flagged on Lap 219 as rain returned, and was ultimately declared an official race with 93 laps remaining
· The caution flag was shown twice for a total of 29 laps
· The lead changed eight times among seven drivers
CGRFS Quote board:
Jamie McMurray, No. 1 Sherwin-Williams Chevrolet SS – “What a long, tough day for everyone. Matt (McCall) and the guys made some good changes to the Sherwin-Williams Chevy once we got going. We were able to get the car handling pretty well, but with the long green-flag runs it made it difficult to gain any track position. I think if we could have been able to get a couple timely cautions we could have gained a few spots. We will rebound and look to have a strong run next weekend at Homestead and finish the season on a high note.”
NSCS teams will run the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway next Sunday, Nov. 22. NBC, Sirius XM NASCAR Channel 90 and MRN Radio will have live coverage beginning at 3 p.m. EST.
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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