The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) kicked-off the 2016 season Sunday afternoon at Daytona International Speedway (DIS). Jamie McMurray, the 2010 Daytona 500 winner, looked to add another Daytona 500 trophy to the team’s case. Although McMurray would ultimately finish with a 17th-place result, the McDonald’s/Cessna Chevy ran among the lead pack for much of the race. After being marred in traffic in the closing laps, McMurray was unable to challenge for a top-10 finish, however he completed the 200-lap race ranked eighth overall with an average running position of 11.7.
Following a runner-up finish in Thursday’s Can-Am Duels qualifying race, McMurray rolled off from the sixth starting position and maintained track position among the leaders with a solid handling McDonald’s/Cessna Chevy. The majority of the race McMurray held steady and communicated with crew chief Matt McCall to keep up with changing conditions and manage adjustments on pit stops.
Following the final pit stop of the day, McMurray cycled back on the lead lap just outside the top-15. After the final caution of the race, once the field was bunched back together, McMurray battled to join a line to draft to the front, but was unable to make a run and challenge for the win. The McDonald’s/Cessna Chevy was credited with a 17th-place finish.
Following the Daytona 500, McMurray is currently in 17th place in the NSCS point standings.
NOTES OF INTEREST:
· McMurray ran 87% of the laps in the top-15, ranked fourth in the field of 40
· The No. 1 pit crew ranked fifth overall for best pit road times
· The race was slowed by caution six times for 31 laps
CGR QUOTEBOARD
Jamie McMurray – No. 1 Cessna/McDonald’s Chevrolet SS: – “I just couldn’t get in a line that would move to the front in the closing laps. It was really hard to pass and even though about three different lines formed in the closing laps, there just wasn’t any room to go anywhere. We had a good McDonald’s/Cessna Chevy, but just couldn’t get back to the front. We didn’t have any issues and finished a superspeedway race with a whole car, so we’ll take that and move to the next race.”
NSCS teams will run the QuikTrip Folds of Honor 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway next Sunday, Feb. 28 2016. FOX, Sirius XM NASCAR Channel 90 and PRN Radio will have live coverage beginning at 1 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 Verizon IndyCar Series, two cars in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, two cars in the NASCAR XFINITY Series, two factory Ford GT’s in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, two factory Ford GT’s in the FIA World Endurance Championship and two Supercars in Red Bull Global Rallycross. 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 Concord, N.C., with a corporate office in Pittsburgh, Penn.
For more information log onto: www.chipganassiracing.com
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