The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) headed to Eastern Pennsylvania for the Axalta “We Paint Winners” 400 at Pocono Raceway. Jamie McMurray, driving the No. 1 Cessna Patriotic Chevrolet SS, managed a car that transitioned from extremely loose to tight conditions, before finding the right balance and racing to his second consecutive seventh-place finish.
As Pocono Raceway traditionally poses a difficult challenge for teams to find the right setup to negotiate the three distinctly different turns on the 2.5-mile triangle shaped track, this weekend may have proved more of a wild-card. The bumps in the second turn appeared to be more distinct than in the past due to some settling in the area that covers the infield tunnel entrance.
Matt McCall and team managed to keep working on the handling for McMurray over the team’s five pit stops and put the No. 1 Cessna Patriotic Chevy in positon for a strong finish. McMurray ran among the top-10 over the final 60 laps of the 160-lap race. Following the team’s final pit stop with less than 40 laps to go, McMurray thought he would need to go into fuel conservation mode, however three cautions in the final 30 laps allowed enough reserve that he could race for position without concern. McMurray was able to secure his sixth top-10 finish of the season with a seventh-place result.
With his finish, McMurray maintained seventh place in the NSCS point standings.
NOTES OF INTEREST
• This was McMurray’s sixth top-10 finish of the season
• This is the second time this season that he has had back-to-back top-10’s
• The Axalta 400 was slowed by caution eight times for 31 laps
CGRFS Quoteboard:
Jamie McMurray – No. 1 Cessna Patriotic Chevrolet SS: – “We battled a loose car early in the race before getting tight during the second half of the race. Matt and the No. 1 Cessna team did a good job adjusting the car and improving the handling. The car was really good on short runs and multiple cautions towards the end helped us make it on fuel mileage and lead to another solid top-10 finish. We will use what we learned on the long runs to find more speed for Michigan next weekend.”
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will head to Michigan International Speedway for the Quicken Loans 400 Sunday, June 14, 2015. FOX Sports 1 coverage will begin at 1 p.m. ET, Sirius/XM Channel 90 and MRN affiliated radio stations will also have live coverage.
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 17 championships and over 160 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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