CHEVY NSCS AT DOVER 2: Jamie McMurray Press Conf. Transcript

(Chevy)
(Chevy)

CHASE FOR THE NASCAR SPRINT CUP

ROUND 3 OF 10

CITIZEN SOLIDER 400

DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT

SEPTEMBER 30, 2016

JAMIE MCMURRAY, NO. 1 CREDIT ONE CHEVROLET SS, met with members of the media at Dover International Speedway and discussed this weekend’s race, what it will take to make it to the next round in the Chase and many other topics. Full Transcript:

YOU HAD AN INCREDIBLE RUN HERE LAST YEAR BUT FELL JUST A LITTLE SHORT OF GETTING TO THE NEXT ROUND OF THE CHASE. DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE ANOTHER INCREDIBLE RUN IN YOU AND DO YOU THINK THAT WILL BE ENOUGH TO GET YOU INTO THE NEXT ROUND?

“Last year was a lot of fun, getting to race with the No. 88 and knowing that I had to finish ahead of him in order to advance to the next round. He was ahead on one restart and I’d be ahead on the next, so that was a fun battle. As far as this year, you don’t know until you get on the track. You don’t know the circumstances, how they’re going to play out. I think the Chase hasn’t had the drama that it normally does to this point, so if you’re a guy on the outside looking in trying to advance to the next round you’re hoping that it’s a fairly dramatic race and that something big happens with somebody up front that’s going to shake it up a little. It can happen for sure here.”

THE CHASE HASN’T HAD THE DRAMA OF LAST YEAR. IS THERE ANYTHING DIFFERENT YOU SEE FROM LAST YEAR?

“It’s like trying to have a good finish in every single race. You’re not going to have that, and that’s what makes the exciting finishes so great. I guess it’s circumstantial. Normally the restarts at Loudon somebody always gets tangled up, and the fact that it’s one of the first Chase races there is usually some drama there. We just didn’t have that this year. Dover is one of those tracks that if there is an accident on the track it typically involves a lot of people that have to go to the garage, and it’s hard to repair your car. This is one of those places where we could have that and we could shake it up a little bit. But other that the first two races, I guess it’s just circumstantial and just wasn’t there yet.”

WHAT’S THE WEIRDEST THING THAT’S HAPPENED TO YOU (ON THE TRACK) IN A KEY SITUATION?

“Are you not comfortable talking about the weirdest thing that’s ever happened to me? (Laughs) I guess we’ve all had an inexpensive part cost you a race. That’s why details are so important with the race teams and you pay attention to everything when assembling a car. I think everybody’s had that happen to them. It’s certainly more unfortunate when it happens in a race that is so critical like this one is. But I think everybody’s had something simple like that knock them out.”

YOU’RE GOING TO CHARLOTTE NEXT WEEK. YOU’RE A COUPLE TIME WINNER THERE. WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO WIN AT THAT TRACK?
“When I think of both Charlotte races – 500- and 600-mile races – they both start when you have a little bit of change in the track; the first race because the sun is out and the second because it’s typically pretty cool by the end of the race. I think it’s being able to keep up with the track and having a good car. When I look back to the spring race and how dominant the 78 was throughout the entire race, that’s pretty amazing and you don’t typically see guys do that at Charlotte. You usually have somebody who qualifies well and can lead the early part of the race, but at the halfway point you have somebody who has started mid-pack or towards the rear that gets their car right and is able to be the winner.”

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Greg Engle
About Greg Engle 7421 Articles
Greg is a published award winning sportswriter who spent 23 years combined active and active reserve military service, much of that in and around the Special Operations community. Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.