NASCAR team owner Chip Ganassi said he is “heartbroken,” over the lack of follow through from 2010.
One year ago Earnhardt Ganassi Racing wasn’t locked into the Chase for the Sprint Cup. On the other hand it had Jamie McMurray in victory lane at the Daytona 500 and the Brickyard 400.
Ganassi explained on SpeedTV’s Race Hub “We lost our way a bit. A year ago, we had the best cars. A year ago, we had the best engines. And we just lost our way here right in this building. I think our engines … we were on the ragged edge of our engines and we had some engine problems. It’s a cycle thing and I’d like to think we’re in the bottom of the cycle right now. We have some work to do.”
McMurray, who had just returned to the Ganassi team, was 17th in the points with five races remaining in the Chase with three poles six top-fives, and seven top-tens.
Juan Pablo Montoya, the “name” driver on the team, would go on to win at Watkins Glen but was only 21rst with four top five finishes and eight top-ten finishes. A different tire call at the Brickyard would have permitted him to kiss the bricks instead of McMurray.
While Montoya is now in 21rst place he has two poles, and only two top-fives and six top-ten finishes. And, his crew former crew chief, Brian Pattie was replaced some weeks ago.
The situation is worse for McMurray – who is likely partly responsible for NASCAR’s new wild card rule. This year he has one pole, only one top-five and three top-tens and hasn’t looked like a threat to win a race so far. He stands 27th in the points and not likely to make the Chase.
Ganassi still has confidence in McMurray in spite of his current standings. “We’re not giving him the car. “We’re not giving him the car to drive – both of our guys. It’s plain and simple.”
There’s no secret formula to resuscitate the season that EGR has been having. As Ganassi said “I’ve been in this position before so I think it’s just everybody has to get down and buckle down and work a little harder. It’s no big secret. There’s no magic. There’s no silver bullet either. It’s just a lot of little things that we need to get back on, get focused on, get back to work on.”
One year ago Earnhardt Ganassi Racing wasn’t locked into the Chase for the Sprint Cup. On the other hand it had Jamie McMurray in victory lane at the Daytona 500 and the Brickyard 400.
Ganassi explained on SpeedTV’s Race Hub “We lost our way a bit. A year ago, we had the best cars. A year ago, we had the best engines. And we just lost our way here right in this building. I think our engines … we were on the ragged edge of our engines and we had some engine problems. It’s a cycle thing and I’d like to think we’re in the bottom of the cycle right now. We have some work to do.”
McMurray, who had just returned to the Ganassi team, was 17th in the points with five races remaining in the Chase with three poles six top-fives, and seven top-tens.
Juan Pablo Montoya, the “name” driver on the team, would go on to win at Watkins Glen but was only 21rst with four top five finishes and eight top-ten finishes. A different tire call at the Brickyard would have permitted him to kiss the bricks instead of McMurray.
While Montoya is now in 21rst place he has two poles, and only two top-fives and six top-ten finishes. And, his crew former crew chief, Brian Pattie was replaced some weeks ago.
The situation is worse for McMurray – who is likely partly responsible for NASCAR’s new wild card rule. This year he has one pole, only one top-five and three top-tens and hasn’t looked like a threat to win a race so far. He stands 27th in the points and not likely to make the Chase.
Ganassi still has confidence in McMurray in spite of his current standings. “We’re not giving him the car. “We’re not giving him the car to drive – both of our guys. It’s plain and simple.”
There’s no secret formula to resuscitate the season that EGR has been having. As Ganassi said “I’ve been in this position before so I think it’s just everybody has to get down and buckle down and work a little harder. It’s no big secret. There’s no magic. There’s no silver bullet either. It’s just a lot of little things that we need to get back on, get focused on, get back to work on.”