Chase newcomers Jamie McMurray, Paul Menard won’t change approach
When the green flag drops on the opening round of NASCAR’s playoffs, Jamie McMurray and Paul Menard will be racing for a Chase for the Sprint Cup championship for the first time in their careers.
Unlike the other 14 drivers in the Chase, they have no experience in racing for the title. They don’t know what strategies will get them through to the second round, and haven’t seen firsthand how the intensity will pick up starting today at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois.
It may not be the worst thing.
“I’ve never been in this position before, so I’m just taking it like I take every week,” Menard said. “I feel good about how we’re approaching it. We’re just going to put our heads down and go as far in this deal as we can.”
The elimination format was implemented last year, and drivers used varying approaches to navigate their way through the three rounds that lead to the finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. A win in any of the first three segments guarantees a driver a spot in the next round. Four drivers are eliminated every three races.
Consistency can push a driver into the final round, as Ryan Newman proved last year by using solid finishes in a winless season to have a shot at the title.
McMurray and Menard are winless this year, and both used consistency to make it into the 16-driver field. McMurray thinks that’ll be good enough to get him out of the first round, which is comprised of Chicago, New Hampshire and Dover.
“When I look at our strategy going in, we would love to win the first round. But mostly, we don’t want a bad race,” McMurray said. “I don’t know if anyone selected (Newman) for getting to the final round. If we can do what he did, getting to Homestead would be a realistic goal.”
Nemechek nabs Truck Series win by saving gas
John Hunter Nemechek grabbed his first career victory by capitalizing in the Truck Series race at Chicagoland Speedway when others didn’t have the fuel to make it to the finish.
The second-generation NASCAR driver was running second behind Kyle Larson when Larson ran out of gas two laps from the finish. With Larson coasting on the bottom of the track, Nemechek cruised past him to grab his first national series victory.
Tyler Reddick was second and Timothy Peters was third.
Daytona not changing fence after crash review
There have been no changes to the fencing at Daytona International Speedway following the last-lap crash in July that sent Austin Dillon’s car into the barrier.
Five fans were injured from debris from the accident, and it marked the third crash in three years in which spectators were hurt after last-lap airborne crashes.
Daytona track president Joie Chitwood said the section of fencing ripped away in Dillon’s crash has been repaired, but an analysis of the accident showed the fence did its job.