Up and Down Day for Bass Pro Shops Team in California

Results from Auto Club Speedway
1. Kevin Harvick, No. 29 Chevrolet
10.   Juan Pablo Montoya, No. 42 Target Chevrolet
23.   Jamie McMurray, No. 1 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevrolet
 

Fontana, Calif. (March 27, 2011) – The No.1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet started the Auto Club 400 from the 12th-postion Sunday at Auto Club Speedway, and would spend much of the afternoon working feverishly to find the right balance on the race car.  After a timely mid-race caution that kept the Earnhardt Ganassi team on the lead lap, the No. 1 crew made adjustments that had McMurray running competitive lap times and making up valuable positions.  In the closing laps McMurray had worked his way back inside the top-20 and was looking to secure a solid points finish. That was until he was shuffled back several spots on the final re-start with just nine laps remaining in the event, eventually finishing in 23rd-place.

Rain and cool temperatures were the prevailing conditions for the majority of the weekend in Fontana.  Friday’s on-track schedule was shuffled around due to rain and eventual drainage issues on the track that limited the first practice to only 45 minutes. The team tried several different set up combinations during the two practice sessions on Saturday only to find that Sunday’s weather was quite different, making adjustments somewhat of a challenge.  

McMurray commented, “We felt like we were making progress with our car after falling back in the field early, we got back up in the top-20 before that last restart.  I think a couple of cars had trouble getting going up in front of us and once you lose momentum on a track like California it is impossible to make up much ground in just a few laps.”

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series makes its next stop in southern Virginia at the half-mile Martinsville Speedway this weekend for the Goody’s Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway Sunday April 3 at 1pm ET; live coverage will be on FOX, and MRN Radio affiliates.