1.   (1) Kurt Busch No. 18 Toyota

                         

Sparta, Ky. (July 9, 2011) – Jamie McMurray started the Inaugural Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway  from the 36th position and quickly went to work improving positions, making his way to the top-25 before the halfway mark of the 267 lap race.  On lap 201 his hopes soured when the engine of his No. 1 McDonald’s Chevrolet let go, relegating him to a 36th place finish.

After qualifying was rained out on Friday afternoon, the starting field was set per the NASCAR rulebook based on practice speeds from earlier in the day.  The No. 1 team would start the event from the 36th-position.  The crew went to work from the first pit stop, a NASCAR mandated competition caution on lap 30, to adjust the car and keep McMurray competitive and on the lead lap.  

Everything was going according to plan as the McDonald’s Chevrolet was able to maintain position on the lead lap and continue to improve handling, however just 15 laps after pitting on lap 186 the night of hard work would come to an abrupt end when the engine on the McDonald’s Chevrolet let go resulting in a 36th-place finish.  

 “I hate this for our team, we just seem to have a string of bad luck that we can’t shake” stated McMurray.  “That was a scary moment for me when the engine let go. I’m going close to 200 mph, then, I couldn’t see anything because of the smoke.  I couldn’t tell if I was moving or not.  I didn’t want to unbuckle my seatbelts in fear of what else might be coming”

• McMurray is currently 28th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points

• This was the third career race for McMurray at Kentucky Speedway, his only finish outside the top-ten

The next race on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule will be at New Hampshire International Speedway on Sunday, July 17th at 1:00 pm ET and will air on TNT and radio stations affiliated with PRN.