1.            (1)  Ryan Newman No. 39 Chevrolet

                   

Loudon, N.H. (July 17, 2011) – Jamie McMurray started the Lenox Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway from the 25th position and had and afternoon filled with ups and downs throughout the 301 lap event. The team’s hopes to stretch fuel mileage after final pit stops came up three laps shy and dropped the Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet to a 31st-place finish. 

After qualifying 25th on Friday afternoon the team worked on several set up combinations in the final two practice sessions on Saturday. Kevin “Bono” Manion and crew felt that they had a strong car prior to Sunday’s event.  

Just 30 laps into the event the first caution of the day was waived and the No. 1 team opted to stay out and gain track position.  McMurray would restart the race atop the leader board and would race among the top-10 until he was forced to make an unscheduled pit stop on lap 116 for a possible loose wheel.  The Bass Pro Shops team never gave up and with the assist of strategy and timely cautions the team was back on the lead lap and racing among the leaders.  

After the final scheduled pit stop of the day, Bono Manion told Jamie that they would be several laps short, so conserve fuel as much as possible to stretch mileage to the end of the race.  The situation became more tenuous, when the team lost radio communication with the driver within the last 50 laps of the race.  The pit strategy eventually came up three laps short as the Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet ran out of fuel and dropped from running eighth, to finishing 31st.

McMurray commented, “What a crazy day.  We had a car that was capable of finishing in the top-ten. After taking advantage of some cautions to gain track position we maintained with a solid run.  Even after the loose wheel we were able to overcome.  Our guys never gave up, and I saved as much as possible on that last run, it just stinks that we were that close on fuel.”

- McMurray is currently 29th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points

- McMurray ranked ninth among all drivers at NHMS for fastest late in a run with a speed of 124.163 mph, during the last 25% of laps since a pit stop

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will take this weekend off.  The series will resume at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 31st with the Brickyard 400 at 1:00 p.m. EDT and will air on ESPN and IMS radio affiliates.