RAIN WASHES AWAY MCMURRAY'S HOPE FOR TOP-10

Results (starting pos.) from Auto Club Speedway
1.     (9) Tony Stewart, No.14 Chevrolet
17.  (24) Juan Pablo Montoya, No. 42 Target Chevrolet
32.  (16) Jamie McMurray, No. 1 Bass Pro Shops/Allstate Chevrolet

HOPES FOR TOP-10 FINISH WASHED AWAY

Fontana, Calif. (March 25, 2012) – The trip to southern California for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) turned out to be a difficult race day for the Bass Pro Shops team.  After qualifying in the 16th-position on Friday afternoon, the No. 1 team had two good practices on Saturday and felt they had a car capable of producing a third straight top-10 finish.  However lady luck and Mother Nature had other plans and the No. 1 Bass Pro Shops/Allstate Chevrolet came home with a 32nd-place finish.

The outlook for sunny California turned gray on Sunday as teams prepared for a forecast that included rain throughout the latter half of the afternoon.  The Auto Club 400 got started under cloudy skies and Jamie McMurray began by driving the No. 1 Chevrolet toward the top-10.  On the second green-flag stop, the No. 1 team would have to serve a penalty for a missing lug nut and come back down pit road, losing a lap in the process.  Just a few laps later McMurray reported that he had a loose wheel and would have to stop for a second unscheduled pit stop, losing another lap in the process. 

The race went caution-free until lap 125 when the rain moved into the area.  After four laps of caution the red flag was displayed to the field and the race would be called “official” within 30 minutes, leaving the No. 1 Chevrolet in 32nd-position.

McMurray commented, “It is frustrating to have a day like that.  We had to make those two extra green flag stops and with no cautions, you just can’t make that up.  Our Bass Pro Shops Chevy was good today, we just had a deficit that we couldn’t manage to overcome with the rain-shortened event.”

Notes:
- This was McMurray’s 17th career start at Auto Club Speedway
- McMurray has zero DNF’s at Auto Club Speedway in his NSCS career

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will be at Martinsville Speedway next for the Goody’s Fast Relief 500 . The race will air live on FOX and radio stations affiliated with MRN on Sunday, April 1 at 1:00 pm ET.