MCDONALD'S TEAM FINISHES 14TH AT MIS

Results (starting pos.) from Quicken Loans 400 at Michigan International Speedway
1.    (17) Dale Earnhardt Jr., No. 88 Chevrolet
8.    (21) Juan Pablo Montoya, No. 42 Target Chevrolet
14.  (19) Jamie McMurray, No. 1 McDonald’s Chevrolet

McDonald’s Team Grabs 14th-Place Finish at Michigan

BROOKLYN, Mich.  (June 17, 2012) – The newly repaved track surface at Michigan International Speedway (MIS) proved to be a challenge for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) teams as they tackled the track for the first time on the new asphalt.  As many teams faced the unknowns of the new conditions, Jamie McMurray and team adjusted to the elements and drove the No. 1 McDonald’s Chevrolet to a 14th-place finish.

All the NSCS teams participated in an additional one-day test on Thursday at MIS to get time on the super-fast new pavement. 42 of the 45 teams in Friday’s first practice session recorded lap times faster than the previous qualifying record of 37.069 seconds on the two-mile track.  The speeds caused many of the teams to experience blistering on the Goodyear tires, leading NASCAR and Goodyear to make a change on the left side tires that the teams would use during the 200-lap race on Sunday. 

Rolling off from the 19th-position, McMurray would report an extremely loose race car from the start of the race. The team took advantage of the two competition cautions to make major adjustments to dial in the handling on the McDonald’s Chevrolet.  The rest of the afternoon the team would only need to make minor air pressure adjustments on the car.  McMurray would battle to post a 14th-place finish.

“I’m proud of the effort from our McDonald’s team”, McMurray commented following the race.  “The car was a bit of a handful at the start of the race.  We were really loose and the car felt like it was going to wreck every lap.  The guys made some great adjustments and it turned the car around.” 

Notes:
- McMurray moved up one spot in the NSCS point standings to 18th and is currently tied with teammate Juan Pablo Montoya
- McMurray was one of 19 drivers that qualified at Michigan with an average speed over 200 mph
- Sunday’s Quicken Loans 400 was the first race at Michigan since being repaved

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will be at Sonoma next Sunday, June 24 for the Toyota/Save Mart 350.  TNT and PRN affiliated radio stations will have live coverage at 2:00 p.m. ET.