Jamie McMurray can look back at 2017 as one of the most consistent seasons of his NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series career. Even though he suffered a second-round elimination and was winless in 2017, the Chip Ganassi driver put up 17 top-10 finishes.
It was Jamie McMurry’s his best single-season campaign since 2004. That consistency helped McMurray secure the 16th seed heading into the playoffs. Overall, the speedster finished off his year 12th in the final championship standings. The veteran driver was particularly adept at the 1.5-mile ovals. McMurray and his #1 McDonald’s Chevrolet recorded nearly half of those 17 top 10’s. In fact, McMurray found a way to guide his hotrod inside the top 10 on eight different occasions.
“We had really good cars on those intermediate-sized ovals this season,” Jamie McMurray said. “We’d have a few bad races and then hit one of those tracks that picked us all back-up. With a little luck, we could do well back at these venues. We just need to concentrate on keeping the track for all the races.”
Indeed, the first six weeks of the season were spotty for the 16-year veteran. Jamie McMurray limped to a 28th-place result to kick-off the year in the Daytona 500. Furthermore, McMurray was barely clinging to a spot in the top 10 after a 38th-place finish at Martinsville Speedway in April. The shaky start left McMurray and his team members perplexed. The car seemed to have plenty of speed but the end result was just not present.
Finally, up next up on the schedule was one of Jamie McMurray’s favorite mile-and-a-half ovals. The Chip Ganassi standout rebounded with a seventh-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway. The finish helped the team gain some confidence as they picked up momentum heading into the middle of the season.
One month later, Jamie McMurray notched his season-best second-place finish at Talladega Superspeedway. Only Ricky Stenhouse Jr. finished ahead of the experienced restrictor plate phenom. The result helped the McMurray build even more momentum for the second half of his 2017 campaign.
Next, was two well-timed to 10 results at Kentucky Speedway and Darlington Raceway. The solid finishes were just what the doctor ordered. Without a victory, Jamie McMurray would have to battle his way into the post-season on points alone. The back-to-back top 10 performances certainly help him solidify his playoff push to end out the regular season.
“We’ve been so consistent and run so well. I feel like we’re going to make it through a round or two of the playoffs if we just keep doing the same thing we’ve been doing,” Jamie McMurray said on the eve of the post-season opener at Chicagoland Speedway. “But you’re only as good as your last race.”
Jamie McMurray was steady in the first round with finishes of 10th, 16th and 9th. As a result, the motorist found himself moving into the second round just as he predicted. Things started to look like they were falling in place for Jamie McMurray. He kicked off the second round with another stout run. McMurray guided his Chevrolet to a fifth-place finish at Charlotte.
Unfortunately, that would be the end of Jamie McMurray’s high points. With very little room for error, bad finishes in one race could dash your hopes. Well, McMurray suffered a pair of DNF’s in the next two events at Talladega and Kansas Speedway. The crippling injuries suffered by the McDonald Chevrolet ended the veteran’s hopes of recording his first ever Cup Series championship.
Even though he was not in title contention, Jamie McMurray did manage to finish out the last four races of the year. I personally watched him run strong at Miami-Homestead in NASCAR’s finale. McMurray ended that day with a respectable 13th place finish.
“Hard to believe it’s already the final race of the season,” said Jamie McMurray. “It seemed like it just got underway a few months back. But that is how it is in today’s racing. You take your lumps. You learn from your mistakes and move forward.”
Jamie McMurray is more than just a race car enthusiast. The well-rounded athlete’s ability will take him South Carolina’s Kiawah Island. There, the avid runner will compete in another marathon on Saturday morning. The off-track workouts have kept the driver in better shape. That plays out in his favor when he is behind the wheel in a car that is recording over 140 degrees of heat for several hours.
Afterwards, it will be back to work to make improvements to his car for the upcoming 2018 Monster Energy Cup Series season. This year’s campaign will be Jamie McMurray’s 13th with Chip Ganassi Racing. Hopefully, his newly designed Chevrolet Camaro will be just what the doctor ordered.
Like other drivers, McMurray will get plenty of opportunities to test out the new design. Obviously, the changes could hurt because the Toyotas dominated much of the 2017 season. Yes, the Chevrolets were fast at times but couldn’t manage to consistently hang with the Toyota power. Also, the Ford drivers are looking forward to the changes as well. The style of the Fords seemed to be the slowest of the three bodies.
“Everyone’s excited about that and finishing the year,” Jamie McMurray said. “Before you know it, we will be talking about getting back to Daytona. Speedweeks 2018 will open in 63 days! With the proper testing and notes from last years campaign, McMurray and the Chip Ganassi Racing team should be very competitive in 2018. It certainly doesn’t hurt to have up and comer Kyle Larson as your teammate either. Together, the information they share on the track could be priceless.
Jamie McMurray Bio:
Jamie McMurray competes full-time in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. He also has won in all three national series. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver, won Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors in 2003. McMurray has seven career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series wins, including the 2010 Daytona 500. The speedster also drove his way to victory at the famed Brickyard 400. McMurray has eight NASCAR Xfinity Series wins. He also has one Camping World Truck Series win.
Head on over to BetDSI Sportsbook to see Jamie McMurray’s odds at winning the 2018 Monster Energy Cup Series title.
