Jamie McMurray Interview
Michelle Hoskin, January 9, 2014
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Despite a very hectic Holiday season, Jamie was kind enough to grant me an interview. Jamie drives the #1 Chevy Jamie’s 2014 season with Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates was one of ups and downs. Jamie ranked 18th overall, which has been pretty much his average since his 2002 Sprint Cup start. He boasted 2 poles, 7 top-five, and 13 top-ten finishes in 2014…his best since 2010/2004, respectively.
Jamie has driven for Chip Ganassi, Roush, Roush Fenway, Earnhardt Ganassi, and Ganassi/Sabates through his career in the Sprint Cup series. Jamie is married to Christy and has 2 children, a son and a daughter.
Jamie’s Pit, Texas
Our interview:
Michelle Hoskin: Any new news with the #1 car and/or Ganassi racing?
Jamie McMurray: “I’m just excited to have our great partners at McDonald’s and Cessna back for another season and looking forward to working with my new crew chief Matt McCall in 2015.”
MH: Your favorite track to race?
JM: “I would say that Martinsville and Charlotte are two of my favorite tracks. Honestly, anywhere that you run well is a fun track.”
MH: Your best win?
JM: “Big wins like the Daytona 500 and the Brickyard 400 are awesome, but the 2013 Talladega race might be the best from the standpoint that I was able to celebrate with my entire family in victory lane for the first time.” Jamie was the 2010 Daytona 500 winner…will this Daytona 500 be his next??
MH: I was there at the Bristol night race to watch you lead most of the race, only to end up in 8th. I know you must have been extremely frustrated, but you did great in my opinion. After a night like that, what do you do to relax and unwind?
JM: “I think that I am pretty good at letting things go after a race. Once it is over, there isn’t anything that you can do to change the outcome, so I just start my focus on the next race.” At the Irwin Tools Night Race, McMurray had the car to beat; he led the most laps (148), and had the lead with 67 laps to go, but faded towards the end.
Bristol’s Irwin Tools Night Race Starting Line-up, 2014
MH: I know you have the Jamie McMurray Foundation, which supports Autism. Do you have personal experience with someone who has Autism? If not, why did you choose Autism to support?
JM: “My niece is affected by autism, which is how I initially became involved with supporting the cause.” The Jamie McMurray Foundation (JMF) promotes awareness of, and raises funding for, the research, education, and support for individuals and families afflicted with autism. JMF is dedicated to bringing the financial backing and support of the NASCAR community, together with the passion and commitment of the autism community, to promote better understanding of this challenging disability.
MH: If you weren’t a race car driver, what could you see yourself doing?
JM: “I think I would probably be a machinist; I really enjoy working with my hands like that.”
MH: Matt McCall…Have you had experience working with him prior to this 2015 season?
JM: “I met Matt for the first time in our race shop on his first day of work for Chip Ganassi Racing” “I am very excited to join the Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates team,” McCall said in a team release. “This organization is one that everyone in the garage has taken notice of in 2014 and I am just looking forward to the opportunity to make them even better. We have a group of very talented people building and driving the race cars here and I can’t wait to get started.”(1)
Jamie’s #1 McDonald’s Car, Chicago
MH: Yes or No on the new Chase format?
JM: “Yes…”
MH: If your kids decide that they want to race like Dad, what would your reaction be? When I asked Kevin Harvick the same question, he said he would try to deter it.
JM: “I would be perfectly happy if my kids choose to play golf instead of racing.”
MH: Your thoughts on the Twitter account, Jamie Mac’s Hair?
JM: “I’ve honestly never even seen that…” @JamieMacsHair is a parody account on twitter that apparently is very fond of Jamie’s hair…which I do have to admit, is very nice ☺
MH: At what age did you start racing?
JM: “I started racing go-karts at 8 years old.”
MH: Who was your favorite driver while growing up?
JM: “I didn’t have a favorite driver, but I really looked-up to and admired Larry Phillips who was one of the local racing legends from the mid-west. He later became a mentor to me early in my racing career.”
http://www.jamiemcmurray.com/Foundation/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JamieMcMurray
Twitter: @JamieMcmurray
1. http://www.nascar.com/en_us/news-media/articles/2014/11/18/jamie-mcmurray-crew-chief-matt-mccall-keith-rodden.html. Retrieved January 6th, 2015.
