Our interview with Matt McCall
April 8th, 2015
Michelle Hoskin
Just who is Jamie McMurray’s Crew Chief, Matt McCall? We wanted to know more about the man behind the man, so we recently sat down with Matt for a few minutes and got to know him a little better.
Matt most recently served as lead engineer for Richard Childress Racing’s No. 31 team and Sprint Cup Series runner-up Ryan Newman. But long before he began his career as lead engineer and Crew Chief, Matt himself was a spirited racer.
Matt began racing at the age of nine, running go-karts. At the age of thirteen, he moved to the adult leagues, collecting over 150 wins, before moving to the World Karting Association Dirt Series. McCall’s major racing debut came in 1999, when began running Super Sport races, finishing 4th in points. The next year, he won Rookie of the Year and Mechanic of the Year awards. In 2006, he made his debut in the ARCA Re/MAX Series at Daytona, where he started and finished second. He also ran five Busch races for Yates, his best finish being a 24th at Bristol Motor Speedway (1).
In reference to Jamie, Matt stated, “I keep going back to last year, but obviously, Chip Ganassi Racing was making strides in competitiveness and I think that just lit more fire under him,” McCall said. “He’s always had that drive, but his drive is really strong right now. He’s looking forward to the season.”
Matt, 2010, signing autographs for fans…
Michelle Hoskin: Are you and Jamie meshing as well as you expected/hoped?
Matt McCall: Yes it has been going really good, I don’t think it could be going any smoother.
MH: In terms of racing style, are you and Jamie on the same page or is it an ongoing building relationship?
Matt: We are on the same page, but any relationship takes time, so with time our relationship will just continue to develop.
MH: Prior to becoming CC, to what capacity were you in terms of management?
Matt: When I was still driving, I was doing most of the managing of our small team, but nothing of the magnitude that it is now.
MH: What’s the hardest/worst part of being CC?
Matt: No hard part because I get to do what I love for a living.
MH: What’s the best part of being CC?
Matt: I get to play on racecars every day so who wouldn’t want to do that?
Matt McCall/Jamie McMurray
MH: Your own personal history in racing?
Matt: Started racing go-karts at 9 then raced late models for numerous years before I was fortunate enough to get a chance to race in the Busch series now known as XFINITY and some truck races.
MH: Your HONEST opinion of the latest (2015) NASCAR rule changes?
Matt: The 2015 rule changes are fine. I don’t think it really has changed the racing but the adjustable track bar has allowed Jamie some comfort during a long-run if the balance is way loose or tight.
MH: Your family?
Matt: Married and don’t have any kids.
MH: Your favorite racer growing up?
Matt: I never just liked one guy, but I have had the chance to get to know Bobby Allison over the years so he always comes to mind for this type of question.
MH: What motivates you to get up in the morning?
Matt: Racecars, competition, and winning are just a few things that come to mind every am.
MH: What do you do to ‘de-stress’ after a bad day at the track?
Matt: Work out and eat, not always in that order.
External Links:
@Matt_McCall
@CGRTeams
@jamiemcmurray
http://www.mattmccallmotorsports.com/
http://www.chipganassiracing.com/
http://www.racing-reference.info/driver/Matt_McCall
https://www.facebook.com/MattMcCallMotorsports
References:
- Burns, Aaron (August 30, 2013). “Never a dull moment for NASCAR’s McCall”. Denver Weekly. Denver, NC. Retrieved 2015-04-06
