NASCAR’s Power Shift

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Filed under: NASCAR 

 

Dale Jr & Girlfriend Amy Reinman | Photo

 

Jamie McMurray in Victory Lane

Photo Courtesy NASCAR Media

McMurray’s Indy Win Shows NASCAR’s Shift of Power.

Jamie McMurray’s win Sunday at the Brickyard was a popular one among NASCAR fans and drivers.

Many of McMurray’s on track competitors stopped by at the end of the race to congratulate him. And race fans that would normally be pulling for Dale Earnhardt Jr, or Kyle Busch, or Jeff Gordon were happy to see McMurray win if their driver could not.

That was McMurray’s 2nd big win this year. The first being the Daytona 500.

But beyond that, McMurray’s win signals a fundamental shift in power among NASCAR teams. Hendrick Motorsports is not what it used to be. And neither is Roush Racing.

McMurray gave Roush their last victory, and that was at Talladega last year.

Even the Joe Gibbs Racing hot streak seems to have cooled off.

But McMurray’s team has rallied. Not long ago both Chip Ganassi and Teresa Earnhardt were almost out of business. Instead they merged their two teams to form Earnhardt Ganassi racing. Now they are poised to be the next big thing.

Richard Childress Racing has also seen a resurgence this year. And it doesn’t hurt that Childress has partnered with Ganassi and Earnhardt to form ECR Engines which produces engines for both teams. Judging by the performance of the Earnhardt Ganassi teams and the RCR teams the ECR engine shop produced the most reliable and most powerful engines for Indy.

McMurray wasn’t the only fast car powered by ECR engines. His teammate Juan Pablo Montoya led the most laps. Kevin Harvick finished 2nd with an engine from the same shop. 4 of the top 6 finishers were powered by ECR engines.

And don’t forget that David Reutimann scored a win for Michael Waltrip Racing not long ago at Chicago.

The competition level has evened out lately. The powerhouse teams have fell off – and the guys who used to be underdogs are now contenders. And I am not sure exactly what to attribute it to. What about you?

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Comments

16 Comments on NASCAR’s Power Shift

  1. cookie on

    2. IS DALE JR GOING TO PARTNER WITH RICK HENDRICKS AND BRING JR MOTORSPORTS INTO THE SPRINT SERIES?? THAT WOULD MAKE ROOM FOR KASEY KAHNE RIGHT!!!!!! AND IT WOULD ALSO MEAN THAT MARK MARTIN CAN RACE NEXT YEAR AS JR WOULD RACE FOR JR MOTORSPORTS

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  2. Ti-Beu on

    3. He cookie, who would replace Kasey Kahne after next year.

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  3. Marie on

    4. Congratulations to Jamie. Wish Jr. had done better but he just can’t seem to get a break. It seems to happen from one season to another that some of the stronger teams sort of fizzle out and other, previously weaker teams, do well. Then those previously stronger teams make another comeback. Guess that’s the ups and downs of racing.

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  4. Carol Smith on

    5. Everyone felt sorry for Montoya on Sunday he took out Jr. and there was not even a mention of Jr. being taken out by Montoya. He did it to himself and so too bad.
    Put Jr. a spot down cause of Montoya!!

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  5. mamadew88 on

    6. Congradulations to Jamie McMurray’s win…Couldn’t happen to a nicer young man.!
    I just hope and pray that Montoya wasn’t soooo mad that he
    purposely took out both Dale Jr. and Ambrose or anyone else that may have gotten in his way to pit road. He does have a reputation for being hot headed and gets mad at anyone in his path. He and Carl Edwards should have their own race and see who is the biggest bully.!!!!!!!

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  6. Tom McDonnell on

    7. Congradulation to Jamie. He deserve it all the way.

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  7. helen on

    8. I am glad Jamie won, but I hate the fact that know said a thing about the bully taking out Jr.
    All bullys end up losing .
    Sure wish Jr could get a break.
    I feel like he needs to close up his bars, and get serious about racing.

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  8. Mavis on

    9. I like Jamie so was glad for his win. I don’t care for JPM and was upset that he took Jr out even if it wasn’t on purpose. Jr might still be in 13th if not for him. I like Jeff Burton so would like to see him get a win with one of those ECR engines.

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  9. Too Mean on

    10. Way to go Jamie.. It’s so good to see someone other then Jimmy and Kyle win.
    Biffle had the best ford in the feild and that was good to see as long as stupidstar Carl wasn’t driving it…

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  10. AZomah on

    11. Helen, Jr. is VERY serious about his racing. He does not run his bars. Partners run them. He invested in them to put people to work. So get off his back!!!

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  11. Kathie on

    12. Given that I have been a Jamie Mac fan since 2002, I appreciate this article. Just to add a couple of points, Jamie finished the Coca-Cola 600 in 2nd place. I do believe had he won that one as well, it would have been the first Triple Crown win in all of NASCAR history.

    I felt really bad for Juan, until I learned that he was laughing at Jamie for taking 2 tires on the last stop. That WAS a last minute decision, suggested by both Chip and the head of Bass Pro Shops when they learned that Juan was taking 4. Bono agreed, and it was a done deal.

    The trifecta for Chip was awesome, I’d have rather seen Jamie get the Triple Crown!!!1

    Given my daughter’s response, (she’s a devoted JJ fan,) I would agree on the shift in power. How much of this is due to the loss of their head engine builder in the plane crash back in ’04. we’ll never know. When Jamie was last with Chip, he did NOT have the equipment he’s in now, and he’s showing what he is capable of in a fast car this year. The ECR engines are really, really fast, week in and week out.

    As for Roush, the words “karma,” and/or “cursed,” come to mind. They rewarded Jamie for the win at Dega, by kicking his butt to the curb. In Jamie’s defense for his time at Roush, he is the only driver, at least in a very long time, that didn’t rise through the ranks of the Roush organization. Kurt Busch and Jeff Burton are two other drivers who left Roush, due to underperformance in Jack’s mind, who have gone on to succeed in other organizations.

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  12. Mare on

    13. I wasn’t aware Chip and Bass Pro Pres was running the decisions for the #1
    Where was the Pres of Juan’s sponsor? or was Chip caling the shots there too? (Just a snide remark)

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  13. mamadonia on

    14. Congradulations to Jamie!!!! I’m still wanting Jr. to some how pull it back into the top 12, he would have yesterday, I believe, but “IDIOT MONTOYA” wrecked him. I told my husband before the start of that part of the race that Montoya would wreck someone trying to get back to the front, and of course it just happened to be Jr. All I can say is—– We need to send Montoya back to where he came from and never allow him to get back on a race track, he wrecks someone each and every week. He is too aggressive and is a total idiot!!!!!

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  14. John on

    15. Good job Jamie. I’m a Jr fan

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  15. Paul Webb on

    16. If NASCAR is so concerned about what drivers and others are saying about it, why doesn’t clean up its act and listen to what they have to say and correct some of the problems with their program,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,NASCAR lends its self to the criticism for not evaluating problems quickly…………………..the drivers should refuse to pay their stupid fines, so they are required to sit out a race, the sponsors will soon move on and there will be no NASCAR………………………….maybe someone will open their eyes.

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  16. goldie on

    17. Sorry that Jr. got banged up. We fans just never give up and we will continue to holler and shout for him and also holler and shout at anyone who does him wrong. Let’s talk about these new rules that NASCAR has come out with . It seems the drivers or anyone affiliated with NASCAR will be fined if they mouth off about anything derogratory to NASCAR. I don’t know very much about it, but there was an article in the paper about the NASCAR powers seem to think that remarks made against them would be reason for these fines. Racing, let us know what you know about this.

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