NASCAR Cup Series: Chip Ganassi Racing - One Year Later
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One year ago, we gave our opinion that improvement was needed at Chip Ganassi Racing and how to achieve this. One year later, let’s see where they are.
Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR) and drivers Jamie McMurray and Kyle Larson are certainly looking to build upon 2016, but then again every driver could say that at this point. McMurray qualified for his second consecutive (and second overall) Chase in 2016 and Larson earned his first berth thanks to his victory at Michigan in August – a long overdue first Cup series win.
All of the tools necessary for a successful 2017 campaign seem to be in place. Drivers, crew chiefs, equipment, sponsorship, experience and resources. It just seems that there should be more of a “wow” factor coming from this group, given the way that Ganassi has embraced and in fact dominated other series, such as sports car and IndyCar.
Perhaps staying the course, for the most part, will yield continued momentum in the right direction. Getting both drivers into the Chase last year was a start. My old high school football coach began each season making the team commit to three letters, P. I. N., which meant “Play in November.” McMurray and Larson still need to be in contention in November as well.
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No. 1 – Jamie McMurray
2016 Average Start: 16.6
2016 Average Finish: 15.8
Best 2016 Start: 2nd – Atlanta
Best 2016 Finish: 4th – Talladega (May)
Final 2016 Points Position: 13th
The first part of McMurray’s 2016 season was so-so. It saw both his best qualifying effort and his best finish. He also completed all but one lap in the first 10 races. With the exception of Martinsville however, this group was unfortunately often a 13th – 20th place car each week. While that consistency would pay off later for the Chase, it doesn’t establish the No. 1 team as a threat for a win.
The hot summer months were more of the same – lackluster mid-pack qualifying results and race finishes, although some progress was being made with consecutive top-ten finishes at Kentucky (7th) and Loudon (July)(6th.) Leaving Indianapolis and Pocono, the team knew that it was time to put up or shut up if they were going to make the Chase.
Fortunately, they did so with three key consecutive 8th-place finishes in August at Watkins Glen, Bristol and Michigan. McMurray made the Chase with an at-large berth based on points, and was seeded 16th to begin. Unfortunately, he was eliminated in the first round.
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No. 42 – Kyle Larson
2016 Average Start: 15.6
2016 Average Finish: 14.7
Best 2016 Start: 2nd – Watkins Glen, Richmond (September), Phoenix (November)
Best 2016 Finish: 1st – Michigan (August)
Final 2016 Points Position: 9th
Larson’s 2016 season can certainly be celebrated for his first career Cup series win at Michigan in August, which also qualified him for his first career Chase berth as well. This validated the talent he has shown in his three full-time Cup seasons. For 2017, he is challenged to win perhaps two or three times. By doing so, he would put himself at the tail end of “A” list drivers each week, with the recent retirements of Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards.
Larson’s 2016 campaign was similar to McMurray’s — a very lackluster beginning, but improvement throughout the year. During the summer stretch from Charlotte through Pocono in early August, you could feel something building. Larson earned top-ten finishes at Michigan (3rd), Daytona (6th), Indianapolis(5th) and Pocono (6th.) As previously stated, his return to Michigan in August gave him his first career Cup victory.
Unfortunately, his first three Chase races saw finishes of 18th (Chicago,) 10th (Loudon) and 25th (Dover.) Clearly, not finishes that would allow him to advance. His final 2016 points position was 9th.
Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports
The Verdict
With established drivers in both McMurray and Larson, their returning crew chiefs respectively of Matt McCall and Chad Johnston, Hendrick Motorsports engines, full sponsorship and theoretically more factory support from Chevrolet due to SHR’s departure, all pieces are in place for 2017.
This team has proven it can be consistent, it just needs to be consistent at a higher level.
Prediction: Credible sources indicate that 2017 is a contract year for both McMurray and Larson, and team owner Chip Ganassi is one of the strongest believers in this being a performance-based business. For this reason, each team will have a little extra motivation to equal or exceed last year’s performance. Conventional wisdom (and ours as well) would suggest that each driver will make the Chase, with Larson going to the Round of Eight and McMurray again eliminated in the first round.
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