Why I think Jamie McMurray Will Be Better In 2010
[picapp align=”right” wrap=”true” link=”term=jamie+mcmurray&iid=7804744″ src=”8/6/4/0/NASCAR_FEB_06_3ebc.jpg?adImageId=9948540&imageId=7804744″ width=”234″ height=”166″ /]Jamie McMurray is best known as the driver who won in only his second career start. This year he’s heading back to that very team. The best years of his career were with Ganassi. In 2004 Jamie McMurray finished 11th in points, had 9 top fives, and a staggering 23 top tens. If the Chase wasn’t in existence Jamie McMurray would’ve finished 7th in points. The following season (2005) Jamie McMurray finished 12th in points.
At the end of 2005 Kurt Busch left Roush Racing and this opened the door for the 97 car. 2005 was a banner year for Roush because that was the year when all 5 Roush cars made the Chase. Back in those days the Chase was only 10 cars so literally every other car in the Chase was one of Jack Roush’s.
The driver who Jack Roush picked to fill the 97 seat was Jamie McMurray. Many NASCAR prognosticators saw this move as a home run for Roush because he would be getting a driver who performed good in what was viewed as inferior Ganassi equipment.
When Jamie McMurray started driving for Roush things were never good. Jamie McMurray never had a single season where his Finish average was below 20th. In comparison every season that he spent with Ganassi was better.
Everyone knows Roush Racing is better than Ganassi so whats the difference. I’ll tell it to you right here plain and simple. Jamie McMurray cracked under the pressure of being on an elite team.
In baseball many players do good on smaller market teams when there’s no pressure on them, but sometimes when they sign with a big market team (Yankees) they simply don’t perform when the pressure is on them. It’s a well-known fact and the pressure in NASCAR is no different.
Another known fact is that Jamie McMurray has a sports psychologist. The reason why Jamie McMurray had a sports psychologist was to rebuild his confidence. Jamie McMurray is no different from other professional athletes who simply can’t perform when the pressures on them.
I believe now that the pressure is off Jamie McMurray a 15 top ten season isn’t out of question. He’s a very talented driver who can perform good on a variety of tracks. His win at Lowes wasn’t a fluke. There was no rain that day and he beat Bobby Labonte for the victory.
