McMurray takes blame for running over Earnhardt Jr.
LOUDON, N.H. - Dale Earnhardt Jr. watched a solid day disappear when he was hit by Jamie McMurray in Sunday's Lenox Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Earnhardt Jr. was heading to pit road under green-flag conditions when he was slammed into and spun by McMurray. The Roush Fenway Racing driver said he was watching another car as he tried to make a pass and never saw the Hendrick Motorsports car slowing in front of him.
"Certainly it’s my fault," McMurray said.
He says that he had not been told that Earnhardt Jr. was pitting.
"Typically when guys pit like that the spotters all get together and wave their hands or what not and the spotter never said anything and I was looking at the 10 car [of Patrick Carpentier] on the outside," he said. "I was on the apron because that’s where I’d been running all day. I didn’t see Junior until I hit him.”
Earnhardt Jr. was relegated to a 24th-place finish after getting back on the track following the lap 272 incident.
That was actually one position better than points leader Kyle Busch in the finishing order.
"It's just a part of it," crew chief Tony Eury Jr. said. "I don't know, I guess Jamie didn't see him down there. But all in all, it looks like the 18 [of Busch] had a little trouble so we didn't lose that much ground in the points, and we'll just look forward to getting to Daytona."
Earnhardt Jr. maintained his third position in the NASCAR Sprint Cup standings. He trails leading Busch by 144 points and is 80 behind second-running Jeff Burton.
