Roush: McMurray lags behind four teammates in productivity
INDIANAPOLIS – Team owner Jack Roush admits that Jamie McMurray is obviously the least productive member of his NASCAR Sprint Cup operation this season, but he did not say that meant McMurray would be the driver to leave the organization when Roush Fenway Racing cuts to four NASCAR Sprint Cup teams in 2010.
Speaking to media members at Indianapolis Motor Speedway Friday, Roush discussed the value of drivers in the garage and listed four of his drivers – Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle, Matt Kenseth and David Ragan - when talking about working to keep competitors from being taken by other teams. Asked later if he'd intentionally left McMurray off the list, Roush admitted that the driver has not performed up to the standard of the others.
Edwards, Biffle and Kenseth are all currently in Chase contention, with Ragan less than 100 points outside of what is now the locked in top 12 drivers. McMurray has been less successful this season and is currently 22nd in the Cup standings.
"Jamie is important to me," Roush said. "But today Jamie is not the driver that's been productive to the extent the other four are. I look forward, certainly I expected and expect great things from Jamie, but the productivity has not been there at this point."
Asked specifically if McMurray or his No. 26 team could be the ones eliminated when Roush slims down, the team owner said that decision had not been made and would not be for some time. He also pointed to his alignment with Yates Racing, which could possibly pick up what is now Roush Fenway's fifth team when the change is made. He denied that McMurray, or anyone, was currently a candidate to be the driver leaving the team.
"It really has more to do with the sponsor relationship than the driver, but one of the reasons I fostered the relationship I got with [team owners] Max [Jones] and with Doug [Yates] is to be able to have a place to put a sponsor, we do help them sell their sponsorships, we do help them with their marketing programs, we do all the engineering, we do build all the cars, so it's a closely affiliated relationship that maintains the covenants, the barriers that NASCAR wants to put up for competitive considerations, but it has not been determined that the 26 car or Crown Royal will go," Roush said. "I've got two more years. I've got the rest of 2008 and 2009 to sort that out."
