Phoenix: Jamie McMurray preview

McMurray on racing at Phoenix International Raceway:
"During the test a few weeks ago at Phoenix, the No. 26 Crown Royal team had a great two-day session. We learned quite a few things with the new car that should really help us not only at the upcoming race, but down the road as well. The last couple of races have been pretty good for our team. Last weekend in Texas, we were fast the entire race, but just couldn't pick up the track position that we needed to. Still, it was a good points weekend for us and gave us some ground we really needed. Now we can focus on winning races and more importantly, putting ourselves into a position of making the 'Chase.'

"I really like racing at Phoenix even though my track record might not show that. We had a great qualifying effort last spring, and hopefully, we can repeat that same effort this weekend in qualifying. It seems that more than ever, track position is so important with these new cars. If you start up front, it's a lot easier to maintain your position, and be competitive the entire day."

Crew Chief Larry Carter on racing at Phoenix International Raceway:
"We are taking a brand new Ford Fusion to Phoenix this weekend. We had a chance to test the car at Phoenix back in March and feel good about it. We had a really good test session and are looking forward to another good run this weekend. The No. 26 team has been very focused on looking ahead at the races we have coming up and trying not to focus too much on the past. We had a tough couple of races there at the beginning, but now feel like we are getting back into the rhythm of things. Hopefully another good weekend in Phoenix will help move us up in the point standings."

-credit: rfr