McMurray: Consistency critical at Darlington

I was hoping I would have a lot to talk about after the race in Atlanta last weekend, but it was one of those weekends that the Havoline team will want to soon forget.

From the time we unloaded, we struggled with the car and never were able to get the balance right. We ended up qualifying 31st, and during the race the car would go from being really loose to extremely tight. Eventually the motor let go with 25 laps remaining and our day was over.

	Jamie McMurray Credit: Autostock

The weekend was frustrating because we had tested at Atlanta just a week before we came back to race there. That's the thing about racing, though ... you can have a great test somewhere and come back the following week for the race and not be able to run as fast.

But everyone on the team has put last weekend behind them, and we have our sights set on Darlington this weekend.

I've had some good qualifying runs at Darlington, and hopefully we'll be able to put the Havoline Dodge up front this weekend. Darlington is one of those places where tire management is key and the guy who can run consistent lap times over a long green-flag run will be the one who has the shot at the win. Hopefully, that will be us.

This week has been pretty slow so far. I've had a couple of radio interviews to do, but I'm enjoying some down time at home.

I'm scheduled to appear as a guest on SPEED Channel's Trackside Live show from Darlington this Friday night, so that should be fun. I'm also trying to stop by the Havoline souvenir trailer each weekend to meet the fans and sign autographs, so if you're coming to Darlington this weekend, stop by the trailer to see when I'm signing.

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Hopefully next week, after Darlington, I'll have a good race report to give you.

Until then, keep those questions coming.

What is your opinion on the "young guns" vs. the veterans debate?

-- Josh Gauldfeldt, Potomac Falls, Va.

I know the media is making a lot out of the "young guns," and it's pretty cool to be considered in that group of drivers. But I don't think we can forget about all the veterans who paved the way for us to be able to get the opportunities that have come our way. I'm just excited to be able to have the opportunity to live out my dream and race with the best drivers in the world.

Do any of the veterans "haze" the rookies

-- Adam Pohle, Minneapolis

No, I wouldn't say that as a rookie you get "hazed" by veteran drivers, but you definitely have to earn their respect. I think it helped me a lot to be able to race in the last six Winston Cup races last season because it gave the veteran drivers a chance to get use to my driving style. But there's still that yellow stripe on my bumper!

Do you ever play/use the NASCAR Thunder game to "practice" any of the tracks?

-- Jennie, Ft. Worth, Texas

I wish I could tell you that I play video games like a Dale Earnhardt Jr., but I've never really been into the video game thing. When I'm at home or in my motorcoach, I'm usually watching TV or keeping busy with work-related stuff. Maybe one day the video game bug will bite me.

Jamie McMurray drives the No. 42 Texaco Havoline Dodge for Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates. His diary will appear weekly on SI.com.