Jamie McMurray and new crew chief Matt McCall have been charged with continuing the organization’s momentum from last year, but with the aim of becoming a more regular visitor to Victory Lane. McMurray, known as a past winner of many of stock-car racing’s crown jewel races, will get his first chance at it this week when cars finally return to the track at Daytona International Speedway.
Though they have only been paired for a matter of weeks, the two Macs have already established a level of mutual respect, borne from simply minding their manners.
"I love that he says, ‘yes, sir,’ to anyone younger or older than him, it doesn’t matter," McMurray said during last month’s Charlotte Motor Speedway Media Tour. "I do the same thing. I don’t know, I try to be as respectful as I can to everybody and think that’s what really going to make Matt and I a good match is that we both think the same way."
McMurray, 38, and the 33-year-old McCall are close enough in age that formal niceties for one’s elders can be dispensed, but McCall says the reflex has plenty to do with their upbringing.
"Obviously, we have a lot of similar background in the way we were brought up, being respectful and ‘Yes, ma’am. No, ma’am’ … that type of stuff," McCall said. "So it’s been interesting conversation. Both of us are saying ‘sir’ to each other, and it’s a little bit strange, but we laugh about it. I think it’s been an easy transition as far as getting to know each other."
Being mannerly might not necessarily translate on the race track — "move over, please" rarely works — but McCall’s background as a former racer has helped instill confidence in McMurray. McCall dabbled with a handful of starts in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and what is now the XFINITY Series, but excelled at the local and regional touring level, eventually landing as a developmental driver for the former Yates Racing team.
McCall will be in McMurray’s ear for the first time this weekend when he dons the headset as Speedweeks open in earnest at Daytona, but a special connection between racers already exists.
"The fact he was a driver, I can’t wait to see how he relates to what I’m saying," McMurray said. "I love when I’m talking to him and I talk about something I experienced at a track and he starts shaking his head yes. I’m like, ‘Yep, you already know where I’m going with this.’ I can’t wait to experience that, but I haven’t gotten to yet."
McCall most recently served as lead engineer for Richard Childress Racing’s No. 31 team and Sprint Cup Series runner-up Ryan Newman, but his departure to the Ganassi organization was contested in court by his former team. McCall said during the media tour that, "that’s all behind us and we’re moving forward now."
Indeed, the two sides staved off legal wrangling with a settlement late last month, removing any cloud over McCall’s development for 2015.
"That was sort of an overblown issue. I don’t know why that became news all of a sudden, but it did," Chip Ganassi said. "We’re happy to have him, Matt’s a great guy and we look forward to a big future here on the team."
Though he’s a relative newcomer, McCall is keenly aware of the speed that Ganassi’s cars showed as the year progressed — for both McMurray and his teammate, Sunoco Rookie of the Year Kyle Larson. The challenge of maintaining last season’s energy gets its first big test on NASCAR’s biggest stage, the Daytona 500 (Feb. 22, 1 p.m. ET, FOX).
McMurray captured the Harley J. Earl Trophy by winning The Great American Race in 2010, cementing a reputation as a "big game hunter," according to Ganassi, for his performance in racing’s most prestigious events. With more trophies out there for the taking, McCall hopes to serve as a capable guide.
"I keep going back to last year, but obviously, Chip Ganassi Racing was making strides in competitiveness and I think that just lit more fire under him," McCall said. "He’s always had that drive, but his drive is really strong right now. He’s looking forward to the season."
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