Kenseth & MacMurry

[texastrophies]

Interesting article.

Wonder how he would look in the 15?

Kenseth sounds off on rising tiff with McMurray

"I got a feeling he'll need me more that I'll need him in the future"

By Marty Smith, NASCAR.COM

August 4, 2005

10:38 AM EDT (14:38 GMT)

Matt Kenseth isn't a trash-talker. Doesn't gloat. Doesn't taunt. Doesn't whine or complain. Truth told, he doesn't say much of anything, and certainly nothing controversial.

So when he appeared on TNT's pre-race show from Pocono and questioned the procedure used by his Roush Racing employers in hiring Jamie McMurray, most folks were taken aback, unable to believe what they'd just heard.

It seemed out of character, but Kenseth didn't care. He was frustrated.

He'd learned of McMurray's hiring two weeks earlier by reading an article on NASCAR.COM, and still couldn't fathom that an eight-year tenure at Roush didn't warrant so much as a phone call for Kenseth's opinion on the matter.

And the bad blood didn't help anything. After tangling at New Hampshire, Kenseth and McMurray don't like one another. Period.

Kenseth publicly accepted blame for the New Hampshire wreck, which ended McMurray's day just as it began. But that was of little solace to McMurray. He was livid, and remained so through the following weekend at Pocono.

"After the race last week, I just wanted to find [Kenseth] so I could punch him," McMurray said after winning the Pennsylvania 500 pole. "It would have made me feel better. It just takes time for me. I will talk to Matt, but I know if I talk to him now it won't come out right. I don't believe you should ever wreck anybody intentionally."

The drivers have yet to speak to one another. Kenseth phoned McMurray after New Hampshire. The call was neither answered nor returned. Kenseth's frustration mounted. So he told the world about it.

And in doing so, some folks were left with the inkling Kenseth actually might contemplate leaving Roush Racing. His contract is up at the end of the 2006 season. Unless Chip Ganassi Racing releases McMurray -- they've said they won't -- his deal starts at the outset of '07.

There is potential they'll never be teammates at all.

During the off week, I received more e-mails on that subject than any other, so I went to the source for answers. What I got was more insight on the situation, more information, all with the same striking candor.

"It's hard to say whether I'll be there forever, but I love it at Roush and never really want to race anywhere else," Kenseth said.

"It'd be pretty foolish to say you'd like to race somewhere else when I'm on the team that's running better than any other team out there."

So where's the beef?

"I just felt like being [at Roush] for eight years that they'd at least have talked to me. And [Greg] Biffle, too. He's been there seven years," Kenseth said. "So I figured they'd at least have talked to some of the guys who've been there about who you want for a teammate.

"I think it happened fairly fast, and on the 42 side they leaked it to the press. So I'm sure they were probably going to talk to us before they made an announcement, but to this day nobody's still talked to me about it. So it is a little frustrating."

That raises the question: Should Kenseth have a say? Many say absolutely not, say the decision belongs to Jack Roush and Geoff Smith and Mark Martin, and that Kenseth should keep his nose out of it.

But considering the hunky-dory dynamic at Roush these days, the last thing they want to do is upset organizational chemistry in a sport where it is truly vital.

"A big part to all our successes is working together," Kenseth explained. "When you have a good relationships between the drivers and crew chiefs it's a big help.

"When we're running bad I can walk up to Greg and I know I'm going to get a straight answer. He's going to help me out. That's why we're successful. Everybody over there needs to remember that, as well."

Initially, Kenseth carries a certain nonchalance about the McMurray situation. But get him going ...

"It's fine. I'm over it," he said. "If you really watch [the New Hampshire wreck] he kind of did it to himself. He ran me over. He just really doesn't want to work things out, and the way things work at Roush that kind of deal doesn't go very far.

"And I know he's not at Roush yet, but we all work really good together as a group right now, and as teammates we've gotten into tiffs before and always come to an understanding and figured things out.

"So I was pretty frustrated about him never getting back to me, or being willing to work things out or talk about it."

Some speculate Kenseth's frustration actually stems from his perceived standing. While Martin, Biffle, Carl Edwards and Kurt Busch are all winning races and chasing a championship, Kenseth is fighting just to keep his head above water.

Is he driving lesser equipment?

"We all have the same opportunity to get the same stuff and build the same cars," Kenseth said. "We do have choices about how we set up the cars and how we put the bodies on them, stuff like that. And Doug Yates gives us all awesome engines. There's definitely not an issue when it comes to getting equipment."

The main issue, he says, is a futile attempt at working out a disagreement with a potential future teammate.

"I didn't really have a problem when they said it was Jamie, and I don't really necessarily have a problem with Jamie," Kenseth said. "It's just that after that little thing at Loudon, I admitted it was my fault. I called him and tried to work things out and he wouldn't call me back or talk to me at the track.

"He got my message. I know for sure he got it. I know he was at home. He just doesn't want to call me back. I could be wrong, but I got a feeling he'll need me more that I'll need him in the future, so that's fine. If he wants it to be that way, that's cool."

[VermontHunter]

Re: Kenseth & MacMurry

Very interesting indeed.....I wonder what the outcome will be from this, if any at all....

[VABuckSlayer]

Re: Kenseth & MacMurry

I imagine they will work things out eventually. If Jamie makes the chase... he will blow it off I'm sure. I like Kenseth and once Rusty retires... Kenseth will probably be my favorite driver. (I hate to see Rusty go!) I kinda like Jamie too so if they're going to be teammates I hope they get this deal worked out.

Eric

[dg]

Re: Kenseth & MacMurry

I guess that's bigtime racing. Why don't they just drive the **** car?

[IowaDeerHunter]

Re: Kenseth & MacMurry

i don't know if I could see Kenseth leaving rousch racing. Whether he was there for one year or eight years I think he should've at least known who was going to drie the six car, instead of finding it out by reading the internet. nobody hjad to car what he thought, they just could've informed them saying, hey Jamie is driving the six, talked to them about it.

I am not a McMurray fan, but I hope they get along, because I don't want to see kenseth leave Rousch, but it would be cool to see him teaming up with Dale Jr.!

i think Kenseth is trying to work things out because that is the kind of guy he is, but McMurray won't budge because that is the kind of.............a, guy he is. LOL IMO

[tedicast]

Re: Kenseth & MacMurry

I remember that Dale Jr, and Kenseth were good friends when they were battling for championships in the Busch Series. I would have to think if Kenseth were to leave Rousch, that Robby Reiser would probably go with him. I could see that pair at DEI, and Jr. back with the Eury's.

[Chrud]

Re: Kenseth & MacMurry

[ QUOTE ]

DEI has a driver for the #15...if NAPA stays AND more on Eury Jr. MORE Kenseth?: If Dale Earnhardt Inc. [DEI] can keep NAPA as a sponsor for a third car next season, an already topsy-turvy "Silly Season" could get even wilder. DEI Director of Motorsports Richie Gilmore said yesterday the team is negotiating with the auto-parts supplier about staying with the #15 being vacated by Michael Waltrip after 2005. Gilmore said DEI already has lined up a driver to team with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Martin Truex Jr. for the 2006 Nextel Cup season. Gilmore wouldn't disclose a name but said it was someone prominent on another race team "that's been on our wish list for some time."

"[NAPA] has some options with us, Michael and some other race teams," Gilmore said. "We've put about a two-week window on it where they've got to make the decision and we've got to make a decision and go forward. But we have a driver kind of laid out, and everything laid out." Gilmore also pooh-poohed the idea of reuniting Earnhardt Jr. with Tony Eury Jr. if the #8 Chevrolet were to qualify for the Chase for the Nextel Cup. Earnhardt won a career-high six races last year with Eury as car chief. An offseason shake-up moved Eury to Waltrip's team as crew chief this year. "I would say that scenario would take away from both teams, so we wouldn't even look at that," Gilmore said. "That would affect both teams in a negative [way]." Gilmore said the possibility of naming Eury as Earnhardt's crew chief for next season hadn't been discussed much. "It's still too early," he said. "There's been a lot of talk outside of DEI but not at our company."(Richmond Times Dispatch)

MORE: The rumor mill says Matt Kenseth [#17 DeWalt Ford, contract thru 2006] will be leaving the Roush stable soon and that a spot at DEI [#15?] may be in his future.(RacingOne)(8-5-2005)

[/ QUOTE ]

I think Kenseth will stay with Roush. I think Eury Jr will be back with Dale Jr.

I have a hunch who the "driver" for the 15 will be. But, he's in way too good of a spot now. That driver would be Tony Stewart.

[Gator]

Re: Kenseth & MacMurry

[ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]

DEI has a driver for the #15...if NAPA stays AND more on Eury Jr. MORE Kenseth?: If Dale Earnhardt Inc. [DEI] can keep NAPA as a sponsor for a third car next season, an already topsy-turvy "Silly Season" could get even wilder. DEI Director of Motorsports Richie Gilmore said yesterday the team is negotiating with the auto-parts supplier about staying with the #15 being vacated by Michael Waltrip after 2005. Gilmore said DEI already has lined up a driver to team with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Martin Truex Jr. for the 2006 Nextel Cup season. Gilmore wouldn't disclose a name but said it was someone prominent on another race team "that's been on our wish list for some time."

"[NAPA] has some options with us, Michael and some other race teams," Gilmore said. "We've put about a two-week window on it where they've got to make the decision and we've got to make a decision and go forward. But we have a driver kind of laid out, and everything laid out." Gilmore also pooh-poohed the idea of reuniting Earnhardt Jr. with Tony Eury Jr. if the #8 Chevrolet were to qualify for the Chase for the Nextel Cup. Earnhardt won a career-high six races last year with Eury as car chief. An offseason shake-up moved Eury to Waltrip's team as crew chief this year. "I would say that scenario would take away from both teams, so we wouldn't even look at that," Gilmore said. "That would affect both teams in a negative [way]." Gilmore said the possibility of naming Eury as Earnhardt's crew chief for next season hadn't been discussed much. "It's still too early," he said. "There's been a lot of talk outside of DEI but not at our company."(Richmond Times Dispatch)

MORE: The rumor mill says Matt Kenseth [#17 DeWalt Ford, contract thru 2006] will be leaving the Roush stable soon and that a spot at DEI [#15?] may be in his future.(RacingOne)(8-5-2005)

[/ QUOTE ]

I think Kenseth will stay with Roush. I think Eury Jr will be back with Dale Jr.

I have a hunch who the "driver" for the 15 will be. But, he's in way too good of a spot now. That driver would be Tony Stewart.

[/ QUOTE ]

Hmmm, tony Stewart was who I had envisioned while reading that. Now that would be one heck of a race team