Heading into the year, Chip Ganassi has faced a lot of criticism, merely surrounding moving up Kyle Larson to the Sprint Cup Series this year. While some may expect success immediately, Ganassi realizes that there is a learning curve and says it’ll take one step at a time and was pleased with Larson’s Budweiser Duel performance.
“I thought he did a great job,” Ganassi comments. “He kept his nose clean; he stayed out of trouble; he learned a lot; he went to the front; went to the back…well almost to the front…went to the back and came back to where he was, so I thought it was mission accomplished last night.”
Ganassi feels that Larson has done better than the finishes have shown so far during Speedweeks. Larson finished seventh in the Duel and will start 16th in the Daytona 500.
“I thought he looked good in the draft. I thought he learned some things,” Ganassi adds. “He popped out and went to the back, and then was mature enough to keep his nose clean and come back up to the front slowly. That showed a lot of maturity to me.”
While dealing with young experience on one side, Ganassi will also have Jamie McMurray in his corner. McMurray is a previous winner of the Daytona 500 and won at Talladega last fall. Ganassi says having McMurray’s strength will also help develop young Larson.
“He can ask questions to and get an honest answer,” Ganassi says. “It might not always be the answer you want it to be, but I think it will be an honest answer. I was pretty happy with that, and couldn’t be happier with how the two of them are meshing, and how the teams are meshing together…couldn’t be happier.”
Larson noted during his media availability that he has leaned on McMurray for advice and says McMurray is one of the easiest guys to talk to about things out of everybody that he has met.
“I’ve definitely been talking to him as much as I can whenever I have questions,” Larson adds. “He is always willing to give me a truthful honest answer. I think that is good for me. There will be times too this year where I’m sure he will have questions for me. If I’m faster than him in the weekend, I think we are going to work really well together and it’s going to be great for the both of us and great for the team.”
Well the focus right now is on Daytona, there is also 35 other races to run this year as teams go after the championship. This is a new twist thrown in that teams will have to contend with as NASCAR has changed up both the Chase and qualifying format.
“I like them. I think it is good. I’m a fan of new things like that,” Ganasssi comments. “When you are in it every day, week in and week out, year in and year out, it is nice to see some change, and have some change and some new ways to approach the weekend. New ways to approach the Chase. I like it. I’m all in favor of it.”
As far as being a champion down the road, Ganassi says that he feels they have the pieces together for one in the future.
“I think we have the impetus now, and the time and the basis of that,” he adds. “We are with a good foundation now. I think we have a strong foundation now to build upon.”
