Jamie McMurray
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James Christopher McMurray (born June 3, 1976), nicknamed "Jamie Mac", is an American former professional
stock car racing Stock car racing is a form of Auto racing, automobile racing run on oval track racing, oval tracks and road courses. It originally used Production vehicle, production-model cars, hence the name "stock car", but is now run using cars specifical ...
driver and currently an analyst for '' Fox NASCAR'' and CW. He raced in the
NASCAR Cup Series The NASCAR Cup Series is the top racing series of the NASCAR, National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR), the most prestigious stock car racing series in the United States. The series began in 1949 as the Strictly Stock Division, ...
on a full-time basis from 2003 to 2018 before shifting to a
Daytona 500 The Daytona 500 is a NASCAR Cup Series motor race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is the first of two Cup races held every year at Daytona, the second being the Coke Zero Sugar 400, and one of three ...
-only schedule in 2019 and 2021. McMurray earned his first win in just his second career start in October 2002. He is also known for winning the 2010 Daytona 500 for Chip Ganassi Racing, and is one of only three drivers to win both the Daytona 500 and
Brickyard 400 The Brickyard 400 is an annual NASCAR Cup Series points race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, United States. The inaugural race was held in 1994 and was the first race other than the Indianapolis 500 to be held at the ...
in the same year.


Racing career


Craftsman Truck and Busch Series (1999–2002)

In 1999, McMurray made five starts in the
Craftsman Truck Series The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is a pickup truck racing series owned and operated by the NASCAR, National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR), and is the only series in NASCAR to race production pickup truck-based stock car racing, s ...
. In 2000, he ran 16 Truck races and posted one top-five and four top-ten finishes. During 2001 and 2002, he competed full-time in the Busch Series; driving the No. 27 Williams Travel Centers
Chevrolet Monte Carlo The Chevrolet Monte Carlo is a two-door coupe that was manufactured and marketed by the Chevrolet division of General Motors. Deriving its name from the Monte Carlo, city in Monaco, the Monte Carlo was marketed as the first personal luxury car ...
for
Brewco Motorsports Brewco Motorsports was a racing team that competed in the NASCAR Busch Series (now the Xfinity Series). The team was owned from 1995 until 2007 by Clarence Brewer Jr., his wife Tammy, and Todd Wilkerson. The team won 10 races over 13 seasons in t ...
. The latter year was better for McMurray, as he won two races and finished sixth in the overall points standings. After his surprise win at
Lowe's Motor Speedway Charlotte Motor Speedway (known as Lowe's Motor Speedway from 1999 to 2009 due to sponsorship reasons) is a quad-oval Oval track racing#Intermediate, intermediate speedway in Concord, North Carolina. It has hosted various major races since it ...
in Charlotte in the 40 Winston Cup car, he won his first NASCAR Busch Series win at the Aaron's 312 at the
Atlanta Motor Speedway Atlanta Motor Speedway (currently known as EchoPark Speedway for sponsorship reasons, formerly known as the Atlanta International Raceway from 1960 to 1990) is a quad-oval Oval track racing#Intermediate, intermediate speedway in Hampton, Georg ...
in October by beating
Joe Nemechek Joseph Frank Nemechek III (born September 26, 1963) is an American professional stock car racing driver who last competed part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 24 Toyota Supra for Sam Hunt Racing. Nemechek has made the second mos ...
and
Michael Waltrip Michael Curtis Waltrip (born April 30, 1963) is an American former professional stock car racing driver, racing commentator, racing team owner, amateur ballroom dancing competitor and published author. He is the younger brother of three-time NASC ...
on fuel mileage. McMurray only led 1 lap total and became the 100th different driver to win in the Grand National Series. He then won the next weekend at the Sam's Club 200 at North Carolina Motor Speedway by leading only the last two laps as leaders Jeff Green and
Michael Waltrip Michael Curtis Waltrip (born April 30, 1963) is an American former professional stock car racing driver, racing commentator, racing team owner, amateur ballroom dancing competitor and published author. He is the younger brother of three-time NASC ...
wrecked each other on the last lap. McMurray finished the year 6th in final points, 772 points behind champion
Greg Biffle Gregory Jack Biffle (born December 23, 1969), nicknamed "the Biff", is an American semi-retired professional stock car racing driver. After racing in the NASCAR Winter Heat Series in the mid-1990s, he was recommended to Jack Roush by former race ...
who would end up being his rookie rival in 2003.


First stint with Chip Ganassi Racing (2002–2005)

McMurray's entry into Cup racing did not go as planned. McMurray was scheduled to drive a limited schedule in a No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Dodge in 2002, in preparation for a full-time 2003 rookie of the year campaign in the No. 42 with new sponsor
Texaco Texaco, Inc. ("The Texas Company") is an American Petroleum, oil brand owned and operated by Chevron Corporation. Its flagship product is its Gasoline, fuel "Texaco with Techron". It also owned the Havoline motor oil brand. Texaco was an Independ ...
/
Havoline Havoline ( ) is a motor oil brand currently commercialized by Chevron Corporation, Chevron. The brand had been previously owned by Texaco (since 1931), until the company was acquired by Chevron in 2001. History First introduced in 1904, the ...
. However, he was instead tapped as interim replacement for injured Ganassi Cup driver
Sterling Marlin Sterling Burton Marlin (born June 30, 1957) is an American former professional stock car racing driver. He last competed in the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour. He formerly competed in the NASCAR Cup Series, winning the Daytona 500 in 1994 and 1995. He ...
, who fractured a
vertebra Each vertebra (: vertebrae) is an irregular bone with a complex structure composed of bone and some hyaline cartilage, that make up the vertebral column or spine, of vertebrates. The proportions of the vertebrae differ according to their spina ...
in a crash at
Kansas Speedway Kansas Speedway (formerly known as Kansas International Speedway in initial planning and construction stages) is a tri-oval Oval track racing#Intermediate, intermediate speedway in Kansas City, Kansas. The track, since its inaugural season of ...
. Thus, McMurray made his Cup debut in the No. 40 Coors Light Dodge at Talladega. One week later, at Charlotte, in just his second career NASCAR Winston Cup and first non-restrictor plate start, McMurray outraced the
Joe Gibbs Racing Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) is an American professional stock car racing organization founded by Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs. His son, J. D. Gibbs, ran the team with him until his death in 2019. Founded in Huntersville, North Carolina, ...
Pontiacs of
Bobby Labonte Robert Allen Labonte (born May 8, 1964) is an American semi-retired professional stock car racing driver and current analyst for ''NASCAR on Fox''. He also currently competes part-time in the SMART Modified Tour, driving the No. 18L for Hermie Sa ...
and
Tony Stewart Anthony Wayne Stewart (born May 20, 1971), nicknamed "Smoke", is an American semi-retired professional auto racing driver, and former NASCAR team co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing. He currently competes in the NHRA Top Fuel class. He is a four-t ...
to win the UAW-GM Quality 500. McMurray had been consistent the entire night, and led 96 of the final 100 laps to score the win. It is considered one of the biggest upsets in NASCAR history. This win set a modern-era record for fewest starts before a win (since tied by
Trevor Bayne Trevor Mitchell Bayne (born February 19, 1991) is an American semi-retired professional stock car racing driver, Dirt track racing, dirt racing driver, team owner, and businessman. He is currently a pit reporter for NASCAR on Prime Video, ''NASCAR ...
in the 2011 Daytona 500, and eclipsed by
Shane van Gisbergen Shane Robert van Gisbergen (born 9 May 1989), also known by his initials SVG, is a New Zealand professional auto racing, racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro (sixth generation)#ZL1, C ...
winning his Cup Series debut in 2023), and it was also the first time a driver won in their first start at a 1.5-mile track. McMurray drove for six of the remaining seven races, except for the Old Dominion 500 at Martinsville, with Mike Bliss driving as scheduled in the No. 40. In 2003, McMurray joined the Cup Series full-time. He won Rookie of the Year honors by 37 points over
Greg Biffle Gregory Jack Biffle (born December 23, 1969), nicknamed "the Biff", is an American semi-retired professional stock car racing driver. After racing in the NASCAR Winter Heat Series in the mid-1990s, he was recommended to Jack Roush by former race ...
. McMurray had five Top 5's, 13 top tens and finished 13th in the overall standings. He began competing part-time in the Busch Series. In 2004, McMurray and his team were penalized 25 points after the
Food City 500 The Food City 500 is an annual 500-lap, NASCAR Cup Series points race held at the Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee. This is one of two NASCAR races held at Bristol, the other being the Bass Pro Shops Night Race. It was the first ven ...
for an incorrect "x-measurement," a method of comparing the center of the roof with the center of the chassis, which proved costly when later in the year, McMurray missed the Chase for the Cup by 15 points. If he had made the playoff field, McMurray would have finished the year 4th in points due to strong performance in the Chase races. The same weekend of the penalty, McMurray was fined $15,000 by NASCAR for intentionally causing a wreck after the race was over. He had 23 Top 10s during the season, including 12 in the last 14 races, and finished eleventh in the points standings, which earned him a $1 million bonus. In the same year, he won a Truck Series race; joining 20 other drivers that have won a race in all three of NASCAR's top touring series. In 2005 McMurray scored four top fives and ten top tens to finish 12th in points. McMurray came in tenth in points with a one-point cushion over Ryan Newman in the final race before the chase at
Richmond International Raceway Richmond Raceway (RR) is a , ''D''-shaped, asphalt race track located just outside Richmond, Virginia in unincorporated Henrico County. It currently hosts one NASCAR Cup Series race weekend and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. It formerly h ...
. McMurray was wrecked by Tony Raines later in the race ending his chase hopes. McMurray left the No. 42 team after the 2005 season to drive for Roush Racing. Owner Chip Ganassi was initially adamant that McMurray would be held to his contract, but on November 7, 2005, McMurray was released when Ganassi and partner Felix Sabates learned that McMurray signed a contract with Roush already before the season ended. McMurray was originally to go to the No. 6 Ford in 2006, but since
Mark Martin Mark Anthony Martin (born January 9, 1959), nicknamed "the Kid", is an American former stock car racing driver. He most notably drove the No. 6 Ford Motor Company, Ford for Roush Racing for the majority of his career. From 1989 to 2009, Martin wo ...
announced he would race for another year, McMurray instead took over for
Kurt Busch Kurt Thomas Busch (born August 4, 1978) is an American auto racing driver. He is best known for competing in the NASCAR Cup Series from 2000–2022, last driving the No. 45 Toyota Camry TRD for 23XI Racing. Busch is the 2004 NASCAR Cup Series ch ...
in the No. 97 Crown Royal/ IRWIN Tools Ford (which was then renumbered No. 26).


Stint with Roush Fenway Racing (2006–2009)

In April 2006, Jack Roush moved Jimmy Fennig from crew chief of the No. 26 Ford to head Roush's Busch operations. Bob Osborne, who had been crew chief for
Carl Edwards Carl Michael Edwards Jr. (born August 15, 1979) is an American former professional stock car racing driver and a current analyst for ''NASCAR on Prime Video''. He last competed in the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, driving the No ...
, moved to head the crew for McMurray. 2006 was a hard season for McMurray. McMurray's best finish of the 2006 season came at
Dover International Speedway Dover Motor Speedway (formerly known as the Dover International Speedway from 2002 to 2021 and as the Dover Downs International Speedway from 1969 to 2001) is a oval track in Dover, Delaware. The venue has hosted major events since its inaugu ...
, where he finished second after leading the most laps. McMurray would record three top fives, seven top tens and finish a disappointing 25th in points. McMurray began the 2007 season with crew chief Larry Carter. On June 22, 2007, he won his third career Cup pole, for the Toyota Save/Mart 350. On lap 1, he was passed by
Robby Gordon Robert Wesley Gordon (born January 2, 1969) is an American semi-retired auto racing driver. He has raced in NASCAR, Championship Auto Racing Teams, CART, the IndyCar Series, the Trans-Am Series, International Motor Sports Association, IMSA, Inter ...
for the lead but he spent the first quarter of the race holding off
Boris Said Boris Said III (born September 18, 1962) is an American professional racing driver. Said has competed in a variety of disciplines including stock car racing, stock cars, sports car racing, sports cars and touring car racing, touring cars. Said la ...
and Jeff Burton for second place. When Robby Gordon pitted after 34 laps, McMurray traded the lead repeatedly. With about 45 laps left, McMurray took the lead and dominated the final laps, but with 7 to go Cup rookie and his future teammate
Juan Pablo Montoya Juan Pablo Montoya Roldán (; born 20 September 1975) is a Colombian racing driver, who competed in Formula One from to , IndyCar between 1999 and 2022, and the NASCAR Cup Series between 2006 and 2024. Montoya won seven Formula One Grand ...
passed him and held him off until McMurray eventually ran out of gas with 2 to go and resulted 37th. On July 7 at the Pepsi 400, McMurray led a few laps in the first stages. However, on lap 30, McMurray was then black-flagged by NASCAR for slipping out of bounds. He then spent the rest of the race charging back through the field eventually getting back to the front on lap 155. McMurray then led the final stages but battled Kyle Busch for five laps. On the last lap, Busch was the leader next to McMurray and charged to the finish, but at the last second, McMurray charged one last time and barely beat Busch to win the Pepsi 400 for his second career Cup win. The margin was 0.005 of a second, and the finish resembled the
Daytona 500 The Daytona 500 is a NASCAR Cup Series motor race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is the first of two Cup races held every year at Daytona, the second being the Coke Zero Sugar 400, and one of three ...
of the year's finish when Kevin Harvick beat Mark Martin at the last second of the race that year. The photo finish, at that time, was the closest in
Daytona International Speedway Daytona International Speedway is a race track in Daytona Beach, Florida, Daytona Beach, Florida, United States, about north of Orlando, Florida, Orlando. Since opening in 1959, it has been the home of the Daytona 500, the most prestigious race ...
history and tied for the second closest finish ( 1993 DieHard 500) since the advent of electronic scoring in 1993. McMurray finished the year 17th in the point standings. In the beginning of the 2008 season, McMurray encountered a string of poor finishes that relegated him to 36th in points and thus not guaranteed a spot when NASCAR reached the spring Martinsville race. When the current points went into effect to determine those who were locked in the race, McMurray was required to qualify for the race based on his time around the track. He qualified 5th, locking himself into the field as the fastest of the teams not locked into the race. He earned an 8th-place finish in the race, securing himself a spot in the Top 35 in points and thus a guaranteed starting position for the next race. Throughout the remainder of the season, he steadily climbed in the standings and reached the Top 20 in points. On October 11, 2008, McMurray rallied to finish 5th in the Bank of America 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. It was his first Top 5 finish since his victory at Daytona in July of the previous year. McMurray finished 16th in the standings. McMurray reunited with former crew chief Donnie Wingo in 2009. Crew chief Larry Carter moved to Yates Racing to be crew chief for
Paul Menard John Paul Christian Menard (born August 21, 1980) is an American semi-retired professional stock car racing driver who currently competes full-time in the Trans-Am Series, driving the No. 3 Ford Mustang for 3GT Racing. Menard is the 2024 Trans-Am ...
. McMurray started the 2009 season by dominating the final stages of the Budweiser Shootout, but finished second when he lost the lead to
Kevin Harvick Kevin Michael Harvick (born December 8, 1975) is an American semi-retired professional stock car racing driver and commentator for '' NASCAR on Fox''. He last competed full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 4 Ford Mustang for Stewa ...
on the last lap. McMurray had an excellent
Speedweeks Daytona Speedweek presented by AdventHealth is a series of racing events that take place during January and February at Daytona International Speedway. Traditionally leading up to the Daytona 500, in 2021 it concluded with the 2021 O'Reilly Auto ...
, finishing 9th in his
Gatorade Duel The Duel at Daytona, formerly known as the Twin 125s, is a NASCAR Cup Series preliminary event to the Daytona 500 held annually in February at Daytona International Speedway. It consists of two races, which both serve as a qualifying race for the ...
. In the
Daytona 500 The Daytona 500 is a NASCAR Cup Series motor race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is the first of two Cup races held every year at Daytona, the second being the Coke Zero Sugar 400, and one of three ...
, McMurray ran up front and was a contender, but was involved in the big one, and his teammate Matt Kenseth won the race. Later in the year, Roush Fenway Racing informed McMurray he would be allowed to leave the team as they needed to cut their teams down to the NASCAR-mandated four. On November 1, 2009, McMurray won the AMP Energy 500 at Talladega after leading over 20 laps and passing David Stremme with 8 laps to go. He then survived a green-white checkered finish to earn his second restrictor-plate win. Roush released him and the No. 26 team at the end of the season due to NASCAR's four team limit and the expiration of Roush Fenway Racing's exemption that allowed a 5th team. McMurray decided to ask former boss Chip Ganassi for another chance following his disappointing era on Roush-Fenway Racing and Ganassi granted him a contract to let him drive for his merged team with Dale Earnhardt Inc., Earnhardt Ganassi Racing.


Return to Ganassi (2010–2018)

In 2010, McMurray moved over to Earnhardt Ganassi Racing in the No. 1 car, replacing Martin Truex Jr. McMurray reunited with Chip Ganassi when he participated in the 2010 24 Hours of Daytona; it was the first time he has been with Ganassi since 2005.


Milestone season

On February 14, 2010, McMurray would start the year off with a bang when, in just his first start for Ganassi since 2005, McMurray won the
Daytona 500 The Daytona 500 is a NASCAR Cup Series motor race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is the first of two Cup races held every year at Daytona, the second being the Coke Zero Sugar 400, and one of three ...
. He led for only two laps, the least in Daytona 500 history at the time, passing
Kevin Harvick Kevin Michael Harvick (born December 8, 1975) is an American semi-retired professional stock car racing driver and commentator for '' NASCAR on Fox''. He last competed full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 4 Ford Mustang for Stewa ...
with 2 to go before holding off
Greg Biffle Gregory Jack Biffle (born December 23, 1969), nicknamed "the Biff", is an American semi-retired professional stock car racing driver. After racing in the NASCAR Winter Heat Series in the mid-1990s, he was recommended to Jack Roush by former race ...
and a rapidly charging
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Ralph Dale Earnhardt Jr. (born October 10, 1974) is an American professional stock car racing driver, team owner, and broadcaster. A third-generation driver, he is the son of the late 7-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Dale Earnhardt and relative ...
McMurray cried in victory lane and thanked Ganassi and his new sponsors for giving him another chance. McMurray accidentally crashed into new teammate and former rival Juan Pablo Montoya at Las Vegas. McMurray apologized but Montoya said after the race that he felt like McMurray wasn't helping the team much although later they made up. McMurray almost won the Aaron's 499 that spring, but
Kevin Harvick Kevin Michael Harvick (born December 8, 1975) is an American semi-retired professional stock car racing driver and commentator for '' NASCAR on Fox''. He last competed full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 4 Ford Mustang for Stewa ...
beat him in a .011-second drag race to the finish line. McMurray led 27 laps. It was speculated by McMurray's car owner Felix Sabates that Harvick went below the yellow line when he made the pass but this was denied by NASCAR. In May, McMurray ended up second to
Kurt Busch Kurt Thomas Busch (born August 4, 1978) is an American auto racing driver. He is best known for competing in the NASCAR Cup Series from 2000–2022, last driving the No. 45 Toyota Camry TRD for 23XI Racing. Busch is the 2004 NASCAR Cup Series ch ...
in the
Coca-Cola 600 The Coca-Cola 600, originally the World 600, is an annual NASCAR Cup Series points race held at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina, on a Sunday during Memorial Day weekend. The first race, held in 1960, was also the firs ...
and had several more top ten finishes before in July, McMurray held off Harvick again to win the
Brickyard 400 The Brickyard 400 is an annual NASCAR Cup Series points race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, United States. The inaugural race was held in 1994 and was the first race other than the Indianapolis 500 to be held at the ...
, which made him one of only three drivers to win the Daytona 500 and the Brickyard 400 in the same year, the feat previously having been accomplished by
Jimmie Johnson Jimmie Kenneth Johnson (born September 17, 1975) is an American professional auto racing driver. He currently competes part-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 84 Toyota Camry XSE for Legacy Motor Club. Johnson has won seven Cup ch ...
in 2006 and Dale Jarrett in 1996. Chip Ganassi became the first owner to win both races (with McMurray) and the
Indianapolis 500 The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly shortened to Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indian ...
(with Dario Franchitti) in the same year. In September, McMurray held off
Kyle Busch Kyle Thomas Busch (born May 2, 1985) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro (sixth generation)#ZL1, Chevrolet ZL1 for Richard Childress Racing and par ...
to win the Great Clips 300 in the Nationwide Series at Atlanta. Although he did not make the Chase, he did win the Bank of America 500 at the site of his first win —
Charlotte Motor Speedway Charlotte Motor Speedway (known as Lowe's Motor Speedway from 1999 to 2009 due to sponsorship reasons) is a quad-oval Oval track racing#Intermediate, intermediate speedway in Concord, North Carolina. It has hosted various major races since it ...
. McMurray finished 14th in the standings with three wins nine Top 5s and 12 top tens


Contract extension

On January 19, 2011, McMurray signed a multi-year extension with Earnhardt Ganassi Racing to continue driving the No. 1 Chevrolet. He won the pole for the Goody's Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville, where he finished 7th. Following the massive tornado that went through McMurray's home city
Joplin, Missouri Joplin is a city in Jasper County, Missouri, Jasper and Newton County, Missouri, Newton counties in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Missouri. The bulk of the city is in Jasper County, while the southern portion is in Newton County. J ...
, McMurray listed Joplin as one of his racing sponsors to help his town. He blew his engine during the
Coca-Cola 600 The Coca-Cola 600, originally the World 600, is an annual NASCAR Cup Series points race held at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina, on a Sunday during Memorial Day weekend. The first race, held in 1960, was also the firs ...
while battling Matt Kenseth for the race lead. In July, McMurray came close to winning the
Brickyard 400 The Brickyard 400 is an annual NASCAR Cup Series points race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, United States. The inaugural race was held in 1994 and was the first race other than the Indianapolis 500 to be held at the ...
by passing
Paul Menard John Paul Christian Menard (born August 21, 1980) is an American semi-retired professional stock car racing driver who currently competes full-time in the Trans-Am Series, driving the No. 3 Ford Mustang for 3GT Racing. Menard is the 2024 Trans-Am ...
with nine laps left but with four laps remaining, Menard took back the lead and while Menard charged to his first Cup victory, McMurray ended up 4th as a good record of July. McMurray congratulated Menard publicly after the race when he was interviewed about his finish. However, McMurray's second season with Earnardt Ganassi Racing was a disappointment compared to his first; he earned just four Top 10s that year, and finished the season 27th in points. 2012 was not much better for McMurray. He started the season with a crash in the
Daytona 500 The Daytona 500 is a NASCAR Cup Series motor race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is the first of two Cup races held every year at Daytona, the second being the Coke Zero Sugar 400, and one of three ...
. The next week, in Phoenix, McMurray had an accident before blowing an engine; he then posted two straight 7th-place finishes at both
Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
and
Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...
. He would not post another top ten until the Pocono race in June. McMurray contended to win at Talladega in the fall race, but Harvick spun McMurray in the final laps; thus, McMurray finished the season with only three Top 10s and no victories.


Final wins

McMurray started his season on a low note, crashing in the
Daytona 500 The Daytona 500 is a NASCAR Cup Series motor race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is the first of two Cup races held every year at Daytona, the second being the Coke Zero Sugar 400, and one of three ...
on lap 33, relegating him to a 32nd-place finish, followed by a 22nd-place finish at Phoenix. At Las Vegas, the third race of the year, McMurray improved, with a 13th-place finish. The following week, at Bristol, he scored a 10th-place finish; this was his first Top 10 of the season, despite spinning out in the middle of the race. Then, after a 19th-place finish in Fontana, McMurray finished a season-best 7th place in Martinsville, despite being involved in an early collision with Clint Bowyer. McMurray then had a 16th-place finish at Texas, and took another 7th-place finish at Kansas, bringing him up to three Top 10 and six Top 20 finishes. McMurray took home first place in the non-points-paying 2013 Sprint Showdown at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Leading all 40 laps, the Cup win was his first since the 2010 Bank of America 500, which also came at Charlotte. He would go on to finish 8th in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race. McMurray would hit a low stretch, with a 19th-place finish in the Coca-Cola 600 and a 33rd-place finish at Dover. He then had a 13th-place finish at Pocono. At Michigan, McMurray led 21 laps but finished 33rd after a late accident. The following week at Sonoma, McMurray narrowly beat Marcos Ambrose to win his first pole of the season. McMurray then had two strong runs - a runner-up finish to Matt Kenseth at Kentucky, followed by the Coke Zero 400, where he led 10 laps and finished seventh. He followed that up with a solid 12th-place finish at New Hampshire. In October, McMurray held off
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Ralph Dale Earnhardt Jr. (born October 10, 1974) is an American professional stock car racing driver, team owner, and broadcaster. A third-generation driver, he is the son of the late 7-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Dale Earnhardt and relative ...
and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. to win at Talladega, snapping a 108-race winless streak. This was his seventh career victory and fourth on a restrictor plate track (with wins at Daytona in 2007 and 2010 and Talladega in November 2009). McMurray had a slow start to the 2014 season, finishing 14th at Daytona after a last lap crash, though he posted a Top 10 at Fontana. His performances improved at the All-Star Race. After starting in the Top 10, McMurray controlled 40% of the 90 lap race, passed leader Carl Edwards on the final restart, and held off Kevin Harvick for $1,370,400. He was very emotional about his win and gave credit of the win to his pit crew thanking his new crew chief Keith Rodden. On lap 165 of the FedEx 400, McMurray drove into a chunk of concrete, causing his car to turn sideways. The resulting
pothole A pothole is a pot-shaped depression in a road surface, usually asphalt pavement, where traffic has removed broken pieces of the pavement. It is usually the result of water in the underlying soil structure and traffic passing over the affecte ...
, which was 8 in.x 10 in., led to a red flag which lasted 22 minutes and 22 seconds. On June 21, 2014, McMurray won the pole for the
Toyota/Save Mart 350 The Toyota/Save Mart 350 is a stock car racing event in the NASCAR Cup Series that has been held annually at Sonoma Raceway at Sears Point in Sonoma, California since 1989. The race has been known as the Toyota/Save Mart 350 since 2007. The r ...
for his first pole of the 2014 season and the tenth of his career. McMurray finished 16th at New Hampshire, after a solid 5th place start. At the
Irwin Tools Night Race The Bass Pro Shops Night Race is a NASCAR Cup Series stock car racing, stock car race held at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee. It is one of two NASCAR Cup Series races held at Bristol, the other being the Food City 500. From 1978 to ...
, McMurray had a car to beat, led the most laps (148), and had the lead with 67 laps to go, but faded towards the end of the race and finished 8th. McMurray had a good end to the season, grabbing a Top 10 at Homestead Miami. He finished in 18th in the overall standings, seventy-three points behind his teammate Kyle Larson.


2015–2018

McMurray had another crew chief change entering 2015, his second swap in 2 years. His new crew chief is former RCR Engineer Matt McCall. McMurray started the year out poorly with finishes of 27th and 40th at Daytona and Atlanta after being involved in two crashes. He then scored an 11th at Las Vegas. Coming to the fourth race of the season (Phoenix), he contended with
Kevin Harvick Kevin Michael Harvick (born December 8, 1975) is an American semi-retired professional stock car racing driver and commentator for '' NASCAR on Fox''. He last competed full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 4 Ford Mustang for Stewa ...
for the win, but ended in 2nd. He finished 21st at Auto Club. However, he experienced a good streak of races, a 10th at Martinsville, a sixth at Texas, a 14th at Bristol, and a fourth at Richmond where it looked like McMurray was one of the only drivers who could challenge winner
Kurt Busch Kurt Thomas Busch (born August 4, 1978) is an American auto racing driver. He is best known for competing in the NASCAR Cup Series from 2000–2022, last driving the No. 45 Toyota Camry TRD for 23XI Racing. Busch is the 2004 NASCAR Cup Series ch ...
. He finished 11th at Talladega. After ten races McMurray was 7th in the standings - the highest he had ever been since the second race of 2010. He had a 44-point cushion over 17th place. Starting the summer part of the season, McMurray posted a 13th-place finish at Kansas. He posted a 16th at the All-Star race after leading Segment 3. He finished 19th in the Coco-Cola 600. McMurray had a strong run afterward, coming seventh at Dover, Pocono, and Michigan consecutively. He then finished 11th at Sonoma after a tire issue early threw a wrench in the team's plans. The next week, McMurray's car was involved in a nine-car practice crash and was forced to a backup car for the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona; the backup car was slow during the race, and he was involved in multiple large accidents. Still, due to the majority of the field being involved in wrecks, McMurray was able to hang on to finish 15th. After 17 races, McMurray was 6th in points, the highest winless driver in the points. He also had an 85-point cushion over Aric Almirola. McMurray finished 14th at Kentucky after starting 7th. McMurray lost one spot in the standings to 7th. McMurray looked to grab a top 10 at New Hampshire until he lost a cylinder in his engine and finished 26th. As a result, he dropped to 9th in the standings. Over the next few races he didn't pick up many points due to a 40th at Watkins Glen. At Bristol, he rallied back for an 11th, which kept him in 10th place in the driver standings. He went on to make the Chase for the first time in his career, seeded 12th in the standings. At Chicagoland, McMurray started 13th and finished 16th. At New Hampshire, he started 23rd and finished 14th. Heading into Dover, he started 11th due to rain washing out qualifying. He was 11th in the points, just two points above the cut line for who would be eliminated from the Chase going into the Contender Round, and one point above
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Ralph Dale Earnhardt Jr. (born October 10, 1974) is an American professional stock car racing driver, team owner, and broadcaster. A third-generation driver, he is the son of the late 7-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Dale Earnhardt and relative ...
, who marked the cutoff line. During the race, McMurray would be locked in a constant battle with Earnhardt for control of the final transfer spot. Ultimately, Earnhardt finished third and McMurray finished fourth, which tied them in points, which was broken in favor of Earnhardt, which cut McMurray from the Chase. On September 19, 2015, McMurray joined ''
NASCAR on NBC ''NASCAR on NBC'' (visually branded as ''NBC NASCAR'' in logos shown within on-air graphics and network promotions) is the branding used for broadcasts of NASCAR races that are produced by NBC Sports, and televised on several NBCUniversal-owned ...
'' for the Xfinity Series race at Chicagoland as a guest analyst. At Martinsville, McMurray looked to be set to finish 1 lap down in 24th place. However, after a caution with less than 50 laps to go, caused by Matt Kenseth intentionally wrecking
Joey Logano Joseph Thomas Logano (born May 24, 1990) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No.22 Ford Mustang (seventh generation), Ford Mustang Dark Horse for NASCAR operations of Tea ...
, McMurray got back on the lead lap and after a pit stop, had the fastest car in the field. McMurray, with the fastest car, charged through the field after a restart, to finish second behind
Jeff Gordon Jeffery Michael Gordon (born August 4, 1971) is an American stock car racing executive and former professional stock car racing driver who currently serves as the vice chairman of Hendrick Motorsports. He raced full-time from 1993 to 2015, d ...
. McMurray started out the 2016 season with a 17th place at Daytona. During the next 3 races he finished 16th, 16th, and 21st, before getting his first top ten - a tenth at Fontana. McMurray would spin at Martinsville, and finish outside the top 20. After finishing inside the top 20 over the next 3 races, McMurray would be involved in the big one at Talladega. However, he would rally back for a fourth place, his first top five, and second top ten of the year. The next two weeks were rough for McMurray, as at Kansas, he was penalized by NASCAR and forced to repair damage from a crewman who body-slammed the car (NASCAR determined this was an illegal body modification). He spent the rest of the race trying to catch up and ultimately finished 26th. At Dover, he got caught up in the big one and finished several laps down in 21st. Three races later, McMurray would finish 9th at Michigan. After a seventeenth at Sonoma, McMurray would contend at Daytona, but contact from Kyle Larson, and
Jimmie Johnson Jimmie Kenneth Johnson (born September 17, 1975) is an American professional auto racing driver. He currently competes part-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 84 Toyota Camry XSE for Legacy Motor Club. Johnson has won seven Cup ch ...
would cause him to spin, causing the big one. As the summer began to wound down, McMurray would heat up. He finished seventh at Kentucky in a fuel mileage race. A good 6th place at New Hampshire would allow him to slip further ahead of his competition. However a spin at Indy, and Chris Buescher winning at Pocono didn't help, although McMurray still finished in the top 20 for both races. He would then score three eighth-place finishes in row, at Watkins Glen, Bristol, and Michigan, allowing McMurray to slip past Ryan Newman in the chase standings. This would be good, as when Kyle Larson won at Michigan, McMurray would find himself 15 points in, ahead of Newman. Eventually, Newman still looked to be in contention before he was penalized for failing an inspection and docked a significant number of points, giving McMurray a big advantage over Newman going into the Fall Richmond race, which Denny Hamlin won, and McMurray finished seventh, narrowly clinching the 16th and final Chase spot. Poor finishes at Chicagoland and New Hampshire put him in a must-win situation at Dover, unfortunately, McMurray's engine exploded midway through the race, ending his Chase hopes. McMurray served as a '' Fox NASCAR'' analyst for the Xfinity Series race at Las Vegas. McMurray's first top 5 came at the GEICO 500 when he managed to avoid the Big One and finish 2nd to Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in an overtime finish. McMurray jumped up to fifth in the standings after Dover, the highest he had ever been in the standings at the point in the year. McMurray racked up nine top-ten finishes in the first 16 races of the year, posting another top-five effort at Michigan. McMurray would survive the night race at Daytona to finish 14th, ahead of all drivers in front of him in the points with the exception of
Jimmie Johnson Jimmie Kenneth Johnson (born September 17, 1975) is an American professional auto racing driver. He currently competes part-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 84 Toyota Camry XSE for Legacy Motor Club. Johnson has won seven Cup ch ...
. At Kentucky, he managed to score his eleventh top-ten of the year. As the regular season ended, McMurray began falling closer to the cut line of the newly renamed Playoffs, though he ultimately managed to clinch a Playoff spot for the third year in a row. McMurray continued to excel, making it past the first round of the Playoffs for the first time in his career. He posted a top-five at Charlotte, before consecutive wrecks caused by Erik Jones at Talladega and Kansas knocked him out. McMurray finished out the year 12th in the standings, and racked up 17 top tens and three top-fives. The 2018 season became McMurray's worst since 2011 and 2012, having scored top-fives at the 2018 O'Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas in April, and the Charlotte Roval, along with 8 top-10s. He also missed the playoffs, finishing 20th in the points standings. The 2018 season also saw McMurray involved in a seven-flip rollover accident at
Talladega Superspeedway Talladega Superspeedway (Alabama International Motor Speedway from 1969 to 1989) is a tri-oval superspeedway in Lincoln, Alabama. Built in 1969, the track has hosted a variety of racing events, primarily races sanctioned by NASCAR. The track is ...
during practice for the GEICO 500, leading to NASCAR attempting to reduce speeds for the race by changing the
restrictor plate A restrictor plate or air restrictor is a device installed at the intake of an engine to limit its power. This kind of system is occasionally used in road vehicles (e.g., motorcycles) for insurance purposes, but mainly in automobile racing, to li ...
s used. At the end of the season, it was announced
Kurt Busch Kurt Thomas Busch (born August 4, 1978) is an American auto racing driver. He is best known for competing in the NASCAR Cup Series from 2000–2022, last driving the No. 45 Toyota Camry TRD for 23XI Racing. Busch is the 2004 NASCAR Cup Series ch ...
would take over the #1 from Jamie McMurray after leaving Stewart-Haas Racing.


Daytona 500 (2019, 2021)

On September 10, 2018, McMurray announced that he will not return to Chip Ganassi Racing in 2019. CGR had offered McMurray a contract to drive at the 2019 Daytona 500 before moving to a leadership position with the team. McMurray would ultimately retire from full-time Cup Series racing and later signed a contract with Fox Sports to appear on their weekday and raceday NASCAR programs, in addition to his leadership role with Ganassi. In January 2019, Chip Ganassi Racing formed a partnership with Spire Motorsports to field the No. 40 for McMurray at the Daytona 500. McMurray led a few laps in the race but finished 22nd. He returned to the Daytona 500 in 2021 with Spire, driving the No. 77. He finished 8th after starting 19th, in only his second Top 10 finish in the Daytona 500.


Other racing

On January 4, 2014, Chip Ganassi Racing announced that McMurray will run the
24 Hours of Daytona The 24 Hours of Daytona, also known as the Rolex 24 At Daytona for sponsorship reasons, is a 24-hour sports car racing, sports car Endurance racing (motorsport), endurance race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Flo ...
for the team in the No. 01 car alongside
Scott Pruett Scott Donald Pruett (born March 24, 1960) is an American former racing driver who has competed in numerous disciplines of the sport. In the 1980s, Pruett established himself as a top sports car racer, winning two IMSA GTO, and three Trans-Am ...
, Memo Rojas and Sage Karam. At the team's announcement, McMurray stated, "It's the most fun race I get to run all year long. There's no points for us and it's all about being able to win. What makes it such a good time, you'll see guys all year long and they'll be here, so you can eat lunch with them, hang out and things like that. It’s fun to be a part of it." McMurray returned to the 24 Hours of Daytona in 2015 in the No. 02 car with
Tony Kanaan Antoine Rizkallah "Tony" Kanaan Filho (born 31 December 1974), nicknamed "TK", is a Brazilian racing driver who is the team principal of Arrow McLaren. He is best known for racing in Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) from 1998 to 2002, an ...
,
Scott Dixon Scott Ronald Dixon (born 22 July 1980) is a New Zealand racing driver who races the 9 Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR) Dallara DW12-Honda car in the IndyCar Series. He is a six-time drivers' champion of the IndyCar Series, having claimed the title in ...
, and Cup teammate Kyle Larson. The team would win the event, and McMurray joined A. J. Foyt and
Mario Andretti Mario Gabriele Andretti (born February 28, 1940) is an American former racing driver and businessman, who competed in Formula One from to , and American open-wheel racing, IndyCar from 1964 USAC Championship Car season, 1964 to 1994 IndyCar se ...
as the only drivers to win the Daytona 500 and 24 Hours of Daytona (they would be joined by
Jeff Gordon Jeffery Michael Gordon (born August 4, 1971) is an American stock car racing executive and former professional stock car racing driver who currently serves as the vice chairman of Hendrick Motorsports. He raced full-time from 1993 to 2015, d ...
two years later). McMurray would also drive for the team in the 2016 24 Hours of Daytona.


Broadcast career

Following his departure from Chip Ganassi Racing at the end of the 2018 season, McMurray signed with
Fox Sports Fox Sports is the brand name for a number of sports channels, broadcast divisions, programming, and other media around the world. The name originates from Fox Broadcasting Company in the United States, which in turn derives its name from Fox Fi ...
to be an analyst for their Fox NASCAR broadcast team starting in 2019. He appeared in the '' NASCAR RaceDay'' pre-race show and the ''
NASCAR Race Hub ''NASCAR Race Hub'' was a daily NASCAR news program broadcast on Fox Sports 1 Monday through Thursday. Originally broadcast on Speed, the show replaced '' NASCAR Nation'' and '' This Week in NASCAR''. ''NASCAR Race Hub'' premiered on October 12, ...
'' midweek news show. McMurray will also join CW Sports to be a color commentator for their NASCAR on The CW broadcast team starting in 2025.


Personal life

McMurray was born in
Joplin, Missouri Joplin is a city in Jasper County, Missouri, Jasper and Newton County, Missouri, Newton counties in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Missouri. The bulk of the city is in Jasper County, while the southern portion is in Newton County. J ...
. He grew up racing go-karts and competed in nearly every form of
karting Kart racing or karting is a motorsport discipline using open-wheel, four-wheeled vehicles known as go-karts or shifter karts. They are usually raced on scaled-down circuits, although some professional kart races are also held on full-size motor ...
around the country before moving to late-model stock cars. In 2007, McMurray returned to the karting ranks and still competes in World Karting Association races on many of his open weekends. He races annually at the World Karting Association's Daytona KartWeek in late December. McMurray married Christy Futrell in July 2009. Their first child Carter Scott McMurray was born Thanksgiving morning, November 25, 2010. Their second child, a daughter named Hazel, was born February 11, 2013. Carter currently races full-time in the SMART Modified Tour. Through his trouble-filled 2009, and his contrasting 2010, McMurray found the power of
prayer File:Prayers-collage.png, 300px, alt=Collage of various religionists praying – Clickable Image, Collage of various religionists praying ''(Clickable image – use cursor to identify.)'' rect 0 0 1000 1000 Shinto festivalgoer praying in front ...
. Following his win at Charlotte in 2010, McMurray said in his post-race interview, "As those laps were winding down, I was thinking about Daytona and why I cry and the power of prayer. I had a tough year last year. I found out the power of prayer and what that can do for you. When you get to victory lane, and you get to experience this, it just makes you a believer." Throughout 2017, McMurray has also been actively running and cycling with other drivers. McMurray completed the Assault on Mt. Mitchell on May 5, and on December 12, competed in his first marathon, the
Kiawah Island Golf Resort Kiawah Island Golf Resort is a resort on Kiawah Island, South Carolina, located along a mix of island and beachfront property approximately southwest of Charleston. Opened in May 1974, the resort is home to The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Gol ...
Marathon.


Motorsports career results


NASCAR

( key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. ''Italics'' – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)


Cup Series


=Daytona 500

=


Xfinity Series


Craftsman Truck Series

Season still in progress
Ineligible for series points


Grand-Am

( key) Bold – pole position (overall finish/class finish).


Rolex Sports Car Series


Complete WeatherTech SportsCar Championship results

( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)


24 Hours of Daytona


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:McMurray, Jamie Living people 1976 births Sportspeople from Joplin, Missouri Racing drivers from Missouri 24 Hours of Daytona drivers NASCAR drivers Rolex Sports Car Series drivers World Karting Association drivers WeatherTech SportsCar Championship drivers International Kart Federation drivers Chip Ganassi Racing drivers RFK Racing drivers JR Motorsports drivers Daytona 500 winners