CUP: Saturday’s Victory Very Different For McMurray

Sprint Cup

CUP: Saturday’s Victory Very Different For McMurray

Jamie McMurray won at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2002...

Mike Hembree | Posted October 16, 2010 Concord, NC

Jamie McMurray celebrates his win at Charlotte Motor Speedway last fall. (Photo: Getty Images)

Jamie McMurray's 2002 win at Charlotte Motor Speedway – his first Sprint Cup victory – and his win in Saturday night’s Bank of America 500 were accomplished on the same landscape but in very different circumstances.

Eight years ago, McMurray was called on suddenly by team owner Chip Ganassi to replace the injured Sterling Marlin. He stunned the sport by winning at CMS. The celebration of his first victory was muted to a degree, however, by the fact that he won in another driver’s car and because Marlin was forced to be a spectator because of a broken neck.

“When I won in 2002, you’re in a situation where I don’t know that there’s any race car driver that wants someone to get in their car and win,” McMurray said. “I remember telling myself, ‘You need to be gracious.’ ”

That wasn’t necessary Saturday night after McMurray roared from behind over the last 21 laps to outgun Kyle Busch and win the 500, scoring his third major-race victory of the season. McMurray was hugging everybody in sight in the bright lights of victory lane.

McMurray also felt the need to explain a part of his 2010 history – his emotional moments in victory lane after winning the season-opening Daytona 500.

“I just wanted it to be understood that after the season I had last year and what I’ve had over the last four years, I had found the power of prayer, and it’s something I really believe in,” he said. “I was crying, obviously because I was happy but because I felt like a prayer had been answered. When you feel like that’s been answered, it’s emotional. I thought near the end of the race that I’m going to explain to people my feelings and why I felt that way. I think that’s important.”

Although Busch had the dominant car for most of Saturday night’s race (he led 217 laps), McMurray took control of the event with 21 laps to go, easily passing Busch on a green-flag restart to win the race by a comfortable margin.

Busch, who had the lead when the night’s final caution flew because of debris on the track, was extremely upset about the yellow flag. McMurray, who was in second and was gaining steadily on Busch, also said he didn’t want to see a caution flag.

“I knew that catching Kyle and passing Kyle were two different things,” McMurray said. “I was quicker in three and four, and I knew if I was going to pass him I’d have to clear him in three and fourth.

“When his car started going away, I thought I’d be able to pass him, but I thought I might lose my chance when the caution came out.”

Instead, McMurray roared away at the drop of the green.

“I wasn’t sure I was going to have enough speed to outrun him,” he said. “But the car was unbelievable the last 25 to 30 laps. It was effortless to drive.”

Mike Hembree is NASCAR Editor for SPEED.com and has been covering motorsports for 28 years. He has written several books on NASCAR, including "NASCAR: The Definitive History of America's Sport" and "Then Tony Said To Junior: The Best NASCAR Stories Ever Told". He is a six-time winner of the National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year Award.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mike Hembree

MORE BY THIS AUTHOR

CUP: Johnson Destroys Another Format
For a record fourth time, Jimmie Johnson rolls home first in Sprint…
CUP: Busches Falter In Final Shootout
Kyle, Kurt Busch lose top spots on pit road prior to 10-lap finale……
CUP: McMurray, Stenhouse Advance To All-Star
Jamie McMurray dominates Showdown to move into All-Star field with…