Jamie McMurray Goes Home To Joplin

((HT: ESPN))

The HQ knows what the folks in Joplin, MIssouri are going through... not from actual experience, but by having covered the similar events in Ringgold, Georgia...

NASCAR drive Jamie McMurray lives in North Carolina, but was raised in Joplin...
Marty Smith went home with him to see what's left...


The HQ recommends helping Tuscaloosa, Ringgold, or Joplin...
Hell, here's an idea...
How 'bout all of them...

McMurray and Montoya: Not A Happy Beginning

Jamie McMurray is back with Chip Ganassi this year- driving the number one car with varying sponsors in 2010 replacing Martin Truex, Junior. His first race back was his Daytona 500 victory.

Three races later, he's the proud owner of a mad teammate following a wreck with Juan Pablo Montoya at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. They were running ninth and 10th midway through Sunday's race when McMurray lost control of his car and ran into the 42-car.

Over the radio, McMurray admitted it was his fault entirely...
JPM didn't care...

Montoya went off on his radio to his crew chief...
And, then, to Fox's Dick Berggren...
((HT: NASCAR.com/NASCAR Images/Fox))


Wonder how Atlanta will work for them...?
The HQ is just axin'...

Potholes and Pitstops - McMurray wins the 2010 Daytona 500

((the Mac daddy in victory lane - courtesy Getty Images/sportsnet.ca))

Wow...official race time was 6 hours and 14 minutes, but this was one of the most exciting Daytona 500's I've ever seen. I thought for sure after the two hour pothole repair delay, either Greg Biffle or Clint Bowyer would take the checkered flag. However, going into overtime, and having two consecutive Green, White, and Checkered restarts - it was anyone's race.

25+ cars on the lead lap - all with a chance to win. Kevin Harvick was doing everything his car could do to win. However, Jamie "I love restrictor plate racing" McMurray and the #1 Bass Pro Shops Ford held off Dale "Junebug" Earnhardt, Jr to win the 52nd Great American Race. Little E and the #88 AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet came from 10th place to 2nd in the last two laps - apparently he still has a little Earnhardt left in him.

Here are the last two laps, courtesy of SlicedSmoke14 and the YouTube:
((HT: NASCAR Images/NASCAR on Fox))

Talladega Cursed With Boredom Until Last 20 Laps

The day first starts with NASCAR Major Domo Mike Helton warning against all that has made Talladega, well, Talladega...

No bump drafting in the corners and single file restarts gets you that...

But, then, with five laps to go, Ryan Newman ends up upside down and crushing Kevin Harvick's hood on the way to rediscovering gravity. It took 13 minutes for safety teams to get the car righted and Newman really had to go to the bathroom badly.

Jamie Little caught up with Newman outside the Infield Care Center
Understandably, he was less than pleased...
((HT: ESPN/NASCAR/NASCAR Images))


Oh, by the way, Jamie McMurray ended an 86-race winless streak dating back to Daytona in 2007.
But not before another wreck at the end where Mark Martin flipped over himself...
He wanted to finish the race...
((HT: NASCAR/ESPN/NASCAR Images))

NASCAR Silly Season: McMurray Can Look Around

((HT: ESPN/Newton))

Roush Fenway Racing has informed Jamie McMurray he is free to talk to other organizations about next season, team president Geoff Smith said on Sunday.

But Smith said that is not an indication Roush doesn't want the driver of the No. 26 ((pictured, thanks NASCAR Images file)) associated with the organization in 2010.

Smith said Roush is willing to move any of its five drivers with sponsorship to partner Yates Racing next season if that would maintain the current Ford stable.

He said most of the drivers are willing to do that, understanding they will be in the same equipment with the same technology. The problem is convincing sponsors to move to what is perceived as the "B'' team. UPS, for example, is committed to keeping David Ragan at Roush.

"It's not moving apples to apples,'' Smith said from the garage at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

NASCAR has mandated that Roush be at the four-car cap by 2010. Roush currently has five drivers, McMurray, Ragan, Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth.

Although Edwards, Kenseth and Biffle signed extensions last season, Smith is not opposed to moving one if that keeps all within the Roush/Yates umbrella.

"We would be open to any combination to keep them,'' he said.

McMurray is considered the most likely to be moved because his contract expires after this season. Smith said it did not make sense in this economic climate to re-sign him to a long-term deal without sponsorship commitment. Crown Royal, which sponsors a portion of races on McMurray's car, has two years left on its contract. Smith didn't rule out that could be moved to Kenseth's car if necessary.

Roush announced earlier this week that DeWalt, Kenseth's long-term sponsor, will not return in 2010. Smith said sponsorship for that car would be cleared up soon.

McMurray avoided conversations with the media on Friday and Saturday. He reportedly has been contacted by Earnhardt Ganassi Racing as a candidate to fill the spot being vacated by Martin Truex Jr. in the No. 1.

McMurray drove for Ganassi before moving to Roush after the 2005 season.

"We took a risk on losing Jamie when we made the decision not to re-sign him,'' Smith said. "It's been clear he's free to look around even though we've told him we want him. It's just hard to do right now.''

Smith said Roush and Yates would like to keep a combination of at least seven cars, preferably eight, for next season.

"No matter what Jamie decides to do, we still would like to have the same employment number,'' he said.

Here's one of McMurray's career highlights- winning the 2007 400-miler at Daytona...
((HT: TNT/TSN/NASCAR))