Jamie McMurray to join Earnhardt Ganassi Racing for 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup season
Earnhardt Ganassi Racing announced on Wednesday that Jamie McMurray will compete for the organization next season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. // David Griffin, NASCAR Scene
Related story: Juan Pablo Montoya excited to have Jamie McMurray join Earnhardt Ganassi Racing
After several months of speculation, Jamie McMurray knows which NASCAR Sprint Cup car he will drive in 2010, and he knows what it’s like to work for his “new” team owner: He’s returning to Chip Ganassi’s stable, where his Cup career started.
McMurray, who drove for Chip Ganassi from 2002 to 2005, has signed a deal to drive the No. 1 Earnhardt Ganassi Racing car beginning in 2010, the team announced Wednesday. McMurray will replace Martin Truex Jr., who is headed to Michael Waltrip Racing to replace Michael Waltrip. He will join teammate Juan Pablo Montoya in the organization.
“I am really excited about this opportunity with Earnhardt Ganassi Racing as I think Juan Pablo and Martin have shown this season their equipment is as good as anyone’s in the garage," McMurray said in a news release. "I am really looking forward to getting behind the wheel of their cars and once again competing for a NASCAR championship. It will also be fun to work with some of the people that I worked with when I was there a few years ago. They have really good people there.
"As an added bonus, I am really happy to have the opportunity to work with Bass Pro Shops as I grew up near Bass Pro’s headquarters in Springfield, Mo., and am a huge fan of their stores.”
McMurray won in just his second career Cup start with Ganassi in 2002 but didn’t win again for the team while finishing 13th, 11th and 12th in points from 2003-2005. The final two years were the first of the 10-driver Chase format, and he barely missed making the cut.
He moved to Roush Fenway Racing as the replacement of Kurt Busch, and he has won twice – in July 2007 at Daytona and then Nov. 1 at Talladega. His best finish in the standings was 16th in 2008. He is 22nd in the standings with one race left in the 2009 season.
The 32-year-old McMurray has 30 top-five finishes in 257 career starts. He also has seven wins in what is now the Nationwide Series and one win in the Camping World Truck series.
“To be able to sign a veteran driver with the talent and experience of Jamie was important to us," team co-owner Ganassi said in a news release. "We know Jamie and understand what makes him tick as a driver. We had a lot of success with Jamie in the early part of his career and are looking for more of the same. We also think he will be a tremendous compliment to Juan Pablo Montoya as well. The duo of McMurray and Montoya creates a very formidable team as we look to continue the momentum that has been established this year in our chase for the championship.”
McMurray’s No. 26 team will be the one cut from Roush Fenway Racing as it scales back from five Cup teams to the NASCAR-mandated four-team cap.
McMurray will drive a car that will have sponsorship from Bass Pro Shops.
