Subway 500 - Jamie McMurray Notes

Jamie McMurray, No. 42 Havoline Dodge
Old Dominion 500 Race Advance

RACE INFORMATION:

EVENT: Old Dominion 500 (Race 32 of 36)
TRACK: Martinsville Speedway
QUALIFYING: Friday, October 17 at 3:05 p.m. EST
RACE: Sunday, October 19 at 12:30 p.m. EST
BROADCAST: NBC Television and MRN Radio

HAVOLINE TEAM FACTS:

* Chassis: The Havoline team will race chassis #208. In two starts in 2003, chassis #208 has scored one top-five and two top-10 finishes (Bristol #2 - 3rd ; New Hampshire #2 - 10th ).

* Jamie McMurray was the top Raybestos Rookie last weekend at Lowe's Motor Speedway. He took top rookie honors for the 17th time this year and has been the highest finishing rookie in the last eight races. Entering the Old Dominion 500, McMurray holds a 30-point advantage (271-241) over Greg Biffle in the Raybestos Rookie point standings.

* In his last five races, McMurray has posted four top-10 finishes.

* McMurray has scored five top-five and 11 top-10 finishes during his NASCAR Winston Cup rookie season.

* McMurray comes to Martinsville 16th in NASCAR Winston Cup Series points.

JAMIE MCMURRAY QUOTES:

"Martinsville's a place that you either take to or you don't. For me, it was a very easy racetrack to learn. I just went in there and did my thing and we ran well until the engine let go and I think that's the way that place is. I think if you catch on to it it's easy and if you don't it's really hard."

"Saving brakes is big there. I feel like I've been really good this year about not getting brakes hot and being pretty easy on equipment, and I think that's a place that you can really use your stuff up. The biggest thing at Martinsville is making your car turn in the middle."

"I really feel like the last 10 races or so we've had a shot to win every one of them. The Havoline Dodge has consistently been running in the top 10 and I feel like we can win anywhere we go if it's just our turn."

Jamie McMurray leads the Raybestos® Rookie standings by 30 points (271-241) over Greg Biffle. McMurray has taken Raybestos® Rookie of the Race honors in each of the past eight consecutive races. He has posted four top-10 finishes in the last five races entering the race at Martinsville. McMurray has racked up five top-five and 11 top-10 finishes this season and is 16th in Winston Cup points, 76 behind 15th place Robby Gordon. He started 11th at Martinsville at the Virginia 500 in April.

JAMIE MCMURRAY, NO. 42 HAVOLINE DODGE:

HOW DID YOU HAVE SUCH A GOOD QUALIFYING RUN AT A TRACK A LOT OF DRIVERS STRUGGLE AT? "I guess because you grew up racing short tracks. I heard Terry Labonte say something in the media center the other day about it's all on about what kind of car they bring you to the racetrack. If they bring you a good car then you are going to run well if you are capable of doing it and they brought me a good car there. I think that's a place that you either take to or you don't. See for me, it was a very easy racetrack. I liked it; it was easy, no big deal. I just went in there and did my thing and we ran well and I think that's the way that place is. I think if you catch on to it it's easy and if you don't it's really hard."

IT LOOKS LIKE YOU GO WIDE OPEN DOWN THE STRAIGHTAWAY THEN STOP IN THE CORNER AND THEN WIDE OPEN OFF THE CORNER. "That's every racetrack, really (laughs). Saving brakes is big there. I've been really good this year of not getting brakes hot and being pretty easy on equipment and I think that's a place that you can really use your stuff up. The biggest thing is making your car turn in the middle there and it's hard to do but our car was really good there."

YOU ARE IN TRAFFIC THERE MOST OF THE DAY. HOW DIFFICULT IS IT TO NOT BEND SOMETHING UP? "I think I started 11th and drove up to third. I had no problems passing. It was fairly easy. Most guys will race you fairly clean and the guys that don't, you just take your time with them a little bit more. But I didn't have any problem there at all."

DO YOU TRY TO BE AWARE WHEN TWO DRIVERS HAVE AN ALTERCATION ON THE TRACK AND STAY OUT OF THE WAY? "It just depends who it is. You know the drivers and you know the ones that have the attitude and the ones that don't and the ones that will pay them back and the ones that won't. People that wreck a lot you just be a little more careful around them probably than others but it's that way every weekend."

HOW EASY IS IT TO USE YOUR PATIENCE THERE? "Like I say, we had a really good car there last time. Not that it was easy for me but it was easier for me than it was for most. It wasn't hard at all for me. It might be different for me this time (smiles)."

HOW BIG OF FACTOR IS HEAT? "I think I ran 300 laps and my car handled well so I wasn't really hot at all. I mean, it's hot but it's not near as hot as Darlington. My guys have done a really good job getting my cars cool. My cars are still hot, no doubt about it. We've done a really good job of cooling the driver. They've worked hard on that and they continue every week to try and make it better. Being hot is just part of being in a racecar and that's a part of your life and you just accept it."

CAN YOU WIN THE RACE? "I really feel like the last 10 races we go to I feel like we have a shot to win every one of them. We've run in the top-five three of the last six races and had a shot to win every single one of those. I feel like we can win anywhere we go if it's just our turn."

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