Auto Club 500 - Jamie McMurray Notes

Jamie McMurray, No. 42 Texaco/Havoline Dodge
Auto Club 500 Race Advance
May 2, 2004, FOX Television, 3:00 p.m. ET

Texaco/Havoline Racing Fast Facts:

Chassis: Crew Chief Donnie Wingo and the Texaco/Havoline team are bringing chassis #304 to compete in the Auto Club 500 at California Speedway. McMurray has raced Chassis #304 in five of the first nine races in 2004, posting two top-five and three top-10 finishes. Chassis #304 was raced eight times during the 2003 season and scored two top-five and five top-10 finishes. McMurray last competed with Chassis #304 at Texas Motor Speedway earlier this month.

McMurray Notes: McMurray heads into California Speedway sitting 11th in NASCAR NEXTEL Cup points, only 28 points out of the NASCAR Top 10. McMurray battled to a ninth-place finish last weekend at Talladega Superspeedway. McMurray has posted two top-five and six top-10 finishes in the first nine races of 2004. He has scored four straight top-10 finishes.

McMurray will be sporting a special paint scheme this weekend at California Speedway to help launch the “$1 Million Dollar Birthday Bash” consumer promotion by ChevronTexaco.

ChevronTexaco will hold a press conference this Friday at 9:30 a.m. in the press conference room at California Speedway to announce details about the lucrative promotion and to unveil the specially painted car McMurray will drive in Fontana.

McMurray was able to add to his “Drive for a Cure” fundraising total for the Autism Society of America last weekend in Talladega. McMurray led four laps totaling $168 ($42 per lap led). With the pledge matches from ChevronTexaco and Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, the total money raised was $504. To date, $15,120 has been raised for the Autism Society of America.

The Joplin, Mo. native was named the 2003 NASCAR Raybestos Rookie of the Year and posted five top-five and 13 top-10 finishes, along with one Bud Pole Award during the 2003 season. He finished 13th in the final 2003 point standings.

Jamie McMurray Quotes:

Thoughts on Fontana: “We had a great run last year in Fontana with the Texaco/Havoline Dodge and should have won the race had the late-race caution not come out. We’re taking the same car we ran there last year, and the car that we have run the most so far this season. I feel like we’ve learned some new things to do the car on the 1.5-mile and bigger tracks since the start of the season that should help us this weekend in Fontana. I feel really good about our chances.”

Career Best Start: First at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 16, 2003
Career Best Finish: First at Lowe’s Motor Speedway on October 13, 2002
Last Top-Five Finish: Fourth at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 7, 2004
Last Top-10 Finish: Ninth at Talladega Superspeedway on April 25, 2004