Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Signs Jamie McMurray;
McMurray to Team with Montoya and Drive the No. 1 Bass Pro Shops /
Tracker Boats Chevrolet in 2010
CONCORD, N.C. (Nov. 18, 2009) -- Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix
Sabates announced today that they will add NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
(NSCS) driver Jamie McMurray as a teammate of Juan Pablo Montoya, to
drive the No. 1 Bass Pro Shops / Tracker Boats Chevrolet for the 2010
NSCS season. Fresh off his win at the Talladega Superspeedway on Nov. 1,
McMurray will return to Ganassi whom he raced for from 2002-05. Bass Pro
Shops will once again return for their fifth season as one of the primary
partners on the No. 1 Chevrolet.
* MCMURRAY BEHIND THE WHEEL: The Joplin, MO native has won three
NSCS races since he entered the series near the end of 2002. In his
seven years and 258 races at NASCAR's highest level he has 30
career top-five finishes and 80 top-10 results. McMurray shocked the
racing world in 2002 when he won his first NSCS race while racing for
CGRFS in only his second NSCS start and set a modern-era NASCAR record by
becoming the quickest driver to win a cup race. The 2003 Rookie of the
Year has finished in the top-20 in points in five of his seven seasons on
the Cup circuit with a best finish of 11th in 2004.
* COMING HOME: McMurray broke into the NSCS in 2002 as a member of
the Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates team of drivers and spent
three full seasons there from 2003-05. Those three seasons are
statistically the best seasons of McMurray's career. In those
three years he had a combined 18 top-five finishes and 46 top-10s and
competed until the end for a spot in the 10-member Chase field every
year. He finished 13th, 11th and 12th in those three seasons. His 23
top-10 finishes in 2004 were tied for second most with Jimmie Johnson and
behind only Jeff Gordon in the NSCS.
* LAYING THE FOUNDATION: McMurray won his first two Nationwide
Series races and scored his first Cup win within a four-week period in
2002. He finished sixth in the NNS standings in 2002 and posted
career-bests in top-fives (six) and top-10s (14). McMurray has seven NNS
wins under his belt and one truck series victory and has also raced in
the NASCAR Midwest Series. McMurray began racing competitively at
eight-years-old when he started with go-karts. He won four U.S. Go-Kart
titles from 1986-92 and was World Go-Kart Champion in 1991.
* AWAY FROM THE TRACK: McMurray has been equally as active off the
track as he has been on with the Jamie McMurray Foundation (JMF).
Created in 2006, the foundation was formed to promote awareness of, and
raise funding for, research, education and support for individuals and
families affected by autism. The JMF is dedicated to bringing the
financial backing and support of the NASCAR community, together with the
passion and commitment of the autism community to promote better
understanding of this challenging disability.
* BASS PRO SHOPS: Bass Pro Shops, of Springfield, Missouri, will
enter their fifth season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series as one of the
primary sponsors of the No. 1 Chevrolet.
Chip Ganassi, Team Owner:
* "To be able to sign a veteran driver with the talent and
experience of Jamie was important to us. 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."
Jamie McMurray, Driver:
* "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. 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."
Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops:
* "We are proud to be able to continue our long relationship
with Teresa Earnhardt and Chip Ganassi and we are also excited that a
fine young feller from our home state, Jamie McMurray, will be our
driver."
Chip Ganassi and Jamie McMurray will be available to media on Friday,
Nov. 20 at the Homestead-Miami Speedway. Time and place TBD
-credit: egr
