McMurray Continues Momentum with Eighth-Place Finish in Dover
DOVER, Del., (September 26, 2004)
--- Jamie McMurray and the Texaco/Havoline team continued their recent "hot streak" on the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series circuit as McMurray's No. 42 Texaco/Havoline Dodge finished eighth in the MBNA America 400 at Dover International Speedway. The eighth-place finish was McMurray's 17th top-10 finish of the season and his sixth consecutive top-10. McMurray padded his 11th-place position in the point standings as he leaves Dover 99 points ahead of 12th-place pursuer Kevin Harvick.
"All-in-all it was a pretty good day for the Texaco/Havoline Dodge," McMurray. "We really had a tough time in the pits, but other than that our car was pretty good. We fought back most of the day. We seem to pass more cars every weekend than anyone else. We've got to work on our program just a little bit. We're a sixth to 10th-place car right now and we need to step it up to be a top five car. It would be cool to get to go to the banquet and feel like you earned your way there (with 11th place finish in the standings). We'll just keep digging and doing what we're doing."
After qualifying 10th, McMurray fought a tight off, loose in handling condition in the early stages of the race. By lap 50, the Texaco/Havoline Dodge was running in seventh place.
McMurray, who was fighting off cold-like symptoms for most of the race, headed for pit road during a caution period on lap 124. During the stop, McMurray was fitted with four tires and fuel while chassis adjustments were made to free the car up. He exited pit road in 16th place.
By lap 200, McMurray had moved the Texaco/Havoline Dodge into 11th place as he still fought a tight condition and continued to battle sickness.
During a scheduled green-flag pit stop on lap 263, McMurray headed for pit road for four tires and fuel while another round of chassis adjustments were made to his Dodge. He re-entered the competition in ninth place.
In the final 100 laps of the race, the handling on McMurray's Texaco/Havoline Dodge improved and he was running in seventh place by lap 350.
In the closing laps, McMurray was able to maintain a spot inside the top 10 and when the checkered flag waved, the No. 42 Texaco/Havoline Dodge crossed the finish line in eighth place.
Next up for the Texaco/Havoline team is Talladega Superspeedway for the running of the EA Sports 500 this Sunday.
View the MBNA America 400
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