McMurray Ends Season with 23rd Top-10 Finish
HOMESTEAD, Fla., (November 21, 2004)
--- As the 2004 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series season came to a close today at the Homestead-Miami Speedway, Jamie McMurray and the Texaco/Havoline team left no doubt they will be a contender for the 2005 championship. McMurray scored a seventh-place finish in the 400-mile season finale to earn his 23rd top-10 finish of the season. It was also his 12th top-10 finish in the last 14 races. McMurray finished the season 11th in points, and will head to New York City next month to pick up a check for $1 million for the points finish.
"We had a tough time in the pits again today," McMurray said. "That kind of got us behind all day. We pitted at the end and I was going against what Donnie (crew chief Wingo) said to do. I didn't think there was any way we'd get that many cars. Tires were big at the end. But we battled back several times throughout the race and the Texaco/Havoline Dodge ran well all day, so all-in-all, it was a good day for us. We're definitely ending the season on a high note and I think we've proven we can make a run for the championship next year."
After qualifying 18th, McMurray had worked his way up to 13th place when the caution flag waved on lap 49. During the caution, McMurray headed for pit road for four tires and fuel while the Texaco/Havoline team made several chassis adjustments to free the car up. He exited pit road in 14th place.
By lap 100 McMurray was maintaining the 14th position when the caution flag waved again on lap 113. During the caution, McMurray once again headed for pit road for service. McMurray re-started from the 15th position.
When the caution flag came out on lap 148, McMurray and crew chief Donnie Wingo used pit strategy to help gain track position. While the majority of the leaders took four tires during the caution period, the Texaco/Havoline team chose to change two right-side tires. As a result, McMurray exited pit road in fifth place.
By lap 207 McMurray had blasted the Texaco/Havoline Dodge into second place. As the caution flag waved again on lap 225, McMurray elected to come down pit road to top off the fuel tank and get four fresh Goodyear Eagles to help mount a late-race charge on the leaders. With some of the leaders staying out during the caution period, McMurray re-started from 22nd place.
As the laps clicked off, McMurray began to make his charge through the field as he was picking off cars with each passing lap. With 10 laps to go, he was running in 14th place.
With five laps remaining, the Texaco/Havoline Dodge had vaulted into ninth place when the final caution flag waved for the day. The race ended under the green-white-checkered scenario with McMurray advancing two more positions to finish in seventh place.
The Texaco/Havoline team will spend the next two months testing and preparing for the 2005 season and the season-opening Daytona 500 next February.
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