By: Dustin Long – MRN
TALLADEGA, Ala. – Jamie McMurray stores his go-karts in a building owned by Matt Kenseth. When McMurray goes there, he walks by trophies and pictures commemorating some of Kenseth’s victories.
One picture grabbed McMurray’s attention. It was Kenseth, his wife and their young daughters in Victory Lane. The excitement one of Kenseth’s daughters displayed in the photo struck McMurray. A father of two young children, McMurray told his wife “I hope that we get to have that moment.’’
He did Sunday.
Three-year-old son Carter and 8-month-old Hazel greeted McMurray in Victory Lane after daddy led the final 15 laps to win the Camping World RV Sales 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.
“That’s top two or three moment of my life,’’ McMurray said.
Yes, he got the picture – with a little coaxing.
“I said, “Carter, I want you to look at the camera and smile,’ and he got shy,’’ McMurray said.
So McMurray did what any parent might do. He bribed his child.
“I informed him he could have all the M&M’s he wanted if he would do one picture,’’ McMurray said.
The question Sunday night then was who would be wound up the most – McMurray for his win or his son because of a sugar high.
McMurray will take that. His 108-race winless drought stretched to 2010 when he had wins in the Daytona 500, Brickyard 400 and the fall Charlotte race.
Since then, it’s been a challenge. Earnhardt Ganassi Racing has struggled and gone through several changes from personnel to a different engine supplier to a new driver with Kyle Larson replacing Juan Pablo Montoya next year.
“Our cars have definitely been better this year, but getting to Victory Lane, it really doesn’t matter what track, it definitely is a momentum builder for our whole organization,’’ McMurray said.
That McMurray got there isn’t surprising – spotter Lorin Ranier said the team had a winning car Sunday morning and McMurray felt good after Friday’s practice – but what was surprising was how McMurray won.
In a race with 52 lead changes in the first 174 laps – an average of one lead change every 3.3 laps – no one passed McMurray the final 15 circuits.
“I felt like that was going to last about five laps, and then the bottom (lane) would start forming,’’ McMurray said. “Earlier in the race, it seemed like if the guys were running against the fence single-file that you could get the bottom to make a move. When you get toward the end, it becomes much more intense and everyone starts taking bigger risk. I was listening to the spotter, and he said there’s a line forming, but he said it’s not very organized and they’re not really making up any ground.
“I was really surprised that they weren’t able to put something together and make more of a run. I was shocked by that.’’
He wasn’t the only one. Several drivers said they were surprised that the field stayed single-file and that few drivers made an attempt to make a move late.
“I had no reason to make a move before the last lap being in second place,’’ said Dale Earnhardt Jr., who finished there. “I was in perfect position to be patient and wait as long as I wanted to.’’
Others, though, didn’t have that luxury. Or so it seemed.
“I was shocked at how patient guys were,’’ said Jeff Gordon, who finished 14th. “Normally, you’re going to see it get two-wide before we get to the white flag because you know on the white flag, if (the caution) comes out then, it’s over.
“I was shocked. At that point, I couldn’t do anything. A couple of guys tried to get out of line and just did not go anywhere. It took a good six or eight cars to do something. Nobody was really organized to be able to do that. I think the guys up front were happy with that. A top five here is like a win.’’
The caution waved on the final lap when Austin Dillon, running third, got turned on the backstretch and was slammed by Casey Mears’ car, sending Dillon’s car airbone. It landed on all four wheels and Dillon drove the mangled car back to the garage and a 26th-place finish.
The caution froze the field and gave McMurray the victory since he led Earnhardt at the time. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. finished a career-best third with Paul Menard placing fourth and Kyle Busch finishing fifth. David Ragan, who won the spring Talladega race, was sixth.
Jimmie Johnson finished 13th to take the points lead from Matt Kenseth, who was 20th. Johnson leads Kenseth by four points. Busch is third in the season standings, 26 points behind Johnson heading into this weekend’s race at Martinsville Speedway.
Although McMurray is not racing for a title, he got a prized possession that no other driver did Sunday. A family portrait in Victory Lane.
