Winning the famous Daytona 500 is one of the greatest accomplishments in the NASCAR Cup Series. Those who have won the event since its inception in 1959 have carved out an unwavering place in stock car racing history. The driver who won it in 2010 is Jamie McMurray, and he explained in a recent interview how important such an honor is, especially from a driver’s point of view.
“I didn’t know how special it was until I won it. I mean, I think it was because I’ve always been pretty good at these types of tracks. I never went to any of them thinking, ‘I’m going to win today’. Because you have to be lucky in this area. You have to put yourself in the right position and things can change so quickly.
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McMurray competed in the Cup Series full-time from 2003 to 2018. In 2019 and 2021, he moved to a Daytona 500-only program. His 2010 Daytona 500 victory came while he was a driver for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing. He went on to explain that it wasn’t until he started giving media interviews that he realized the importance of what he had accomplished.
“It was 14 years ago” he continued. “Every time I’m introduced…they don’t say ‘Jamie McMurray.’ They say, “Jamie McMurray, 2010 Daytona 500 Champion.” After winning that… Every year I go back to Daytona, I’m like, “Man… It would be so special to win again.” I think you have to earn it to appreciate its value. he recalled.
How McMurray Won the 2010 Daytona 500
Just five months before the season-opening race, McMurray was dropped from Jack Roush’s team after NASCAR forced the team owner to cut from five cars to four. But he quickly proved his worth by taking advantage of the new rule which promised at least three green flag tries.
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He skillfully navigated through a mix of chaos to reach victory lane and cemented his place in history forever. Clint Bowyer was the driver leading the field coming to the white flag in regulation, but Bill Elliott and Joey Logano crashed to bring out the caution flag and created the first green-white checkered restart.
If the accident had happened 10 seconds later, Bowyer would have been declared the winner. Greg Biffle led the field on the first attempt to restart overtime, but was quickly passed by Kevin Harvick. Another accident followed, in which several cars were mixed up. This allowed McMurray to take the lead as the white flag was waved.
Another fall delayed those behind him and he was able to complete the final half-mile of the tri-oval without any challenge. Needless to say, his face was filled with tears of joy when he got out of his car. Notably, he won the Brickyard 400 that year as well and also finished second in the Coca-Cola 600, another of NASCAR’s crown jewels. He is currently an analyst for FOX Sports.
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