When Jamie McMurray won last year’s Chase for the Sprint Cup race at Talladega Superspeedway, it took the NASCAR world by surprise.
For one week, in the middle of the Chase, McMurray stole the spotlight from NASCAR’s championship contenders with a surprising run to victory.
It was a rare feat on two fronts. It was only McMurray’s third career victory and just his second with Roush Fenway Racing, which he was planning to leave at the end of the season after being released from his contract.
And it had been two years since a non-Chase driver had won one of the 10 races in the Chase. Greg Biffle won at Kansas in 2007 after missing the Chase, but no non-Chase driver won during the final 10 races of 2008.
When McMurray did it again last week, winning at Charlotte Motor Speedway, it was a reminder of the thrill of seeing a non-Chase driver upstage the sport’s championship contenders at the most critical time of year.
While McMurray’s Charlotte win was no surprise – it was his third victory of the season – it proved drivers outside the Chase do have something to race for and the final 10 races are not just about the 12 championship hopefuls.
McMurray’s win at Charlotte was just as exciting as his surprising wins in the Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400 because, for one night, the spotlight shifted from the Chase drivers, who garner the overwhelming majority of exposure this time of year, to an underdog trying to salvage – in McMurray’s case cap – a successful season.
For drivers outside the Chase, a win this time of year is as big as it gets. They’ve already been through the disappointment of missing the Chase and, in most cases, months of struggles.
Snatching a victory from one of the sport’s top 12 is sweet redemption and a good way to salvage an otherwise disappointing year.
Like his first two wins this season, McMurray’s triumph was a feel-good story. At a time of the season when all the focus is on Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick and the rest of the championship contenders and when each of those drivers and teams are presumably at the top of their games, McMurray rose up for the victory.
McMurray’s wins at Daytona and Indy were two of the most popular of the season because they were such a surprise. His win Saturday was popular because he was an underdog who shifted the focus from Johnson, Hamlin, Harvick and the rest of the Chasers back to the simple, genuine thrill of winning.
In some ways, the most popular victories this time of year are not wins by drivers in the Chase, but those outside the Chase – the drivers who have nothing to race for now except the trophy and the prestige that comes with it.
McMurray is not the first to upstage the Chase drivers, of course. Biffle has done it three times. Each year he has missed the Chase – 2004, ’06 and ’07 – he has won one of the final 10 races.
Tony Stewart just missed the Chase in 2006, but came roaring back with a vengeance, winning three of the 10 Chase races.
Jeff Gordon missed the Chase in 2005, but won the October race at Martinsville to cap a four-win season.
There also has been a handful of surprise winners during the Chase: Joe Nemechek at Kansas in 2004, Dale Jarrett at Talladega in ’05, Brian Vickers at Talladega in ’06 and McMurray at Talladega last year.
With five races remaining, it could happen again. Mark Martin and Kasey Kahne, who have 51 career wins between them, have not won yet this season.
Ryan Newman, Juan Pablo Montoya and David Reutimann each have a win, but have run well enough to win again.
And the biggest spoiler of all could be Dale Earnhardt Jr. If his team suddenly could turn things around or if Junior can recapture his magic at Talladega, it would be the most popular victory in Chase history.
And, of course, McMurray will be the defending champion and a favorite at Talladega.
But upsets have become routine for him. He’s made a living this season playing the spoiler.
