Jamie McMurray and No. 1 Bass Pro Shops / Tracker Boats Team 
Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates
Return of the Champion: Jamie McMurray returns to Daytona where he landed his biggest career win in the season opening Daytona 500. This weekend will mark McMurray’s 16th Sprint Cup Series start at the famed 2.5 mile tri-oval. His best starting position came in 2006 when he started sixth. On top of this year’s Daytona 500 victory, McMurray won the 2007 edition of the July race at Daytona, racing Kyle Busch to the line. This finish remains the second-closest finish in NASCAR. McMurray’s current superspeedway results mark two victories and a second-place finish in the last three restrictor plate starts beginning with the Fall 2009 event at Talladega.
Loudon Review: Jamie McMurray and the No. 1 Suave Team traveled to New England and New Hampshire Motor Speedway this past weekend looking to build on the top-15 finish from Sonoma, one that moved them up two places to 16th in the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) point’s standings. McMurray and team would struggle to find the needed speed to make their way through the field once the green flag dropped, but would continue to battle throughout the 301 laps on Sunday afternoon at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The team would get the most out of their car, bringing home an 18th-place finish.
McMurray Racing for History: This weekend 2010 Daytona 500 Champion, Jamie McMurray, will try to become only the fifth driver in Daytona International Speedway history to sweep both NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events in the same year. Only Fireball Roberts, Cale Yarborough, Lee Roy Yarbrough and Bobby Allison have been able to complete the sweep of the Daytona 500 and the mid-summer classic in the same year.
Laying Down History: On Friday, July 2 at 1:00pm ET, 2010 Daytona 500 Champion Jamie McMurray will return to the Daytona 500 Experience, located outside of turn 4 at Daytona International Speedway to lay the concrete slab featuring impressions of his feet, hands, and signature. The impressions, completed in Victory Lane immediately following the Daytona 500, will join those of every other Daytona 500 Champion on the walk of fame outside of the experience. McMurray will also complete a fan Q&A at the site.
2010 Bassmaster Classic Champion Returns to Daytona: 2010 Bassmaster Classic Champion and Five-Time Angler of the Year, Kevin VanDam will return to Daytona International Speedway this weekend to serve as an honorary race official and host a “Fishing 101” Seminar with 2010 Daytona 500 Champion, Jamie McMurray. VanDam, who previously visited Daytona for the Coke Zero 400 Media Day with fellow Bass Pro Shops athlete Jamie McMurray on Tuesday, June 22 joined the track and McMurray in a special “Reels and Wheels” ticket package that provides fans with a ticket to both the Brumos Porsche 250 and the Coke Zero 400, Sprint Fanzone access, and the fishing seminar hosted by VanDam and McMurray. The angler will join McMurray in driver intros, and the ride around, along with riding in the pace car prior to the start of the Coke Zero 400.
Bass Pro Shops Returns: After a four week absence, Bass Pro Shops will return as the primary sponsor of the No. 1 Chevrolet team this weekend at Daytona. Now at the midway point, the team and driver will sport newly designed Bass Pro Shops firesuits, a look that will mimic many elements of the car’s paint scheme. Bass Pro Shops is an outdoor retail leader in hunting, camping, nature gifts, outdoor cooking, and much more. From a simple beginning, Bass Pro Shops has become one of America’s premier outdoor retailers with destination outdoor retail stores across America and Canada, serving over 75 million sportsmen a year.
In the Points: After a 18th place finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, McMurray and the No. 1 team fell one position to 17th in the driver standings. However, McMurray gained 21 points towards the coveted 12th-position. The No. 1 Chevrolet now sits just 121 points back from becoming a member of the top-12.
Juan Pablo Montoya and No. 42 Target Team
Daytona History: Montoya has seven NSCS starts at Daytona International Speedway. His best overall performance at DIS came earlier this year in the Daytona 500 when he started eighth and took the checkered flag in 10th position. Montoya also started 13th and finished ninth in this event last year.
New Hampshire Recap: Juan Pablo Montoya placed the No. 42 Target Chevrolet on the front row for the start of the Lenox Industrial Tools 301, led 36 laps and was on his way to a top-five finish when disaster struck in the closing laps. Damage to the front splitter on a restart and then a collision with the No. 83 would end the day for Montoya on lap 280. The Target team would settle for a 34th-place finish.
Special Guests: Juan Pablo Montoya in conjunction with Formula Smiles and Colombia is Passion Foundation held a helmet design contest for Colombian children to win an opportunity to be personal guests of Montoya this weekend at Daytona. The theme of the contest was diversity of Colombia which produced almost a thousand different designs. Sebastián Ramirez, from Soacha won in the 10 to 13 years class, and Maria Paula Valera, from Bogota won in the 14 to 17 years category. Both will accompany Montoya to the Coke Zero 400 this weekend where Montoya will showcase the newly designed helmet.
2010 Mid-Season Review: Since the 2010 season opener at DIS Montoya has accumulated four top-five and eight top-10 finishes. He has an average start of 12.8, average finish of 20.0 and has led 208 laps. Montoya has a driver rating of 89 placing him tenth among drivers, only one position behind 2010 NSCS points leader Kevin Harvick. Montoya is also in the top-10 among drivers fastest early in a run, fastest late in a run, fastest laps run, fastest drivers on restarts, green flag speed, average running position, laps in the top-15, mile leaders and laps led. The No. 42 Target Chevrolet currently sits 22nd in the 2010 NSCS points and 183 points out of 12th- the cutoff to the Chase.
Home Track: Florida is the home state of Crew Chief Brian Pattie and Spotter Tab Boyd. Brian Pattie hails from Zephyrhills and got his racing start working with David Reutimann on DIRT modified and Late Model circuits in central Florida. Tab Boyd is a native of Pensacola and grew up racing on local Florida short tracks with his family. When he is not in the spotters stand Boyd works in the Fabrication department at Earnhardt Ganassi Racing.
Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Fast Fact: Following Juan Pablo Montoya’s Coors Pole award last weekend at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway Earnhardt Ganassi Racing is now tied with only one other organization, Joe Gibbs Racing, for the most Coors Pole awards in 2010. Jamie McMurray has accumulated two Coors Pole awards earlier in the season at Fontana and Darlington to give Earnhardt Ganassi Racing a total of three Coors Pole awards this season.
CHASSIS INFO
No. 1 Bass Pro Shops / Tracker Boats Chevrolet (NSCS): Chassis #1002. Chassis #1002 will make its debut this weekend at Daytona International Speedway. The chassis served as the backup at the Daytona 500 in February.
No. 42 Target Chevrolet (NSCS): Chassis #1010. The Target team will bring Chassis #1010 to Daytona International Speedway this weekend. This is a brand new chassis.
- Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, Press Release
