Kurt Busch and Jamie McMurray
Penske Racing and Roush Fenway Racing Drivers
As the 2005 season commenced, neither Kurt Busch nor Jamie McMurray had reached the end of their contracts, so very few factored them into silly season. McMurray was a rising star with a second-tier organization; however, he was the team’s top driver and was, for the most part, competitive. Busch was fresh off his championship run in 2004, was a perennial winner, and had been ever since 2002.
However, two of NASCAR’s legends, Rusty Wallace and Mark Martin, had planned to retire following the 2005 season, leaving two very alluring rides that needed filling. Jack Roush targeted several drivers at the end of their contracts, most notably Ryan Newman and Martin Truex Jr, but both drivers re-signed with their current teams. The replacement for Martin became a hot topic in the summer of 2005, but in July, a surprising revelation; Jamie McMurray was signed to replace Martin despite the fact that his contract ended following the 2006 season.
Chip Ganassi and Felix Sabates, after giving McMurray his first opportunity in the Cup level, were incensed, and initially refused to allow McMurray out of the contract. Many critics scrutinized Roush for negotiating with a driver still under contract. A month later, Roush was on the opposite end of a contract clash. Busch revealed his intentions to leave Roush Fenway Racing for Penske Racing to replace Rusty Wallace. Like Ganassi, Roush was furious. He refused to allow Busch out of his contract.
Eventually, everything worked out and Busch and McMurray received permission to move on. Because of Busch’s departure, Roush convinced Martin to drive one more year, and McMurray replaced Busch in the 97, now 26.
Well, since the infamous driver exchange, neither Busch nor McMurray have improved their careers. In fact, both drivers have regressed. In 2006, Busch won at Bristol in only his fifth start with the team. That was the lone bright spot as he finished 16th in the final standings, his worst season since his rookie season in 2001. In 2007, Busch won two races and qualified for the Chase for the Championship, and seemed to be back on his way to emerging as a championship threat. After thirteen races in 2008, Busch only has one top five finish, and is currently 21st in the standings.
McMurray has faired far worse. His first season with Roush Fenway Racing resulted in only seven top ten finishes and 26th in the standings. He slightly improved in 2007, as he won his first race in five years at Daytona last July, but he faded to seventeenth in the final standings. In 2008, he nearly hit rock bottom as he fell out of the top 35 in the driver and owner’s standings after Bristol, but he has climbed up to 22nd after thirteen races.
For Busch, the issue is the equipment provided by Roger Penske. In the time that Busch has driven for Penske, Newman has only one victory, and has finished no higher than 13th in the standings. Like Busch, Newman is one of the more talented drivers in the garage, so the equipment does not seem to match the talent. Even in Wallace’s final years, he struggled in Penske equipment.
On the other hand, McMurray drives for an organization that consistently provides superior equipment. Year after year, Roush Fenway Racing is one of NASCAR’s top three organizations. Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards have been title contenders, and Greg Biffle has yet to encounter a winless season since joining the Sprint Cup series in 2003. Before Martin retired, he was a fixture in the Chase for the Championship. Newcomer David Ragan struggled in his rookie season, but even he has shown more advancement than McMurray.
McMurray’s issue seems to be confidence. Perhaps he presumed that by joining Roush, the equipment would take care of everything, and he would be an instant championship contender. When that did not transpire in 2006, he lost his confidence, and he has yet to recover. He is solid on tracks that require pure skill, such as Martinsville, Infineon, Watkins Glen, and Bristol, so talent is not the problem. Confidence and communication are the likely culprits in McMurray’s dilemma.
For Busch, there is no telling how many more races and possibly championships he would have won if he would have avoided the Penske temptation. He had reached elite status with Roush Fenway Racing, winning fourteen races in four years. His stock has dropped considerably with Penske Racing while his kid brother, Kyle, has not only taken Kurt’s place as NASCAR’s villain, but also the family’s top driver. Unless Penske Racing improves, it is unlikely that Busch will remain the driver of the blue deuce when his current contract expires.
For McMurray, his career was on the right track while driving for Ganassi instead of Roush, as absurd as that sounds. It is plausible that he is the odd-man out at Roush Fenway Racing, and may be searching for a new ride as early as 2009. His stock has dropped as well, and it is doubtful that another top tier organization will take their chances on him. He may land a ride at DEI, or perhaps return to Chip Ganassi Racing. The logical scenario has him going to Yates Racing, who is under the Roush Fenway Racing umbrella.
Even if they never admit it, Busch and McMurray can only look back at 2002 to 2005 as their best days in NASCAR, not 2006 to 2008. Could this be a case of silly season remorse?
