Jamie McMurray, 2010 Daytona 500 Winner, To Drive To The State Capitol

Those who follow NASCAR know the Daytona 500 is not only the opening race of the season, but also ranks right up there with the Superbowl and the World Series.

The 2010 winner of the Daytona 500, Jamie McMurray, and the team and sponsor he drives for, have quite a Missouri connection.
McMurray is from Joplin, MO, and raced at area tracks before moving to NASCAR.

Car owner Felix Sabates of the Ganassi/Sabates ownership team lived in Columbia and worked at the University Hospital in the 1960s when he first emigrated from Cuba.

Bass Pro Shops, the car's sponsor, main store and headquarters are in Springfield.
Missouri is a well-known racing state producing Rusty, Kenny and Mike, the Wallace Brothers and Kenny Schrader from St. Louis area.

Local racing fans remember Mark Martin and Rusty Wallace racing with Larry Phillips in the Fairgrounds and other short tracks in SW MO.

Mark Martin worked for awhile at Phillip's shop on Commercial Street, pushing a broom in the shop. Mark and his dad, Julian, (deceased) and Bill Davis, former NASCAR Team Owner regularly traveled to Springfield to race at the fairgrounds. Mark and his crew usually had Saturday morning breakfast at the McDonalds on North Glenstone

Carl Edwards lives in Columbia and he and his wife may have their first child by the time of the event. Carl's step-dad, Jim Sterling was a publisher/ owner of Bolivar Herald Free-Press and racing journalist and major supporter of racing at the Bolivar Speedway for many years.

Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats, O'Reilly Automotive and Lucas Oil Products in Missouri are three major racing sponsors and industry promoters

Sadly, local racer Tony Roper from Fair Grove was killed in a NASCAR Truck event at Texas Motor Speedway

Mark Lightfoot a Springfield business owner owns a Sprint Car racing in the USAC K&N National Silver Crown Championship Series which ran last weekend in Tucson AZ

McMurray now stands at the top of the field having won the Superbowl of racing, the Daytona 500 and Missourians are all cheering for him and Carl Edwards to make the Race for the Chase to be the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion.

McMurray's visit to Jefferson City was made possible though the efforts of Joplin's state senator, Gary Nodler, whose office supplied the following information:

JEFFERSON CITY – Senator Gary Nodler, R-Joplin, plans to welcome NASCAR driver and Joplin native Jamie McMurray to the Capitol on Thursday, February 25. McMurray is the winner of the Daytona 500.

The car will arrive on the South Lawn of the Capitol at 9 a.m. (weather permitting). Senator Nodler will be joined by Governor Jay Nixon, Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder, President Pro Tem Charlie Shields, R-St. Joseph and House Speaker Ron Richard, R-Joplin, in welcoming McMurray to the Capitol.

Senator Nodler will also introduce McMurray on the Senate floor and present him with a Senate resolution to thank him for his hard work and congratulate him on his achievements in racing. McMurray will then proceed to the House of Representatives to be recognized by House Speaker Richard and the members of the House.

The plan is for McMurray to arrive at the Jeff City airport, get in his race car, and drive it down to the Capitol.

WOW! What a sight that will be!

Do you think he will do burn outs on the south lawn?