Can Jamie McMurray bring the goods to become NASCARs next big star?
A Daytona garage during January testing is like a preschool class that has just been rudely awakened in the middle of nap time. The sleepy-eyed whining nearly drowns out the boom of 50 engines. And why not be grumpy? The previous season ended less than two months before. Most crewmen spent the holidays with a cup of eggnog in one hand and a welding torch in the other. Still, this winter’s session seems particularly raw. Jeff Gordon has openly questioned the amount of preparation time expended on the Daytona 500, a race that now barely factors into the new postseason format. Tony Stewart has gone him one better; he’s just decided to stay away. Beyond the gripes and moans, though, there’s one stall at the far end of the garage that’s all business. The only sounds are numbers shouted between mechanics and wrenches hitting concrete. The Texaco/Havoline Dodge team isn’t complaining about the testing schedule or aero rules, or even the chill wind that has everyone donning parkas. They’re too
