Rookie McMurray's win shocks NASCAR

CONCORD, N.C. - Jamie McMurray, driving in only his second Winston Cup race, shocked the NASCAR world Sunday with a victory in the UAW-GM 500. <br> <br> McMurray, scheduled to move up from the Busch Series in 2003, was pressed into service early by team owners Chip Ganassi and Felix Sabates when veteran Sterling Marlin, who led the points much of the season, was knocked out for the final seven races of the season by a fractured vertebra. <br> <br> The 26-year-old McMurray has never won a Busch race and drove to a 26th-place finish in his Cup debut a week earlier in Talladega, Ala. On Sunday at Lowe&#39;s Motor Speedway, he was strong from start to finish. <br> <br> After taking the lead for the final time on lap 304 of the 334-lap event, McMurray appeared on the way to an easy win. A slight bobble in the fourth turn four laps from the end allowed 2000 series champion Bobby Labonte to cut most of the lead. <br> <br> The inexperienced McMurray was up to the job, though, holding off Labonte and actually pulling away on the final lap to win by 0.35 seconds - about five car-lengths. <br> <br> ``I don&#39;t believe it,&#39;&#39; McMurray said in a frantic victory circle. ``This was a really hard situation with Sterling being hurt, but what an opportunity.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Series leader Tony Stewart, Labonte&#39;s teammate, finished third and padded his points lead. <br> <br> The race ended under the lights after rain delayed the start by three hours.

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