Jul 24, 2005 5 min read

LONG POND, Pa. (AP) – Jamie McMurray has the pole for Pocono and a job for next year. He’s only really happy about winning the top starting spot.

McMurray turned a lap of 168.761 mph in his No. 42 Dodge Saturday for his second career pole and first since the final race of the 2003 season. While McMurray celebrated the top spot in today’s Pennsylvania 500, he’s unhappy that Chip Ganassi Racing has picked up the option on next year’s contract.

McMurray will leave Ganassi after his contract expires to drive the No. 6 car for Roush Racing in 2007, but hoped he could make the jump after this season. McMurray did not talk about some of the specifics that will keep him with Ganassi for another year, but pledged his full commitment to the team.

“When you race a car, everytime you get in it … I don’t think anyone wants to drive all 500 miles and not give all you can,” he said.

McMurray spoke with his crew last week at New Hampshire and fully explained the situation to a team that heard about the driver’s jump to Roush Racing through the Internet.

“That’s tough, but you get in a situation where you can’t talk,” he said. “You try to do the right thing and it always ends up making someone mad. They’re not going to give up on me. I told them I’m going to give a 100 percent.

“I think everyone just understands the deal.”

The deal is this: the 29-year-old McMurray is effectively a lame duck for the 2006 season.

With McMurray sticking with Ganassi, there’s a strong possibility that Mark Martin will extend his farewell tour, delay retirement and race another year for Roush. Martin was hopeful he could move to the Craftsman Truck series next year.

When asked if this was his last Cup start at Pocono, Martin only smiled.

“I wish I knew,” he said before hopping off the podium.

Kurt Busch starts second in his Ford today, turning a lap of 168.533 and Martin was third in the No. 6 Ford at 168.383.

Ryan Newman joined Martin on Row 2 and Ricky Rudd, Tony Stewart and Greg Biffle round out the top five. Points leader Jimmie Johnson is ninth.

McMurray, whose best start this season was fourth and has two second-place finishes, needs a strong showing Sunday to make a move in the Chase for the Championship.

He fell 16 points short of qualifying for the playoff system last year and would miss the cut this year – he’s 439 points behind Johnson and in 11th place. McMurray has to be in the top 10 or within 400 points of the lead after 26 races.

McMurray was a relative unknown when Ganassi picked him out of the Busch Series to drive for him in 2003. He has long been a rumored candidate for several top rides, but Ganassi has held him to the contract he signed in 2002. When his name was mentioned for other jobs last season, Ganassi picked up the option for this season.

“There’s nothing more I want to do then prove all of you wrong who said that we were going to fall apart when that was announced,” McMurray said. “That just kind of drives me and it’s driving my team right now.”

TIRED OUT: There seems to be a split opinion on the cause of all the tire woes at the Pocono race last month that put Goodyear officials on the defensive. Dale Earnhardt Jr. was among the drivers victimized throughout the race by blown or cut tires.

“Goodyear has told us what they thought the problem was and to just try and shy away from it,” said Todd Parrott, crew chief for Robert Yates Racing.

Most of the flat tires were on the left side, perhaps indicating some overaggressiveness.

Goodyear brought the same tires from the first race, but NASCAR tried another approach, fixing the curb inside Turn 2 that seemed to give some drivers and their tires fits.

“I wish they would have fixed the race track at the same time they fixed the curb,” Jeff Gordon said. “There are some things in the race track, some really big bumps and roughness, that would have been nice to have gotten through that area a little better.”

Tony Stewart appreciated the effort that went into trying to change the surface, but complained it was too bumpy.

In the minority was Jamie McMurray, who walked the track Friday night and seemed pleased with its performance after qualifying.

“I think it looks great. They did a wonderful job,” he said.

FIGHTING WORDS: Jamie McMurray was still angry that he was spun into the wall from behind by Matt Kenseth last week at New Hampshire. McMurray said he still wants to talk to Kenseth about the incident, but there said there would be no retribution at the Pennsylvania 500.

“You don’t want to wreck somebody to get back at him,” McMurray said. “I just wanted to find him after the race so I could punch him, to be honest with you. I was so mad. I thought I just wanted to hit him and that would make me feel better.”

PIT STOPS: Jimmie Johnson had a strong showing in his backup car after crashing during Friday’s practice. “If I could do it again, I’d find some more speed, but I’m really, really happy with the car,” he said … Bobbie Gerhart turned a lap in 159.388 subbing for Carl Edwards, who was racing in a Busch race. Edwards will start 42nd. … Michael Waltrip won the pole at Pocono last month, but starts 24th on Sunday. … Morgan Shephard, Hermie Sadler, Carl Long and Derrike Cope failed to qualify. … There have been 18 different pole winners in the last 19 Pocono races. … Gentleman, start your meatballs: Mario Batali of “Iron Chef America” fame is the honorary starter. … Where are we? The cover of the media guide for the race lists the track as Pocomo Raceway.