In 1999, McMurray made five starts in the Craftsman Truck Series. In 2000, he ran 16 Truck races and posted one top-five and four top-ten finishes. During 2001 and 2002, he competed full-time in the Busch Series; driving the No. 27 Williams Travel Centers Chevrolet Monte Carlo for Brewco Motorsports. The latter year was better for McMurray, as he won two races and finished sixth in the overall points standings.\n', '

After his surprise win at Lowe\'s Motor Speedway in Charlotte in the 40 Winston Cup car, he won his first NASCAR Busch Series win at the Aaron\'s 312 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway in October by beating Joe Nemechek and Michael Waltrip on fuel mileage. McMurray only led 1 lap total and became the 100th different driver to win in the Grand National Series. He then won the next weekend at the Sam\'s Club 200 at North Carolina Motor Speedway by leading only the last two laps as leaders Jeff Green and Michael Waltrip wrecked each other on the last lap. McMurray finished the year 6th in final points, 772 points behind Champion Greg Biffle who would end up being his rookie rival in 2003.\n', '

McMurray\'s entry into Cup racing did not go as planned. McMurray was scheduled to drive a limited schedule in a No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Dodge in 2002, in preparation for a full-time 2003 rookie of the year campaign in the No. 42 with new sponsor Texaco/Havoline. However, he was instead tapped as interim replacement for injured Ganassi Cup driver Sterling Marlin, who fractured a vertebra in a crash at Kansas Speedway. Thus, McMurray made his Cup debut in the No. 40 Coors Light Dodge at Talladega. One week later, at Charlotte, in just his second career NASCAR Winston Cup and first non-restrictor plate start, McMurray outraced the Joe Gibbs Racing Pontiacs of Bobby Labonte and Tony Stewart to win the UAW-GM Quality 500. McMurray had been consistent the entire night, and led 96 of the final 100 laps to score the win. It is considered one of the biggest upsets in NASCAR history. This win set a modern era record for fewest starts before a win (which has since been tied only by Trevor Bayne in the 2011 Daytona 500), and it was also the first time a driver won in their first start at a 1.5-mile track. McMurray drove for six of the remaining seven races, except for the Old Dominion 500 at Martinsville, with Mike Bliss driving as scheduled in the No. 40.\n', '

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