With the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season less than a month away from commencing, a familiar name will be returning to the starting grid for this year’s 63rd annual running of the Daytona 500. That name is Jamie McMurray after it was announced that the 44-year-old native from Joplin, Missouri, will be piloting the No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE from Spire Motorsports sponsored by AdventHealth.
McMurray, who serves as a NASCAR analyst on FOX, made his 583rd and recent NASCAR Cup Series start to date in the 2019 Daytona 500, where he finished 22nd. His final full-time season in the Cup circuit was in 2018 with Chip Ganassi Racing. Through 2019, McMurray has made 17 career starts in the 500. He is also a former Daytona 500 champion, having won NASCAR’s prestigious event in 2010 with CGR.
With a charter, McMurray and his Spire Motorsports entry will be guaranteed a spot in the 2021 Daytona 500, which will mark McMurray’s 18th start in the event and his 584th start in the Cup Series.
“It doesn’t get any better than the Daytona 500, and I am so excited to have the opportunity, thanks to AdventHealth, to run this race one more time,” McMurray said. “I have enjoyed my time out of the car as an analyst covering NASCAR, but nothing can replace the feeling of actually racing. And it’s great to be partnering with a company like AdventHealth for this race. We share a lot of the same goals about health and fitness, and I’m looking forward to using this opportunity to talk to race fans about the importance of staying healthy and feeling whole.”
Along with his 2010 Daytona 500 victory, McMurray comes into the 2021 Daytona 500 with a bevy of success and experience towards NASCAR competition and superspeedway racing. He won at Daytona International Speedway in July 2007 while driving for Roush Fenway Racing and at Talladega Superspeedway twice (2009 and 2013). He is also a former winner of the Brickyard 400 and the All-Star Race, and he is the 2003 Cup Rookie of the Year.
Through 583 previous starts in the Cup Series, McMurray has won seven Cup career races while also achieving 11 poles, 63 top-five results, 168 top-10 results and three Playoff appearances, with a best points result of 11th place in 2004.
With McMurray’s entrance, Spire Motorsports has two cars set to compete in the 500, with Corey LaJoie signed on to drive the No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE.
The 2021 Daytona 500 is set to occur on Sunday, February 14, at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX.
