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McMurray upset winner at Sprint All-star

McMurray
Associated Press
McMurray

Jamie McMurray started his day at home with his young son, who vowed to spend the day playing in his sandbox.

Then Carter McMurray asked his dad what he had planned for Saturday.

“I’m going to race for a million bucks,’ ” McMurray told him.

Race for it? Sure. Win it? With his Las Vegas odds at 40-1, McMurray was one of the biggest long shots Saturday night in the Sprint All-Star race at Charlotte (North Carolina) Motor Speedway.

But he pulled off a masterful upset, staging a tense battle with Carl Edwards to grab the $1 million prize with his first All-Star victory. McMurray, who led a race-high 31 laps, had never before led a lap in the All-Star race, and his previous best finish in seven appearances in the exhibition was eighth.

Busch can’t crack top 9

Kurt Busch’s run at driving 1,100 miles over two races in one day won’t start from the Indy 500 pole.

Busch narrowly missed a chance to compete for the pole when he posted the 10th-fastest qualifying time at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The top nine spots are eligible for the pole.

Busch made two attempts at Indianapolis to crack the top nine. He briefly posted one of the fastest speeds on his second run and had a grip on contention for a front row spot in the No. 26 Suretone Honda for Andretti Autosport. Not for long. He lost his spot and was on his way to North Carolina to race in NASCAR’s All-Star race.

Blaney wins Iowa pole

Ryan Blaney will start from the pole in today’s NASCAR Nationwide race at Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa, after winning qualifying Saturday.

Sam Hornish Jr. will join Blaney on the front row, followed by Michael McDowell, Regan Smith and Dylan Kwasniewski.

Faint praise for Sir Charles

NASCAR’s most popular driver has certified that Charles Barkley is “not turrible” behind the wheel.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. squared off against the Hall of Fame basketball player in a head-to-head race that will be aired on NASCAR on TNT’s Summer Series before the June 8 race at Pocono. Earnhardt was pleased with the meeting but wouldn’t reveal details of Friday’s race.