Jamie McMurray Diary: Part of being a rookie

I wish I had more to say after finishing my first Daytona 500, but there's not a whole lot to talk about. We struggled with the car for most of the race and could not overcome a tight condition. We finished 31st, which is not at all where I thought we would end up when the race started.

	Jamie McMurray

If we had been able to go back to green, I believe we could have advanced our position and scored a top-20 finish. But considering we were able to survive all the wrecks that were happening around us, I guess we're lucky to be able to bring the car home in one piece.

Ryan Newman's incredible crash happened right in front of me and, for a brief moment, I thought his car was going to crash straight into my windshield. But I was able to make it through OK. A couple more incidents on the track happened right around me, and luckily I was able to get by.

I guess finishing where we did is also part of being a rookie. I couldn't get anyone to work with me in the draft, and every time I stepped out to make a move, I would get hung out.

However, we'll take the finish and get ready to take the Havoline Dodge to Rockingham this weekend. We tested there a few weeks back and had a very good run, so I'm looking forward to getting to "The Rock."

But before I go, let me answer some of your questions.

Who would you say were your biggest influences in racing?

-- Jeff Gronniger, Goddard, Kan.

Jeff, thanks for the question. I can't really say that I had a mentor or driver that I looked up to in NASCAR. I do remember following Jeff Gordon when he first broke into NASCAR. Other than that, I would say Midwestern late-model driver Larry Phillips was probably my biggest influence. In my opinion, Larry is one of the best drivers out there.

Have you been surprised by the power difference between the Busch and Cup cars?

-- Adam Karlheim, Flinton, Pa.

Yeah, there is a difference in horsepower between the Busch and Cup cars. The biggest difference has been on the track, though. The guys on the Cup side seem to drive a little more aggressively than the Busch guys. But overall, getting to run both cars is going to help out. There might be some things that we learn on Saturday in the Busch car that will help us in the Cup car on Sunday.

How do you like the No. 42 and the new Havoline paint job?

-- Jason Rickard, Dallas

I think the new design we have on the Havoline car looks great and is a good way to kick off a new team. Obviously, the No. 28 has been around a long time, and of course, it would have been nice to be able to keep it, but I'm really excited about the new look on the car. Havoline has started a new relationship with Chip Ganassi Racing and with a rookie driver like myself, so I think it's good to debut with a new number and car design in an effort to kick off a "New Team, New Look and New Attitude".

Jamie McMurray drives the No. 42 Texaco Havoline Dodge for Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates. His diary will appear weekly on CNNSI.com.

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