Jamie McMurray finished fifth Monday at Talladega. Credit: Autostock

Future beginning to brighten for McMurray

No. 26 team follows top-15 at PIR with top-five run at Talladega

TALLADEGA, Ala. -- After two races, it's "so far, so good" for Jamie McMurray and new crew chief Bob Osborne.

McMurray led four times for 18 laps and was out of the top 10 for only 44 laps, leading to a fifth-place finish in Monday's Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway.

Couple that with a 14th-place run at Phoenix a week ago -- and just like Monday's sunshine after Sunday's rain, things are looking brighter for McMurray after some early-season storm clouds.

Jimmie Johnson celebrates his second consecutive restrictor-plate victory. Credit: Autostock

Official Results Aaron's 499 Pos. Driver Make 1. J. Johnson Chevrolet 2. T. Stewart Chevrolet 3. B. Vickers Chevrolet 4. J. Burton Chevrolet 5. J. McMurray Ford • Complete results, click here • Driver standings, click here Victory LaneJimmie Johnson celebrates his first Talladega victory Final lapsSeveral drivers have a chance to win down the stretch Top finishersStewart and Vickers talk about thier near wins Multi-car wreckFourteen cars are collected in a Lap 9 wreck Sign up for TrackPass now BUY THE NEXTEL i836

"We had good pit stops today and a great race car," McMurray said. "Bob has been a pleasure to work with so far and hopefully we'll have some good things to come."

McMurray moved up three places in the series standings. He's now sitting 17th, 438 points behind leader and race-winner Jimmie Johnson.

"We're testing at Charlotte [on Tuesday] and that'll be Bob's and my first test," McMurray said. "I'm looking forward to that.

"We've got a new car we're going to take and test and really work on our intermediate program. That's obviously been a weak point for us, with the exception of Fontana."

McMurray spent the entire day in the lead draft, which allowed him to avoid nearly every incident. The exception?

"I ran over a tire or something with 50 or 60 laps to go, but I came in and the guys fixed it," he said. "They did a great job."

McMurray grabbed the lead for the final time with four laps remaining, but was unable to hold off the freight train that ganged up on his No. 26 Ford.

"They got such a big run," he said. "It's easy to get to the lead. It's just hard to keep it."

McMurray credited Jeff Gordon with helping him get to the front.

"[Gordon] shoved me out to the lead, but my car would take off so fast when I would break away," McMurray said. "I kept coming on the radio, saying that they were gonna get too big of a run.

"I was kind of making light of it because it's so tough when they shove you to the front to drag the brake or let off the gas a little bit. You want to win and that's a challenge."

McMurray has finished every race since crashing late in the Daytona 500. In fact, the car he wrecked in February was the one that propelled him to a top-five on Monday.

"This is the same car we had at Daytona," he said. "They went back and put a new body on it, so props to our [fabrication shop] and all the guys in our speedway program."