HICKORY, N.C. – The November evening air may have been cold during the closing laps of Saturday’s Limited Late Model feature as part of the Fall Brawl at Hickory Motor Speedway, but 15-year-old Carter McMurray knew the heat was about to get turned up.
Four laps were going to decide which driver would end his season with a victory in one of the North Carolina track’s crown-jewel races. McMurray had the outside of the front row for the final restart; not an auspicious position, but one on which he could capitalize if he kept his composure.
McMurray held his line until Dexter Canipe III surged ahead of him coming to the white flag. Seeing an opportunity, McMurray pulled a crossover on Canipe in Turn 2, which gave him the preferred bottom lane.
The two young competitors pushed their cars to the limit with the checkered flag in sight. McMurray prevailed over Canipe in a photo finish for his third consecutive Limited Late Model victory at Hickory to close 2026 — arguably his most prestigious win in a full-bodied stock car to date.
“Originally it was about timing the restart and making sure I could stay side-by-side [with leader Spencer Bradshaw] and try to roll the top on him,” McMurray said. “[Canipe] moved him, and we were three-wide top off of [turn] two. I just knew that I had to drive it in there. Four laps to go, it’s all or nothing.
“Me and [Canipe] dueled it out the last three or so laps, side-by-side, crossover. It was super fun, super fun.”
What a win! 🏆
@CarterMcMurray1 wins the Limited Late Model feature at the Fall Brawl. https://t.co/zdfcZFgOst
– NASCAR Regional (@NASCARRegional) November 8, 2026
The four-lap sprint to the finish was only a part of McMurray’s adventurous first outing in the Fall Brawl. He qualified on the outside pole but faded to fourth so he could conserve his tires while simultaneously managing a car that was not to his liking.
Long runs favored McMurray as the 100-lap Limited Late Model feature progressed. After climbing back to second, he began chipping away at his deficit but saw his momentum get derailed twice by ill-timed cautions.
Every yellow meant fewer laps for McMurray to utilize. The odds may not have been in his favor with the Fall Brawl being decided on a short run, but he did not let the circumstances deter him.
Through resilience and determination, McMurray found his way to Hickory’s Victory Lane.
“I was definitely doubting myself with how tight we were,” he said. “I made some brake-bias adjustments, and it started to help; it started to cut. I just believed we were on the right side of it starting tight and that we would be there at the end. We were.
“It’s been surreal. With the way the race went, I’m so happy for my team and my guys. What a way to go into the offseason.”
As Carter parked his No. 40 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet on the frontstretch, he was met with an exuberant reaction from his MKM Racing Development crew. The victory was another high note on a successful 2026 for MKM at Hickory that saw the team clinch the Limited Late Model title with Paityn Mary Jane, the first female champion in the track’s long history.
One person missing from the post-race festivities was McMurray’s father in 2010 Daytona 500 winner Jamie McMurray — though that’s not to say he was not keeping an eye on what his son was doing Saturday.
While Jamie was calling the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series championship race at Homestead-Miami Speedway for The CW, he had the FloRacing broadcast of the Fall Brawl playing on his phone. Jamie was able to pay close attention only during commercial breaks, but he saw Carter had worked his way into contention.
Jamie was elated to see Carter pull off such a monumental victory. With an assist from fellow commentator Parker Kligerman, Jamie found a way to work the occasion into the broadcast while staying focused on the task at hand.
“During the broadcast, we were on Carson Kvapil’s car and went to his in-car camera, which was a Bass Pro Shops in-car camera,” Jamie said. “Parker [Kligerman] made a joke saying, ‘I think it’s a great night for Bass Pro Shops because Carter McMurray just won at Hickory in the Fall Brawl.’ We had a pretty good laugh after Carter had won on-air, so that was pretty fun.”
Seeing Carter win the Fall Brawl only reinforced Jamie’s amazement over his son’s progression. Just a few years ago, Carter was tackling his first go-karting events. Now he competes in full-bodied cars and Modifieds, having won in both.
That’s why Jamie finds this journey ironic in many ways, as he and his wife Christy originally tried to steer Carter away from racing.
Jamie knew a motorsports career for Carter would be a costly endeavor from both a financial and time perspective. If Carter wanted to become a racer, he would need to be committed to the idea and manage the sacrifices that come with it.
The catalyst that led to Carter’s commitment was his stumbling across photos of Kyle Larson and Clint Bowyer with their sons, Owen and Cash, respectively, at the go-kart track. Carter realized then that he wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps and asked if he could pursue racing as an interest.
Before long, Carter and Jamie were regulars at their local go-kart track. With his own driving career winding down, Jamie suddenly found himself as Carter’s mentor, guiding him through the challenges motorsports would inevitably bring.
Jamie now finds it hard to believe he was ever trepidatious about Carter becoming a racer. Every milestone Carter reaches only inspires Jamie to commit himself more to Carter’s racing ambitions, with the Fall Brawl triumph being another positive step forward in that trajectory.
What impressed Jamie the most about Carter’s performance in the Fall Brawl was the discipline. Carter stayed patient throughout the night and was not overly aggressive during the final sprint to the finish — qualities Jamie made sure to instill in him at a young age.
“The only time I ever really get mad or yell at (Carter) is when I feel like it’s a safety issue,” Jamie said. “That started all the way back in karting. I’ve tried so hard to make him be a respectful driver. I told him when we first started doing Modifieds that you’ll have to pay your dues a little bit here and give way more than you take. That will pay off in a few years for you.
“You don’t want to be known as the kid that comes in and is running people over. You have to gain the respect of everybody, and I think he’s done an awesome job of being able to manage that.”
Respect was essential for Carter when he began racing Modifieds on a regular basis in 2025. Facing drivers like Bowman Gray Stadium track champions Burt Myers and Brandon Ward, along with another Daytona 500 winner in Ryan Newman, provided Carter vital hands-on experience.
With Carter having found his cadence in Modifieds, he was ready to try full-bodied cars this season. Hickory was the perfect facility for Carter to acclimate to Limited Late Models. The fields were competitive, and the track’s abrasive surface encouraged him to conserve his equipment.
Carter’s results in five starts at Hickory with MKM were impressive. After finishing top five in his first two Hickory Limited Late Model appearances, he swept the twin features on Aug. 22. In the second race that night, he climbed from ninth to first in just 40 laps.
Carter is still trying to figure out every intricacy of the Limited Late Model but is thrilled with his early success in the car. Despite how different the Modified is from the Limited Late Model, Carter felt the laps logged in the former were crucial toward all three of his wins at Hickory in 2026.
“I almost feel like the transition from a Modified to a Late Model is very easy,” he said. “The Late Model is very similar even though it has a lot less power, which honestly makes it easier to drive. The transition hasn’t been bad because of the amount of time I’ve taken to move through everything. I think it’s been pretty good.”
More late model races are the plan for Carter in 2027 — not just at Hickory, but around the entire southeast. A new set of obstacles await him as he tackles new tracks, but there’s nothing ahead that Jamie doesn’t think his son can handle.
Watching Carter mature into a talented young prospect has been a tremendous source of pride for Jamie. The developmental ladder Jamie has Carter on requires him to take in copious information at a rapid pace, yet Carter is always eager to learn and embrace the next challenge.
As Carter gets older, Jamie knows there will be less information for him to pass down. He intends to cherish this chapter in his son’s life while also making sure Carter stays on the right path.
“Winning is what everybody wants to do, but when you’re in the position (Carter) is in his career, it’s all about learning,” Jamie said. “I’ve never really let him get comfortable in anything we’ve done. We’re going to continue to move up and keep challenging him. As a kid, you learn so fast, and your brain absorbs so much than when you get older.
“With that learning, if you can go out and win, that’s what it’s all about.”
The Fall Brawl victory was a culmination of everything Jamie has taught Carter, but seeing the No. 40 Bass Pro Shops car in Victory Lane evoked many proud memories Jamie had of his time in NASCAR.
Bass Pro Shops was one of Jamie’s sponsors during his time with Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, primarily in his early years with the team. Jamie and Bass Pro Shops won three races together in 2010, including the Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400. The duo also prevailed in the 2014 All-Star Race.
The No. 40 carries more significance for the McMurray family, as Jamie used it while filling in for an injured Sterling Marlin in 2002. In just his second Cup Series start, Jamie fended off Bobby Labonte at Charlotte Motor Speedway to pick up his first of seven Cup Series victories.
When Carter decided to start racing, he knew he wanted to use the No. 40 from Jamie’s maiden Cup Series triumph. That number has been on each of Carter’s cars since his go-karting days, and he intends to keep using it until it’s not an option.
Yet for as much of an inspiration as Jamie is to Carter, he still wants to build his own identity. Carter still has much to learn, but he feels confident in his ability to keep flourishing behind the wheel, especially with a Fall Brawl win now on his resumé.
“I’m just looking to prove my name and prove myself,” Carter said. “I know I have a very high rep just from my background and because of my dad. I’m just trying to improve the McMurray legacy and honestly be the best race-car driver I can be.”
The legacy of the McMurray family is defined by their ability to learn. Jamie needed just two attempts to win his first Cup Series race; Carter needed just three Limited Late Model starts at Hickory to find Victory Lane.
Every step Carter takes will get more difficult. Yet with a versatile background and an enthusiastic desire to learn, Carter is setting himself up to one day win in the Cup Series, just like his dad.