Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing tries to pick up where it left off

The prospects for 2009 weren't particularly high for Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing. The team was still finding its way after the DEI-Chip Ganaasi Racing merger a year ago and its two-car stable of Juan Pablo Montoya and Martin Truex Jr. hadn't exactly lit the world on fire the previous season.

But it turned out the 2009 campaign was a banner year for EGR and helped establish the team as one of the premier organizations in NASCAR.

Jamie McMurray will join EGR after a victory and five top-10 finishes with Roush Fenway in 2009. (Getty Images)

Heading the breakout year was the performance of Montoya, who in his third full year of his stock car career finally began to show the talent he exemplified during his successful open-wheel racing tenure.

Montoya and crew chief Brian Pattie executed a calculated plan during the regular season to get into the Chase and the popular Colombian driver played it to perfection in the 26-race warm-up to the playoffs.

"We knew what we needed to do in order to get into the Chase this year and that was our goal from the very beginning," Montoya said. "But we still had to go out and perform, you can't just write a number down on a piece of paper and say 'OK, we just need to come out of this race with these many points.' You have to do your job and this entire team did just that to give us a chance to run for the championship."

Montoya didn't just earn points in the first 26 events of the season, he was a legitimate contender for Victory Lane several times including at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway when he came within an eyelash of winning the Brickyard 400.

Montoya's Chevrolet was by far the class of the field and he had built a commanding lead on his way to what looked to be an historic day. A victory would have made Montoya the only driver to win both the Indianapolis 500 and the Brickyard 400.

However, it was not to be.

A pit road speeding penalty thwarted Montoya's march toward the record books and left him feeling as frustrated as he's ever been during his long career.

"I swear on my children and my wife that I was not speeding!" he shouted over his radio. "There is no way! Thank you NASCAR for screwing my day."

Montoya recovered from that disappointment to continue his drive into the Chase and once the playoff portion of the season began, he seemed to kick up the intensity level.

Montoya started the Chase schedule with four straight top-five finishes and was in the middle of the championship battle. He eventually cooled off as Jimmie Johnson set sail for a fourth straight title, leaving Montoya with an eighth-place finish.

He racked up seven top fives and 18 top 10s over the course of the season, which also included two poles.

His teammate Truex Jr. didn't come close to matching what Montoya accomplished in 2009. Although he won three poles, Truex Jr. could only muster one top five and six top-10 finishes in a season that turned out to be his last with EGR.

In midyear, Truex Jr. announced his plans to vacate the No. 1 ride to join Michael Waltrip Racing, where he'll drive the No. 56 NAPA Toyota in 2010.

Truex Jr. insisted the decision was no reflection on EGR but rather just an opportunity he saw to try something different at this stage of his career.

"I can't say enough about Teresa Earnhardt and Chip Ganassi and what they gave me during my time with EGR," Truex Jr. said. "My move into NASCAR in first the Busch [Nationwide] Series and eventually the Sprint Cup Series would not have happened without Teresa and Chip. It's a great team and I know they'll be successful despite my moving on."

Season preview

Replacing Truex Jr. in the No. 1 Chevy will be Jamie McMurray, who ended his tenure with Roush Fenway Racing at the end of 2009 when the team was forced to eliminate its No. 26 entry due to sponsorship issues.

McMurray, who won for Roush in the November Talladega visit, believes he's stepping into a proven winning team with EGR.

"I am really excited about this opportunity with Earnhardt Ganassi Racing as I think Juan Pablo and Martin have shown this season their equipment is as good as anyone's in the garage," McMurray said. "I am really looking forward to getting behind the wheel of their cars and once again competing for a NASCAR championship."

McMurray's challenge for that title may come from his teammate Montoya, who has set the expectation bar much higher after his stellar 2009 season.

Montoya wouldn't have it any other way.

"You know I didn't come here and sign with Chip thinking, 'I know it's not a very good team right now and I'm just happy to run 20th every week,'" he said. "Hell no, you know. It wouldn't happen."

With a year's experience of running for a title under their belts, Montoya and Patties should again be in the hunt for victories and a berth in the Chase. McMurray's effort will take time as he learns the nuances of working with a new team, but he should be able to improve on where Truex Jr. finished in the standings with the No. 1 car.

Overall there's a positive vibe at Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing these days, which is surprising, considering the many changes the organization has gone through.