Introducing The 2006 DeVine 9^1/2

Jamie McMurray

26

BORN ON:June 3, 1976

BORN AT: Joplin, MO

STAYS AT: Huntersvile, NC

THIS BIG: 5-8; 150 lbs.



2005 CUP RANKING: 12th

BEST 2005 FINISH: 2nd (1st Texas and 2nd Daytona)

TOTAL CUP POLES: 2

CAREER TOTAL CUP WINS: 1

BEST YEAR EVER: 11th in 2004

CAR OWNER: Jack Rouch

CREW CHIEF Jimmy Fenning

SPONSOR: Crown Royal; Sharpie; Irvin

CAR: Ford Fusion

How's it hanging?

With the mighty mighty Roush machine backing him, Jamie -- who looks so good in that Crown Royal purple! -- could be set for a terrific year in his new #26 car. Blessed with a gorgeous smile, adorable skater-dude accent and bright, sweet personality, Jamie is undoubtedly one of NASCAR's most irresistible attractions.


Jamie entered Cup racing at the "instant legend" level in October 2002 at Charlotte: As a substitute driver for injured teammate Sterling Marlin, Jamie got his first Cup victory in only his second Cup start. Right after that, we were there in person when he won his first Busch race at Atlanta. Ever since then, our motto has been GO JAMIE GO! Now that Jamie is backed by Roush power, we hope we'll see that sunny smile in Victory Lane again soon!

Carl Edwards

99

How's it hanging?

Last year was Carl's first full season in Cup, after running 13 races in 2004. When we made Carl one of the three guys we added to the DeVine 9 1/2 last year, we wrote, "We think he could really shake up Cup this season." But not even hardcore Carl-lovers dared to predict the incredible year he had, winning four races -- including BOTH at Atlanta, and we saw it all from the trailer-top (thanks Amy & AJ!). Carl's a cutie from nose to tail, and we LOVE that glacier-melting grin. We say the sky's the limit for Carl this year!

Kasey Kahne

9

How's it hanging?

Kasey got his first Cup victory, at Richmond, last year, during his second season. Kasey has shown he can stand on it -- six poles already -- and he is not afraid to slice it thin. Kasey's stunning courage in the car and his movie-star looks are a neat combination. One minute he's pounding it into the corner at 200 mph; the next, his long, pretty fingers are shaking as he tries to drink his Mountain Dew and talk about what just happened on the track.

This is Kasey's third year, and we'd love to see him relax more into his role as motorsports superstar. Get involved in some way fabulous intrigue, like when the police got called to that Panama City Beach condo where they found Jamie and Jr. romping naked with those chicks in the hot tub. People just love that stuff! Kasey, watch out for: Anybody who suggests you are too pretty and need to grow a beard, pierce your chin, wear those awful ear-stretchers, or any other such. They be jealous, honey, cuz you look so fine!

Jeff Gordon

24

How's it hanging?

Four-time Cup Champion Jeff Gordon is NASCAR's best-known current driver -- his multi-million-dollar divorce only added to his fame, and it seems to have freed him to enjoy his blessings as a rich, young hottie. The antipathy many fans harbor for Jeff -- in Atlanta, no one is booed louder -- is hard to understand, not to mention igg-nent, given his contributions to NASCAR's booming nationwide popularity.

We love Jeff's coolness -- his wicked smile -- his ability to get mad, get even, and get silly. We predicted a fifth Championship for Jeff in 2005, and that didn't happen in a big way. This year, we feel very safe predicting that Jeff won't have to settle for 11th, as he did last year.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.

8

How's it hanging?

Jr.'s 2005 was pitiful, and sometimes he didn't even seem to care. He won a race but there was all that drama about switching around the crew chiefs, and I think he was pissed at Miss Teresa the whole season for not sending Truex Jr. up to the Show to be his "little buddy."

The red-shirted armies of Jr. fans didn't get much to hoot about last year, but we've seen him wind up that wicked red Monte Carlo tight enough to know you can't hold Jr. back indefinitely. I'm predicting this will be a much better year for Jr. What's the appeal? To quote a line from 'The Simpsons,' 'All the guys want to be like him; all the women think they can change him'... Jr. comes across as both passionate and lazy, a sexy combination you have to be Southern to truly appreciate... Jr.'s private life seems to revolve around the 'Dirty Mo' Posse,' or more simply, 'my buddies' ... Whoa, dude...

Brian Vickers

25

How's it hanging?

Young Brian won the Busch Championship in 2003 and ran his first full Cup season in 2004. To say that Brian's season was action-packed understates the truth. Partway through that season, I changed Brian's last name to "Wreckers" in honor of his really entertaining style on the track.

Last year, Brian had it more under control, and we enjoyed his frequent visits as a commentator on The Speed Channel's Monday night Cup recap. Jeff Gordon needs to stop trying to help Jimmie Johnson and go all-in for Brian, his true "little buddy!"

Casey Mears

42

How's it hanging?

We added Casey to the team last year in part because we'd seen him run so strong at 2nd Atlanta in 2004. We were disappointed to see him get a "mental patient" haircut shortly after we put him on the team.

Casey's run last year was so-so and we had doubts about bringing him back this year but were very impressed with his win at the Rolex 24 at Daytona. Plus, we had to leave him on so Reed would have a "big buddy" during his freshman year. Besides, he's driving Jamie's former car which is gotta be a hot ride!

Michael Waltrip

55

How's it hanging?

Can you believe this guy? After being threatened and humiliated by Miss Teresa, Mikey got fired from DEI last year, then promptly sashayed right over to Bill Davis, taking his NAPA relationship with him. Mikey has run 642 races and only won four -- always at plate tracks. Yet Mikey has managed to keep himself one of the most visible NASCAR drivers, and he's frequently a player in the race.

We would LOVE to see Mikey win a spot on the stage at the Waldorf his first year post-DEI. What would Miss Teresa do? Mikey's rakish good looks and Byronic mane grab your attention, but what reels you in is that voice -- it's what we used to call "country queen." I crave for Mikey to do a cameo on some TV sitcom where he gets to play a receptionist and say, "Good morning, and thank you for choosing Charzanne Beauty College, how may I help you?"

Elliott Sadler

38

How's it hanging?

It would be way big-headed of Gaytona.com to think we helped, but there's no denying that Elliott's career took off like a rocket last year just as soon as we added him to the team. The very day after we put him on, Elliott won the second of the Gatorade 125s to take the outside pole in the Daytona 500 and declared, "this is the greatest day of my life!" He went on to score his second and third career Cup victories and placed in the Chase. Now that he knows his way to Victory Lane, we're hoping Elliott drives that candy car to a lot of delicious wins this year!

Ryan Newman

12

How's it hanging?

Ryan has been dubbed Flyin' Ryan (for a terrifying tumble in the 2003 Daytona 500) and Fryin' Ryan (for a scary fire at Dover later that same year), but the name he comes to is "Rocket Ryan" -- dude has had 35 Cup poles, and he won the most races (eight) in 2003. As everyone loves to point out,

Ryan holds an engineering degree from Purdue, and that helps him figure out what to do with a car going 200 mph. (Kids, stay in school!) Like Elliott Sadler, Ryan's got loads of big-guy sex appeal. He's also shows a lot of passion for what he does, but without seeming demon-possessed or hateful. Let's go again, Ryan!

Reed Sorenson

41

How's it hanging?

We're delighted to add Reed to our team of hotties. Reed is from Peachtree City, an unusual town down the road from Atlanta where many people travel to and fro on golf carts -- probably good early training for a future NASCAR driver! Reed made his Cup debut at Atlanta in the fall and only made it 133 laps (41st), but he ran much stronger in his second race, at Homestead, finishing 28th. This boy is a real Southern hot dog, and we think he'll show his stuff in his rookie year!

Besides, all us queens totally love Target and think it's doing a great job "making the useful beautiful," as Oscar Wilde asked us to do. OK Reed, we're counting on you, let's do it for Target!

Martin Truex Jr.

1

How's it hanging?

We first heard of Martin as Earnhardt Jr.'s protege, so we immediately imagined him as a beloved disciple among Jr.'s Dirty Mo Posse, that gang of Jr.-lovers who help him pass the time by soaking up all that complimentary Bud, petting the cats, battling on video games and occasionally heading down to the basement boxing ring for some late-night sparring. (Really, Baby E, you should stop that now. Think of your... you know, head-thingy, whadda ya call it, it's gray, you know what I'm talking about.)

Truex Jr. won back-to-back Busch championships before hitting the Cup full time. (We thought last year that Miss Teresa held him back a year just to be mean to Jr., but that's another story.) Anyway, Martin is an inside favorite to win Raybestos Rookie of the Year, and we're glad to welcome him to the DeVine 9 1/2. That bad-boy soul patch, together with those dark eyes and hair, make Martin a dreamboat. Guys need a "little buddy," and that's how we see Martin's relationship with Jr. The first night we heard Jr. talking about Martin on QVC's "For Race Fans Only," it seemed like Jr. 1 had really bonded with Jr. 2. It's so important to do what you can to help the young folks along. Watch for: an early-season dream finish in which the #1 and the #8 are battling door to door at the stripe.