David Murray, JR
209 West Hall - Oberlin, KS  67749
785-475-2052 ~ 785-475-4463

Total all time Feature Wins - 388
Wife - Nikki ~ Children - Sarah, Cindy, & Demi
Years Racing - 21
All Time Record Holder in IMCA Modifieds with 329 "A" Feature Wins

 

 

Murray heads full house roster of champions at
Super National XXII

Boone, Iowa, September 11, 2004 - David Murray Jr. headed a full house list of champions at the Sept. 6-11 IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals.

Murray outran Kelly Shryock and Mark Noble in the race to the checkered flag Saturday night at Boone Speedway, winning his first Super Nationals Modified title and bringing the curtain down on the record-setting 22nd annual event.  Murray had also led the way to the checkers in Friday's All-Star Invitational.

Murray moved to the front on the 23rd of 40 laps in the caution-filled Modified main, keeping nine-time qualifier Shryock and three-time champion Noble at bay.

A record 771 cars competed in the five divisions, 46 more than the previous mark established in 2001. In addition to 364 Modifieds and 25 Sprint Cars, this year's numbers included new division records with 180 Stock Cars, 153 Hobby Stocks and 49 Late Models.

Photo by John Vass

 

Murray first in modern era to 300
Ultimate goal is topping Derr's IMCA best 328

     North Platte, NE, July 24, 2004 - David Murray Jr. is down to one item on his racing to-do list.

     Murray, from Oberlin, KS, won for the 300th time in his IMCA Sunoco Modified career Saturday night at Lincoln County Raceway.
 
     The wins leader in the sanctioning body's modern era, which dates from the introduction of the Modified divisions in 1979, now has his sights set on Ernie Derr's all-time IMCA mark of 328 victories.

     "We're happy to get to 300. It's a milestone for us, but my goal is to overtake Ernie's record," said Murray, a two-time and defending national champion. "Until I reach 329, we haven't seen the light at the end of the tunnel. That's my ultimate goal."

     Derr competed in what was then IMCA's stock car class, compiling that impressive win total from 1951 to 1971. The Keokuk, Iowa, driver also owns all-time career marks of 12 national crowns and seven consecutive titles.

     Murray's victory at North Platte was his 26th of the season and 25th in 35 Dirt Works Central Region Starts.

     After a January win in the Canyon Raceway Winter Series, he set the tone for his 2004 weekly campaign with five straight checkers. Following a rare bout of mechanical problems, Murray has roared back with 19 wins, including nine of his last 10 races, in little more than two months.

     "We had motor problems there for a while but everything's been clicking since then," said Murray, a visitor to victory lane at eight different tracks this year. "We've had a couple weekends off and that's been good, too. I think sometimes you can get caught up in what's happening on the track or with the car, so taking a night or two off can be good."

     A regular in the class since 1991, Murray won a career-high 35 times in 1997. He earned his first national championship with 33 wins in 2001, and his second last season with 34.

     While in position to contend for a third crown, he's decided not to chase points races around the region in such a pursuit.

     "I'm just going to race like I have been, close to home two or three nights a week," Murray said. "If the national championship happens, it happens. We're not going to chase it racing four or five nights a week. That just costs too much. We've got enough nights to race now."

Photo by Speed Sports Racing Photography

 

Modified Crown Wraps up Murray's All-Star Season

Oberlin, KS - About the only thing David Murray Jr. didn't accomplish this season was finding a lasting peace in the Middle East.

Along with his third national IMCA Sunoco Modified championship and sixth regional crown, Murray won a single-season record 41 features, including his career 300th, and topped the year off with victories in both the All-Star Invitational and the Super Nationals main event.

"Boy, we had a great year. Winning the All-Star race and Super Nationals was just icing on the cake," the Oberlin, KS driver said. "There wasn't much we wanted to accomplish this year that we didn't."

Along with a win in the Canyon Raceway Winter Series in Arizona, Murray racked up 40 checkers in 62 starts to top the Dirt Works Central Region standings. He was also track champion at Culbertson Speedway and Dawson County Raceway.

"The car was good, the crew was good and we didn't have many nights when things didn't go the way they should." he said. "There wasn't a lot of stress. When you get serious and the points are close, you get edgy. You think 'I didn't win tonight, I wonder if he did?' We really didn't worry about points. Everything just fell into place."

2004 was the seventh season Murray scored the maximum possible 1,200 points. Title-deciding tiebreakers went the other way in 1995, 1996, 1997 and 2000, but Murray prevailed in 2001, 2003 and again this year.

"The first national championship seemed past due and may have been the most gratifying." he said. "But the competition gets better every year and it was pretty exciting to win it again this year. A couple things that are in our favor are experience and knowing what not to let bother us."

The Modified career wins leader with 315 checkers, he'll continue his pursuit of Ernie Derr's all-time IMCA mark of 328 victories next season.

Murray is the thied Modified driver to win the Super Nationals main event and the national title the same year. Mike Schulte of Norway accomplished the feat in 1983 and Ron Pope, then of Spencer, doubled up in 1993.

 

 

All-Time wins leader shines brightest in All-Star race

Boone, Iowa, Sept. 10, 2004 - The all-time IMCA Sunoco Modified feature wins leader shined the brightest in Friday's All-Star Invitational.

David Murray Jr. of Oberlin, KS, took over the front spot on lap five, battled three-wide with Rick Stout and Rex Merritt, and then pulled ahead to win the 10-car, 10-lap event during Friday's IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals program.

Stout, of Stanton, Mich., let the first four circuits and finished second. Merritt, of Billings, MO., and Kevin Larkins of Greenwood, Ner., completed the top four.

"I ran with the best of the best. This is phenomenal," said Murray, who won his 300th career feature this season. "Stout and Merritt gave me a good run. It was a good race and I was glad to win it."

Stout grabbed the lead from outside row on before pole starter Bill Davis Sr. of Des Moines and Mark Noble of Blooming Prairie, Minn., exited after a lap two caution.

Piloting a car built over the weekend after his previous ride was beaten up in a Friday night collision, Murray passed Merritt for second and Stout for first on the fifth lap. The front three separated themselves from the rest of the field, with both Stout and Merritt staying close but not catching up.

The victory paid $1,000, plus another $600 in lap money. Stout got $900, plus $400 lap money, and Merritt pocketed $800. Each following place paid $100 less.

Voting by race fans was conducted throughout the summer to elect the feature field of 10 from a list of drivers who had won national or Super Nationals championships, 100 or more weekly features, 10 or more local track championships or the Dirt Works Ron Efkamp Memorial Race of Champions.

The All-Star Invitational was held in observance of the 25th anniversary season of IMCA's Modified division.