NASCAR rides sponsored by universities or colleges are not a rarity, and with Liberty University sponsoring William Byron for a decade, it isn’t uncommon to see an institution of higher learning’s logo in Victory Lane. A year before Liberty first sponsored Byron at the 2014 All American 400 Pro Late Model race, shouts of War Eagle could presumably be heard at the conclusion of the Oct. 20, 2013, Camping World RV Sales 500 at Talladega. Jamie McMurray piloted his Auburn University/Cessna-sponsored Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet to victory. As such, it’s a rare one-hit wonder — a scheme that only ran once and won in that sole appearance.  

McMurray’s win was made more notable as it ended an extensive winless streak for the Missourian and proved to be his final Cup Series victory.  

McMurray entered the 2013 season riding a two-year struggle. McMurray replaced Martin Truex Jr. at Earnhardt Ganassi Racing for the 2010 campaign and recorded a stellar return to the Ganassi ranks. He won the Daytona 500, Brickyard 400 and fall Charlotte race while racking up nine top-fives that season. That likely helped spur EGR to sign McMurray to a multi-year extension after the 2010 campaign.  

But EGR’s fortunes, and those of McMurray, unraveled in 2011 and 2012. McMurray earned just seven top-10s combined during the two-season stretch.   

The 2013 season got off to an inauspicious start with McMurray placing 32^nd in the Daytona 500, but the No. 1 team notched three top-10s in the first eight races to begin righting the ship. McMurray placed second at Kentucky and seventh at Daytona in the midseason, but as NASCAR returned to Talladega in the fall, McMurray’s winless streak had risen to 108 races. But with Auburn’s interlocked, orange and blue “AU” adorning the hood and lower rear quarter panel of the No. 1 car — a result of Cessna, a main sponsor of the team, being a business partner of the University — McMurray’s ended his absence from Victory Lane.  

McMurray qualified ninth (based on practice speeds as qualifying was rained out) and spent much of the day near the front of the field in a relatively wreck-less Talladega affair. McMurray took over the lead with 14 laps to go as the field raced three-wide. With 11 laps remaining, the frontrunners began to run single file with McMurray at the point and Dale Earnhardt Jr. behind. The single-lane racing stretched throughout the field as the white flag flew, and all waited with bated breath for the first car to pull out of line and gun for the win. Coming off turn two, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., running in fourth, looked low against Austin Dillon. The move seemingly upset Dillon’s downforce, or it was perhaps his potential steering adjustment to block, sending him sideways. Dillon’s No. 14 slid back up the track and was slammed by Casey Mears, sending Dillon’s Chevrolet airborne and twirling. As the crash unfolded, Earnhardt Jr. had yet to make a move on McMurray who retained the lead as the caution flag flew ending the race.  

It would be his only win that season, but he ended the year with nine top-10s and placed 15th in the overall points standings.  

McMurray won the 2014 All-Star Race, but his win in the Auburn/Cessna No. 1 was the final points-paying win of his career. McMurray, who continued to drive for Ganassi until he retired from full-time competition in 2018, earned three consecutive playoff berths from 2015-17.  

McMurray’s 2013 Auburn/Cessna ride is certainly among the driver’s more sought-after diecasts. Action/Lionel only produced a Raced Win version in 1/24 scale. According to Diecast Registry, 616 units were produced alongside 96 separate autographed examples.