In September, the news that Chip Ganassi Racing hired NASCAR Grand National driver Jamie McMurray to join its Winston Cup organization in 2003 raised eyebrows.

It was shocking not because it was considered a coup, but because McMurray was a relative unknown who had yet to earn a victory in any of NASCAR’s top series.

Now, that reasoning appears silly.

McMurray won a Winston Cup race in his second series start while substituting for the injured Sterling Marlin, and he’ll be looking for his third consecutive Grand National win in Saturday’s Bashas’ 200 at Phoenix International Raceway in Avondale, Ariz.

Barely recognized by face a month ago, he’s suddenly become the hottest driver in the sport. And with that celebrity comes new expectations.

The 26-year-old joins Grand National points leader Greg Biffle and former NASCAR Truck series champion Jack Sprague, among others, in next season’s Winston Cup rookie class.

Biffle, who is wrapping up his first series championship, would likely have been the preseason favorite to win the rookie of the year award.

Suddenly, however, the expectations for McMurray are just as high.

Jamie McMurray burns the rear tires of the No. 40 car after his victory in the 2002 UAW-GM Quality 500 on Oct. 13 at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C.

Already, McMurray’s Grand National competitors can see a difference in him.

“Look at Kevin Harvick, driving the No. 29 car (who won last season in his third Winston Cup start),” Biffle said. “It’s a matter of that team’s experience, putting him in that position.

“He’s driving a tremendous amount smarter than I’ve ever seen him. He’s thinking a lot more and he’s thinking about the race car.”

McMurray’s past two Grand National wins have come as a result of extraordinary circumstances.

At Atlanta, his team used a fuel mileage gamble to capture his first series win. Last weekend at Rockingham, McMurray was running third when leader Jeff Green and second place Michael Waltrip wrecked each other on the next-to-last lap, and McMurray inherited the victory.

Two-time Grand National champion Randy LaJoie says McMurray has been “really lucky,” but still credits his performance for putting him in position to take advantage.

Jamie McMurray's first Winston Cup win came in only his second start.

“If you don’t run in the top five you don’t get a chance to win these things,” he said.

“He’s got the old ‘golden horseshoe’ shoved up there pretty far right now. He better take it, because I had one for a couple years and I enjoyed the heck out of it.”

McMurray said he hasn’t done anything different in recent weeks. He credits the additional time he’s spent in a race car, noting the addition of his Winston Cup races and the testing he has done with the Ganassi team since Marlin’s injury.

“I know I’ve been in the race car at least six days a week for the last two or three weeks,” he said. “Either testing at the track, qualifying, practicing. That’s all helped me.

“Seems like if you win they make you work more. It’s very busy, but it’s a good busy. I mean I could be in a car six days a week and be miserable.”

McMurray doesn’t believe he will feel additional pressure next season.

“I don’t really know what to say about the past four weeks. It’s been incredible,” he said. “All we’re going to do next season is what I set out to do this season, which is to go out every week and give 100 percent.

“At the end of the day, if the driver and the team both say they have given 100 percent, then you’re going to have to be happy with that because there are so many things that can affect the outcome of a race.”