Rookie surprise winner

CONCORD, N.C. -- Jamie McMurray, driving in only his second Winston Cup race, shocked the NASCAR world Sunday with a victory in the UAW-GM 500.

McMurray, scheduled to move up from the Busch Series in 2003, was pressed into service early by team owners Chip Ganassi and Felix Sabates when veteran Sterling Marlin, who led the points much of the season, was knocked out for the final seven races of the season by a fractured vertebra.

The 26-year-old McMurray has never won a Busch race and drove to a 26th-place finish in his Cup debut a week earlier in Talladega, Ala. On Sunday at Lowe's Motor Speedway, he was strong from start to finish.

After taking the lead for the final time on lap 304 of the 334-lap event, McMurray appeared on the way to an easy win. A slight bobble in the fourth turn four laps from the end allowed 2000 series champion Bobby Labonte to cut most of the lead.

The inexperienced McMurray was up to the job, though, holding off Labonte and actually pulling away on the final lap to win by 0.35 seconds -- about five car-lengths.

"I don't believe it," McMurray said in a frantic victory circle. "This was a really hard situation with Sterling being hurt, but what an opportunity."

Series leader Tony Stewart, Labonte's teammate, finished third and padded his points lead.

Jeff Gordon, struggling to remain in the points chase, finished fourth, followed by Rusty Wallace, rookie Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Burton and rookie Ryan Newman. All but Burton are part of the closest points race in NASCAR history.

Formula One: Michael Schumacher won his third consecutive Japanese Grand Prix, capping the Formula One year with his 11th victory of the season.

The five-time world champion led a 1-2 finish for Ferrari, with Rubens Barrichello the runner-up. Schumacher finished among the top three in every race this year and was assured the points title three months ago with six races remaining.

The German started from pole position and covered 53 laps of the 3.6-mile Suzuka circuit in 1 hour, 26 minutes, 69.91 seconds.

Barrichello was a half second behind.

--From wire reports