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ATLANTA - Michael McSwain, crew chief for Ricky Rudd and Robert Yates Racing, interviewed with Joe Gibbs Racing and could be in line to become Bobby Labonte's new crew chief.

Current crew chief Jimmy Makar will move into a management role with the team next season.

"I can't deny that he's one of the guys we talked to," Makar said. "There's five guys we've talked to, all qualified and all potentially good candidates."

Makar wouldn't identify the others he had interviewed. He said a couple of them, including McSwain, were under contract for next season with their current team. All the final candidates would come from outside of Joe Gibbs Racing, Makar said.

McSwain declined comment, but Yates said he expects him to stay.

"That's what we're signed up to do," Yates said. "It's nice to have people after you; it means you're doing something right. But I think we can put that (rumor) to bed."

BUSCH SERIES

Budding NASCAR star Jamie McMurray won again, running the final 74 laps without stopping Saturday in the Aaron's 312 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

McMurray led only the final lap, taking over when Joe Nemechek ran out of gas just before taking the white flag. McMurray's Chevrolet had just enough fuel to get the first series victory of his career, and he ran out of gas during a post-race burnout at the finish line.

Two weeks ago, McMurray won at Lowe's Motor Speedway in just his second Winston Cup start. That set a record for quickest victory in NASCAR's top series.

Mike McLaughlin was third, followed by rookie Scott Riggs and points leader Greg Biffle.

Biffle increased his series lead over Jason Keller to 119 points with three races to go.

ANDRETTI ALMOST SIGNED

Petty Enterprises CEO Kyle Petty said a contract is nearly completed to keep John Andretti with the team next season.

"We've agreed to everything," Petty said. "We just haven't sat down and put it on paper."

Andretti last won at Martinsville, Va., in 1999, also the last time Petty Enterprises visited Victory Lane. He's struggled this year, and sits 28th in points with a best finish of 10th. That's one of only three top-10 finishes for the three-car team.

COPE RETURNS

Derrike Cope starts 41st in today's Winston Cup field, racing for the first time since being injured in a crash during a Busch Series race in Richmond in September. Cope will drive the No.49 BAM Racing Dodge, co-owned by Tony and Beth Ann Morgenthau, for the last four races of the season.

The 1990 Daytona 500 winner is one of six drivers who have been in the car this season. He ran for the team in Michigan and Bristol in August and was set to finish the season in the car before being injured.

The team began the year with Shawna Robinson. Since being removed from the cockpit, the No. 49 has been driven by Ron Hornaday Jr., Stuart Kirby and Stacy Compton - the last two fill-ins after Cope was hurt.

FORD CLOSING IN

Ford can clinch its third manufacturer's championship in the last four years and 15th overall by finishing first, second or third among the four car makes in today's Winston Cup race.

The only way Ford will not clinch the title in Atlanta is if Chevrolet wins and Ford finishes fourth among the manufacturers. A Ford has not won on the Atlanta track since Dale Jarrett's Taurus took the checkered flag in the 1997 spring race, the last event run before the track was redesigned.