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Elsewhere on the Web • Dale Jarrett

Dateline: April 9, 2001

The old saying goes, "In order to finish first, you must first finish" and in NASCAR Winston Cup racing it helps to finish with all of the bodywork intact. The garage area after Sunday's race looked like a junkyard with most every car sporting twisted sheet metal, missing bumpers and jammed-in grills. The one most notable exception to this is the race winner and current Winston Cup points leader Dale Jarrett.

Certainly less than one quarter of the way through the season is a bit early to give the title to any driver but Dale Jarrett is beginning to look like a champion once again. Smooth, consistent, error-free racing combined with great decision making, a fast pit crew and a little luck will produce a NASCAR Winston Cup title almost every time and Robert Yates' #88 team is putting all of the pieces together.

No-Crumple Zone

Jarrett got caught up in "The Big One" in Daytona and ended up buried in 22nd place. In the seven races since Daytona Dale has three wins and six top-ten finishes. His only real problem since then, a flat tire in Bristol which was a setback he scrambled out of to earn a sixteenth place showing.

"Big Picture" racing means not taking any unnecessary chances and doing everything you can to bring the car home in one piece. Bent and broken race cars mean more work for your already-stressed crew and bad runs in a points system that demands consistency.

Great Call

Sunday's race was decided when the yellow flag flew with 88 laps to go and crew chief Todd Parrott brought DJ onto pit road for four fresh tires and an adjustment while the rest of the leaders stayed out. Some hard driving and a few lucky caution flags later and Jarrett was taking the checkered flag.

NASCAR racing is an exercise in skill, preparation, consistency, intelligence and luck. So far in the 2001 Winston Cup season Dale Jarrett has had all the parts, if he can keep it up he will be extremely tough to beat for the title.

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