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Jarrett gets a familiar feeling now

By KEVIN KELLY

© St. Petersburg Times, published April 3, 2001

Dale Jarrett last experienced a season like this two years ago when unparalleled fortune and performance landed him the first Winston Cup championship of his career.

Seven races into this season, the 44-year-old senses a possible second championship.

"I said at the beginning of the year that the way we came in prepared for the year reminded me a lot of 1999 when we were able to win the championship," Jarrett said.

"We've qualified well and we're able to lead some laps and that's when you know that things are going well. Whenever you do that, you're going to give yourself a chance to win some races."

Jarrett, who gained the points lead after five races this season compared to 11 in 1999, has a 75-point advantage over three-time Winston Cup champion Jeff Gordon following his victory in the Harrah's 500 Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway.

He now has two wins, two poles and four top-five finishes compared with Gordon's one victory, two poles and five top-five finishes. "Unfortunately, Dale Jarrett got the points on us today," Gordon said after finishing fifth Sunday. "But we kept him in check. We were right there battling with him all day.

"It's going to be a heck of a championship battle, and we're just glad to be in it right now."

A PRODUCTIVE DAY: Not long after Roush Racing announced Newell-Rubbermaid would begin sponsoring the No. 97 Ford driven by Kurt Busch, the Winston Cup rookie found himself sliding through the infield grass at Texas Motor Speedway.

All part of an eventful day.

Busch qualified 16th and went a lap down after he skated through the infield grass on Lap5 to avoid Michael Waltrip's spinning car. Busch got back onto the lead lap late and finished a career-best fourth.

"That was too much fun," he said. "That's what I'm used to -- running up front and racing the guys, racing clean, making pit stops."

FORGETABLE: A pit-road mistake by Rusty Wallace and a bump by Todd Bodine contributed to a terrible day for Sterling Marlin in the Harrah's 500.

Two of Marlin's pit crew members were hurt when Wallace ran into them while trying to avoid Dave Blaney's car.

Marlin then hit the wall after being bumped by Bodine on Lap281. He finished 34th and dropped from third to fifth in the standings.

"Todd Bodine got me from behind," he said. "Then Rusty comes in and knocks out half our pit crew guys and they don't penalize him. It's crazy.

"We took a big hit in the points, but that's what happens when you go up against a bunch of idiots."

MEMORIES: Before he tested there in February, the last time Al Unser Jr. had visited Homestead-Miami Speedway was in 1999 when he broke his right ankle on the first lap of the CART season opener.

"It felt good to get through that first turn when we were testing there," Unser said.

"It is a beautiful facility, and I think that the (Indy Racing League) will put on one heck of a show there."

Unser, 23rd in points heading into the Grand Prix of Miami Sunday at Homestead, is one of only three IRL drivers with experience at the track.

Casey Mears and Didier Andre both competed in Indy Lights events there.

ODDS AND ENDS: Ricky Rudd ended a 21-race streak of running at the finish, the longest active streak entering the race, when engine failure relegated him to 37th place in the Harrah's 500. Brett Bodine now has the longest streak without a DNF (13 races). ... Arrows driver Jos Verstappen was fined $15,000, according to Autosport.com, after he ran into the back of leader Juan Montoya's Williams-BMW on the 38th lap of the Brazilian Grand Prix, forcing both cars out of the race. Two-time Formula One champion Mika Hakkinen was fined $5,000 after forgetting to replace his steering wheel when he climbed from his McLaren-Mercedes, which stalled before the start.

-- Information from other news organizations was used in this report.

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