Talladega, Ala. – Dale Jarrett’s voice was hoarse and choked with emotion. He had just won a frantic shootout to end a 98-race drought and steal the spotlight from NASCAR’s championship drivers.
The hardened veteran could hardly believe what happened Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway.
“When you get to this point of your career, you’re not exactly sure when that last victory is going to be there, so you learn to cherish each one,” Jarrett said. “It is very emotional.”
Jarrett used a three-wide pass to challenge Tony Stewart for the lead on the final lap of a 3-lap overtime shootout, then passed Stewart on the backstretch in the UAW-Ford 500 for his first victory since 2003 at the now-defunct North Carolina Speedway.
Kyle Petty spun to bring out a caution before the leaders crossed the finish line, freezing the field. NASCAR then had to review tape to establish a final finishing order.
The final decision had Stewart second and back on top of the Nextel Cup leaderboard after the third of 10 Chase for the championship races.
“The big picture is what we were worried about today,” Stewart said. “Even if we finished 10th and gained points, that was the big thing. I wish we could have won it, but if we couldn’t, I was glad to see DJ do it.”
Matt Kenseth finished third, and Ryan Newman was fourth. Stewart holds a four-point advantage over Newman – who originally thought he was the new points leader – after a race that shuffled the Chase standings.
Meanwhile, Jimmie Johnson’s reputation and championship hopes were damaged after he was blamed for causing an early accident. Johnson, who started the day as the points leader, was involved in two accidents and dropped to fourth in the standings – 98 points back.
Talladega is the wild card of NASCAR’s 10-race championship hunt. Because drivers are forced to use horsepower-sapping restrictor plates, the cars run in a tight pack and the slightest bobble is capable of wiping out half the field.
So it’s the one track where the 10 Chase drivers started the race knowing their title hopes could be crippled before the day was over.
When the dust settled, at least five Chase drivers suffered some sort of accident-related damage and Johnson’s track record at Talladega had taken another huge hit – this time for a wreck he was involved in 20 laps into the race.
For Jarrett, it was a victory that proved he may be on track to turn his slumping program around. He was reunited with old crew chief Todd Parrott just last week and the two proved they still have chemistry.
Nextel Cup/glance
Keys to victory: Dale Jarrett used a three-wide pass to challenge Tony Stewart for the lead on the final lap of a 3-lap overtime shootout, then passed Stewart on the backstretch.
What you might have missed: Jarrett’s victory got a Ford to Victory Lane at Talladega for the first time since the former series champion won in 1998, a span of 13 races.
Back on track: Sunday, Banquet 400 presented by ConAgra Foods, Kansas Speedway, KUSA-9/11:30 a.m.
