NASCAR WCUP: Jarrett looks to extend Ford's winning streak at Las Vegas
Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
March 1, 2001LAS VEGAS, Nev.,- Everybody goes to Las Vegas with the intention of winning and having a little something extra to take home besides frustration. Each year, Ford drivers have turned that possibility into a reality since Las Vegas staged its inaugural NASCAR Winston Cup race in 1998.
And this time, #88 UPS driver Dale Jarrett hopes to share in the spoils as the Winston Cup schedule resumes with Sunday's running of the UAW-Daimler Chrysler 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (FOX; 2:30 p.m. EDT).
To consider:
Jarrett and his Robert Yates Racing teammate Ricky Rudd have combined to win two of three Bud pole positions at LVMS. Jarrett picked his up that first year in 1998 and Rudd, who has associate level sponsorship from UPS, started on the point for last year's event.
Ford is a perfect 3-for-3 in Vegas races with Jeff Burton's back-to-back wins (2000, 1999) coming on the heels of Mark Martin's inaugural victory in 1998.
Last year, Jarrett started 6th and finished 7th in a rain-shortened affair at the 1.5-mile tri-oval in the desert. Only 148 of the scheduled 267 laps were run before Burton cashed in on his second straight LVMS victory.
Following are a few of Jarrett's "Vegas" views heading into Sunday's event:
"(Las Vegas) is one of those stops on the schedule that you look forward to each year," Jarrett said. "We were just here for a test at the end of January, early February around Super Bowl time. And it was one of the most productive test sessions we've ever had. Certainly, we learned some things then that should help us here on Sunday. Any time you have a positive experience like that, it helps generate extra enthusiasm as you prepare and get ready to race."
Text Provided By Kris Johnson
Editors Note: To view hundreds of hot racing photos and art, visit
The Racing Photo Museum and the
Visions of Speed Art Gallery.