NASCAR WCUP: Jarrett moves to Martinsville with momentum on his side

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

April 6, 2001

MARTINSVILLE, Va. - Realizing just how fickle and fleeting momentum can be, Dale Jarrett relies not on that, but rather the collective effort of his #88 UPS Team as they forge ahead in search of a second Winston Cup title.

Martinsville Speedway hosts this Sunday's running of the Goody's 500 (FOX; 1 p.m. EDT) and Jarrett enters the event with momentum along for the ride.

Noteworthy items include:

Jarrett returns to the site of his first-ever Winston Cup start. It was at Martinsville where he made that inaugural run, starting 24th and finishing a respectable 14th back in 1984.

A total of 26 NASCAR Winston Cup wins have followed since that first ride in '84, but Jarrett is still looking for his first checkered flag at the tiny .526-mile track in Virginia.

Jarrett's won two of the past three "Cup" events in 2001, and in the process, has built a 75-point lead over Jeff Gordon in the series point standings.

A calculated and flawless four-tire pit stop propelled Jarrett's late surge and subsequent victory last Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway. That victory came just two weeks after his first win of 2001 at Darlington.

It took Jarrett just seven races to equal his victory total from a year ago!

This week, Jarrett provided his thoughts on Martinsville Speedway:

"Handling is crucial at Martinsville," Jarrett said. "We go from Texas, where horsepower means so much, to a short track like Martinsville where getting through the corners is the key. I've never won (at Martinsville) before and historically it's not a place where we've had tremendous success. But, having said that, last year we went home with top-5 and top-10 finishes in the two events there and that's the kind of performance we need again Sunday. Like Bristol, you've got to be patient, especially in the early going, stay out of trouble, hang around and be there in the end. Any time you put 43 cars on a half-mile track, that's easier said than done, but you get a lot of added satisfaction grinding out a top-five finish on a collision course like that."

Text provided by Kris Johnson

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