Two off-course excursions wreck Jarrett's day
By Tim Packman, Turner Sports Interactive
August 13, 2001
9:59 AM EDT (1359 GMT)
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. -- Dale Jarrett’s title hopes may have bitten the dust twice on Sunday.
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Dale Jarrett landed in the gravel pit twice on Sunday.
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After starting on the Bud Pole and leading the first 17 laps, Jarrett suddenly and surprisingly spun off the course into the Turn 1 gravel. The No. 88 Ford suffered some minor damage, but what was worse was that he lost a lap.
“I just got in a little hard,” Jarrett said. “The brake pedal was a little bit thin and I didn’t pump it up and it got to wheel-hopping.”
He returned to the race in 42nd, then got a break on lap 37 when a full-course caution came out when Ron Fellows slowed with axle problems. Leader Jeff Burton allowed Jarrett to get back on the lead lap.
At that point, Jarrett moved from 37th to 22nd within 15 laps, working his way back up to 14th when trouble visited again.
Heading back into Turn 1, Jarrett went to pass Mark Martin on the inside but once again, spun into the gravel.
“I was trying to out brake Mark in there,” Jarrett said. “I thought he knew I was there, but I got wheel-hopping and got into the side of him. It’s my fault.”
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Dale Jarrett's 31st-place finish leaves him third in points.
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Once the tow truck pulled Jarrett free, he returned to the race in 36th, one lap down. He finished 31st.
As a result, Jarrett dropped from second to third behind teammate Ricky Rudd in the championship hunt, now 265 points behind Jeff Gordon, who won the race.
“This was my fault,” Jarrett said. “We chalk this up to me. My guys did everything they could do to give us a car capable of running up front. And I didn’t make it happen.”
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