Jarrett's day ends with hard hit

LOUDON, N.H. -- What was already a tough week for Dale Jarrett and the No. 88 team ended with a fiery accident in Sunday's Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway.

Jarrett had started 27th, but had fought his way all the way to 11th when he got caught up in an accident after a restart on Lap 161.

"I just know I got hit in the left rear," Jarrett said. "All you're doing on the restart is trying to get things sorted out and all I know is I got drilled and turned around."

That contact blew out Jarrett's left-rear tire and turned the car around and into the wall.

	Dale Jarrett

"It's just some guys being impatient and trying to go somewhere when there's no place to go," Jarrett said.

Making matters worse, Jarrett's No. 88 Ford caught fire momentarily and came to rest in the middle of the track in front of the start-finish line as the rest of the field raced back to the ensuing caution flag.

"Yeah, not a good place to be sitting in the middle of the track knowing they're coming off hard racing each other," Jarrett said. "I shouldn't have been there to start with if some guys would use their head, but it's not a good place to be."

Jarrett said it could have been worse.

"My spotter told be to stay buckled in because (the rest of the field) was coming," he said. "I started to get unbuckled, but then as he reminded me of that, I buckled back up."

Jarrett was treated for a bruised right knee at the infield care center.

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"I just hit my knee on the steering column," Jarrett said. "It's just something that shouldn't happen, but it does."

"It's just unfortunate. We had a really good race car and that hasn't been the case a lot of times this year, and, unfortunately, when we have things haven't turned out real well for us."

The entire week has been a tough one for Jarrett's No. 88 team. Tara Howell Parker, the wife of crew chief Shawn Parker, was killed Wednesday night when the limousine she was in caught fire in Greensboro, N.C., after being hit by a pickup truck. Her funeral was held Sunday afternoon.

VIDEO CLIPS The leaders race to the caution as the wrecked No.88 sits on the track. Play video

"It's been a difficult time," Jarrett said. "We were hoping we could at least have a good run and we did have a really good race car."

"It may help brighten Shawn's spirits a little bit, but regardless of all that, we're still thinking about Shawn and his family and Tara's family."