RYR has two in top five for first time since 2001

BROOKLYN, Mich. - Elliott Sadler said his record at Michigan International Speedway spoke for itself.

Yeah, he's right. In 10 previous races at the 2-mile track, Sadler had led only one lap and had zero top-10 finishes.

DHL 400 Newman celebrates his victory at Michigan Play video Newman battles Jarrett and Kahne to the checkers Play video McMurray's day goes up in smoke as Jarrett leads Play video After dominating early, Gordon's engine expires Play video The caution flag flies on the opening lap at MIS Play video  •  Results  •  Standings

That was enough, he decided. Sadler went to Robert Yates Racing teammate Dale Jarrett for some advice. That might seem a little off, for Jarrett hasn't exactly lit it up recently.

But Jarrett does have four victories at Michigan, so he clearly knows how to get around here.

Boy, Sadler sure looks like a genius now. And so does Jarrett.

"I've never run that good at all here," Sadler said. "I don't know what my car is supposed to feel like on Saturday to run good on Sunday. He told me, 'Hey, you've got to be loose here, tight here to have a good car.'

"So I adjusted my car to that, and, wow, look at it. We led some laps and ran up in the top five."

Jarrett did the same thing, too, marking the first time RYR has had both cars finish in the top five since the Chevrolet Monte Carlo 400 in Sept. 2001, when Ricky Rudd drove the No. 28 to Victory Lane and Jarrett finished fourth.

Jarrett chased winner Ryan Newman in the closing laps of Sunday's DHL 400 before falling back to third. Sadler, buoyed by Jarrett's advice, wasn't a threat to win but still posted a fifth-place finish.

	Dale Jarrett's top-five drought ended after a whopping 48 races. Credit: Autostock

While Sadler has won already in 2004 and finished fifth two other times, Jarrett has had more crew chiefs (four) than top fives (zero).

But Jarrett seems to be slowly getting better. Crew chief Mike Ford came over from Evernham Motorsports in the off-season, and he and Jarrett are clearly working well together.

Last week at Pocono, Jarrett ran well with a new in-house chassis and led a couple of laps before blowing an engine.

The same car came back this week, and Jarrett was strong again.

"The last two weeks have been really good," Jarrett said. "We started off the season having some decent runs, but that's what they were - decent. The last two weeks have been a lot more competitive, and I think it gives us a lot of hope for the rest of this season to be competitive, and that's what we need to be.

"It's not a matter of thinking about getting in the top 10 or anything like that as far as the points. If you run good, that all takes care of itself. It's a matter that we as a team are rebuilding and working our way back, so these type of days help a lot."

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This is the right time of the season, Sadler said, to get things rolling.

"The last two races he has been on the money - a top-five car - so we've learned a lot about each other and these two race teams, and we're gonna get our stuff together," Sadler said. "This is the time to do it right here in the stretch months. It this feels good to run so good with both of us."

Jarrett also gave credit to some recent test sessions.

"We've had some good tests over the last month I'd say, and that's helped us a lot," Jarrett said. "I think we have a true direction that we're going in now, and that gives me a lot of hope. This is good for our race team and it's good for me to show that if I have a race car capable of doing it. that I can do it.

	Sadler (left) has been a model of consistency in 2004 -- his worst finish is 29th. Credit: Autostock

"I'm sure everybody had those questions when we were running bad, so I think this shows that I can still get the job done."

Jarrett wasn't so sure this particular race would end in a top-five finish, for his No. 88 Ford was only "OK" in Saturday's practices. But it was good on long runs, allowing Jarrett to make up time on other drivers during Sunday's race.

And it also allowed Ford to make a fuel-only pit stop during the race to get Jarrett some much needed track position - and helped Ford decide to stay on the track and get the lead under caution with 25 laps to go.

"We felt like maybe we could make this happen, if we could get away, that it might just be a two-car race, and it might give me the chance that I needed to beat Ryan (who was second at the time)," Jarrett said. "Kasey and the other guys were coming strong. Who knows what would have happened if we would have got tires."

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Newman passed Jarrett with 22 laps to go, but Jarrett wasn't done. Jarrett fought by Newman on Lap 183 of 200, but Newman went in front for good a lap later.

"I just got too loose," Jarrett said. "I ran really hard, I guess, during that stretch when there was a little less than 20 to go, and I caught back up to Ryan because it looked like at that time that if it went green from there that we had pulled away from everybody else.

"I thought if I could get there and put some pressure on him that it looked like his car might start to go away a little bit after we ran for a while. So I probably ran it a little bit hard at that time to be able to have anything left at the end."

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Kasey Kahne charged from fifth on a restart with four laps to go to move Jarrett back to third, but Jarrett wasn't complaining too loudly.

Neither was Sadler. If anything, Sadler was happier for Jarrett than he was for himself.

"I saw (Jarrett) coming, and I knew I didn't have anything for the 12, so I pulled over and let him go," Sadler said. "I was pulling for him. When I saw the 12 go to the outside I was hollering at (Jarrett), but he couldn't hear me to try to block.

"But I know DJ is very happy. He's had a very frustrating season."

Sunday's finished took some of the frustration away.

"It's been awhile," Jarrett said. "I didn't even know if you still had these (post-race media) sessions or not, but it's nice to be back."