Dale Jarrett scored twin third-place finishes at MIS in 2004. Credit: CIA Stock Photo

Resurgent Jarrett on verge of Chase spot

Suddenly, Dale Jarrett is looking like the Dale Jarrett of old.

The year-and-a-half of frustration and struggle seems to behind Jarrett and the No. 88 Robert Yates Racing team.

Instead of trying to figure out what went wrong and how to fix it, Jarrett and his team are looking ahead and hoping to crack Victory Lane.

And, of course, they are hoping to crack the top 10 in the Nextel Cup points standings.

Getting into the Chase for the Nextel Cup would be quite an accomplishment for Jarrett, since he was as low as 26th earlier this season.

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But with three races remaining until the cutoff point, Jarrett is 58 points away from that magic position.

"I think those teams such as Kasey (Kahne's) and Mark (Martin's) - and if we can position ourselves there somehow, we have a lot of momentum going and we could be very dangerous in a 10-race shootout," Jarrett said. "It's a lot of fun. It's a lot more fun to race up front, so we're having a good time."

Sunday's GFS Marketplace 400 at Michigan International Speedway was an example of how good a time Jarrett is having.

Jarrett swore his car wasn't as good as it could have been, yet he still finished third.

Jarrett: "We can't try any harder." Credit: Autostock

"Whenever we come in here and not be at our best and finish third says a lot about how far this team has come," Jarrett said. "Earlier in the year and certainly last year when we wouldn't be at our best, we couldn't finish in the top 15 basically.

"So we have come a long way."

Jarrett credits crew chief Mike Ford for helping turn things around. Last year, Jarrett had only one top-five finish all season, the victory at Rockingham. But this season, Jarrett has four top-fives in the last nine races.

"I think that this credit needs to go to Mike Ford," Jarrett said. "He'd be the first to tell you that he stepped into a situation and a job that was way more of an undertaking than what he envisioned at the beginning.

"He's done a terrific job of getting us to this point to where we can be this competitive."

And the new Roush-Yates engine has provided an extra boost.

"I don't think there's any doubt that that's a big factor in it," Jarrett said. "Doug Yates and his people have done a tremendous job. I don't know how many people we have from Roush over there, but there are a number of them, and they're all working very good together.

"Certainly, that has to help their program and it's benefited ours, too, so that's a big part of the success that some of the Fords are having right now."

Is it enough to help move Jarrett into the top 10? That remains to be seen, for Jarrett isn't the only driver chasing 10th-place Kahne.

Jeremy Mayfield is six points behind in 11th, with Martin 33 behind in 12th and Ryan Newman 44 behind in 13th.

Jarrett is 14th in the standings, with Jamie McMurray hot on his heels. McMurray is only 12 points behind Jarrett.

Things could get crazy in the next three races, or at least that's the common wisdom. The next three events include short track races at Bristol and Richmond, which are usually crazy anyway.

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"I'm not sure that the format is going to make Bristol and Richmond any more wild than it has been," Jarrett said. "I think it's the competition that's going to do that. There are 43 cars at Bristol, and you've got at least 30 cars that are very competitive. When you have a situation like that you're going to have a wild night."

No one can do anything different for Bristol or any other track, Jarrett said. All the guys fighting for 10th place simply will run as hard as they can. But that's nothing new.

"We can't try any harder, first off," Jarrett said. "We keep getting the question every week, 'What are you going to do this week to try to get yourself in the top 10?' We can't try any harder.

"I promise you, we're doing everything we possibly can. I think everybody is trying to make it like we're going to Bristol and going to Richmond and hunt down whoever is ahead of us and take them out.

"Well, if that's the way I have to get in the top 10, then I'll quit."

Jarrett said he has never raced that way and isn't about to start now. Getting into the top 10 would be great, but he's not about to go after Kahne, Mayfield, Martin or Newman to do it.

No, Jarrett is going to try to outrun the competition. And the way he has run lately, don't beg against him.