Declining performances on flat tracks have been a concern in the 88 camp at Robert Yates racing. Credit: Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Jarrett seeks to reclaim past Richmond success

When it comes to Dale Jarrett's career, there might not be a bigger microcosm than Richmond International Raceway.

Jarrett used to own the .750-mile track in Virginia -- he scored an amazing nine top-fives in 10 races from 1995 to 2001 -- but in recent years, his performance has fallen off.

Jarrett hasn't won a Nextel Cup race in more than two years, and he hasn't sniffed a top-10 at RIR since 2001.

	Not Home Anymore Dale Jarrett has been on the decline at RIR Year Start Finish 2004 25 26   36 13 2003 37 21   40 36 2002 12 31   39 38 2001 16 4   20 15 2000 17 31   18 3 1999 13 3   21 1

Part of the problem has been qualifying. Jarrett hasn't qualified better than 25th at RIR in each of the past four race.

As a result, he's delved into a habit of getting caught up in others' wrecks.

Passing at Richmond is arguably easier than passing at the other two short tracks in the Nextel Cup Series due to its wide straightaways and two-groove turns.

Even so, it's been impossible to win from a poor qualifying spot.

Jarrett hasn't qualified better than 14th in any of the past eight races, but since he's completed all but three laps this year, he sits 12th in the points.

"A few of our problems the last couple times we've raced at Richmond were the result of accidents," Jarrett said.

"We put ourselves in a position to be around those situations so we definitely needed to get our program back to where we run up front on these type of tracks on a consistent basis."

The flatter tracks have given Jarrett fits in 2005, and Robert Yates Racing refused to bring a used chassis for Saturday night's Chevy American Revolution 400. The team built a brand-new Ford for the 400-lap event.

"I don't think this is a situation where the track has changed so much as it is a situation where the cars have changed and we just haven't kept up with that," Jarrett said. "Obviously we knew at the end of last season where our program needed improvement.

"Tracks like Richmond seemed to be difficult for us to get a hold of the last couple years."

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Richmond nuggets

• Ricky Rudd will make his 850th Cup start this weekend

• Jeff Gordon is the only driver with at least three consecutive top-10s at Richmond

• Rusty Wallace, Jeff Burton, Greg Biffle, Kasey Kahne, Ricky Rudd, Sterling Marlin, Scott Riggs, Jamie McMurray, Jeff Green and Hermie Sadler were the drivers who tested at RIR for this event.

• Biffle was unofficially the fastest car at the test.

• Traffic at Richmond usually isn't bad by NASCAR standards, but is expected to be worse this weekend due to repairs being made to the Laburnum Avenue bridge.