A NASCAR official holds Dale Jarrett on pit road for rough driving. Jarrett finished 31st. Credit: CIA Stock Photo

Newman-Jarrett tiff has Chase implications

BRISTOL, Tenn. -- Three drivers engaged in a fierce battle for Chase qualification saw their fortunes take a dramatic turn for the worse in Saturday's Sharpie 500 -- all at the same time.

Dale Jarrett spun Ryan Newman on Lap 318 of the 500-lap affair and eventually collected Kevin Harvick in the process, resulting in a two-lap rough driving penalty from NASCAR.

	Kevin Harvick fell to 16th in the points, his lowest position since February. Credit: Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images
	Official Results Sharpie 500 Pos. Driver Make 1. Matt Kenseth Ford 2. Jeff Burton Chevrolet 3. Greg Biffle Ford 4. Ricky Rudd Ford 5. R. Wallace Dodge • Complete Results, click here • Official Standings, click here Final lapsKenseth dominates to win the Sharpie 500 Bad day for the 88Jarrett finds trouble three times Saturday at Bristol Sign up for TrackPass now BUY YOUR NEXTEL DRIVER PHONE

The situation truly began on Lap 301 when Newman got into Jarrett, sending the No. 88 Ford into the outside wall.

Seeking retaliation, Jarrett set sail. Only 17 laps later, he exercised that revenge, turning into Newman exiting Turn 4 and spinning the No. 12 Dodge into the outside wall.

"Mine was unintentional and his was intentional and that's all I'm saying," said Newman, who fell to ninth in the championship standings as a result of the accident. "NASCAR can do what they want with it."

Jarrett refused comment.

Newman's Dodge came to rest on the frontstretch apron, and Brian Vickers swerved low to elude it. To miss the heavy-braking Vickers, Harvick swerved right and plowed head on into Newman.

Seemingly incensed at having been caught up in an accident not of his own doing, Harvick departed the infield and headed to the driver motorhome lot to change clothes, thinking his night was over.

When told that his car was in fact ready to return to competition, he reportedly refused to return to the track. Scott Riggs had been summoned to drive the No. 29 Chevrolet.

But Riggs never got in the car. Harvick returned to the track to man his rightful machine.

"I didn't think they'd fix it," said Harvick, who lost two positions in the standings as a result of the accident. "The throttle was hung wide open and they got it fixed, so I came back and got in it. It's disappointing, but what do you do?"

Harvick explained, too, that there was more the accident than one might first realize.

"I didn't see the 12 sitting there and the spotter never said anything," Harvick said. "That wreck didn't really have anything to do with me hitting [Newman]. I just got behind [Brian Vickers] and couldn't see where I was going and just hit him."

Jarrett, who entered the weekend in the 11th points position, leaves 14th, 78 points behind 10th-place Jeff Gordon.

Nextel Cup director John Darby said Jarrett faces no further penalties.