Jarrett Gets One Chance At A Million Victory In Southern 500 Would Bring Him Big Bonus

Dale Jarrett tries to race Sunday to where only Bill Elliott has driven before.

That’s to the NASCAR Winston Million bonus in the Southern 500 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.

The $1 million prize goes to a Winston Cup driver winning three of the circuit’s Big Four races in a season.

Jarrett qualified for his shot by taking the No. 88 Ford, fielded by Robert Yates Racing, to victory in the season-opening Daytona 500 in February and the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May.

Elliott collected the $1 million in 1985, the first year the bonus was offered, by winning the Daytona, Winston and Southern 500s in a Ford. The Winston 500, won by Sterling Marlin this season, is run at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway.

Jarrett, 39, son of Hall of Famer and two-time Winston Cup champion Ned Jarrett, headed to Darlington on a tremendous tear. He has six top-five finishes in his past seven starts, including major victories in the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the GM Goodwrench Dealer 400 at Michigan International Speedway this month.

The surge has put Hickory, N.C., native Jarrett and his Todd Parrott-led team, formed by Yates during the 1995-96 off-season, in contention for the Winston Cup championship, worth $1.5 million. Jarrett is third in the standings, trailing leader Terry Labonte by 127 points after 22 of this season’s 31 races.

“I feel like a million dollars right now, the way things are going and the way we’ve been running,” Jarrett said recently at Darlington after posting an unofficial speed of 169.865 mph in testing, well in excess of the historic track’s time trial record of 167.379 mph, set last September by John Andretti. “It’s just tremendous and exciting.

“I read somewhere the other day that a poll had been taken and we were given a 50-50 chance of winning the Southern 500 and the Winston Million. I certainly feel that we have at least that much of a chance, and it’s gratifying to know that others feel the same.

“Racing at Darlington may reduce the chances some, because the track is so difficult. But offsetting this is the fact that it’s a track I enjoy running while it’s a place that a lot of other drivers dread.

“It’s probably going to be difficult to win the bonus, but I’m confident we can.

“I’m looking forward to the challenge.”