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Jarrett Beats Gordon By 2.99 Seconds In Penn 500

Associated Press

Dale Jarrett, who resurrected his career with a surprising victory two years earlier at Pocono International Raceway, won his latest duel with Jeff Gordon on Sunday in the Pennsylvania 500 in Long Pond, Pa.

They exchanged the lead four times, but Jarrett was able to pull away late in the race and beat Gordon by 2.99 seconds to win for the third time this season and give Ford its 11th victory in 18 races.

“This motor was incredible,” Jarrett said. “It’s almost unfair that the thing was that good.”

In agreement was Gordon, precluded by Jarrett from sweeping the 1997 races at Pocono. But Gordon, who has all seven wins by Chevrolets, took the lead in the Winston Cup point standings.

The 40-year-old Jarrett assumed the lead for the final time on lap 180.

Jeff Burton’s third-place finish was his eighth in the last 10 races

The victory was the 11th of Jarrett’s career, but the eighth since joining Robert Yates Racing in 1995. After taking the Daytona 500 for Joe Gibbs in 1993, Jarrett won just once in the his next 78 starts before his first Pocono victory.

Toronto Molson-Indy

Englishman Mark Blundell dominated on the way to victory in the Toronto Molson-Indy. Blundell, 31, a former Formula One regular in only his second season in the PPG CART World Series, started second, took the lead on the first lap and led it to the end of the 95-lap, 163.5-mile race.

Alex Zanardi was the only driver able to pressure Blundell at all. But his effort on the 1.721-mile, 11-turn temporary street circuit in downtown Toronto came up 0.659-seconds short.

Andre Ribeiro of Brazil passed five-time Toronto winner Michael Andretti late in the race to take third place. Andretti, who had won the last two events here, held onto fourth, while Scott Pruett finished fifth.

Mile-High Nationals

Cory McClenathan won the Top Fuel title in the Mile-High Nationals in Morrison, Colo., edging Tony Schumacher with a quarter-mile run of 4.864 seconds with a top speed of 294.59 mph.

McClenathan, driving a new Joe Gibbs-owned dragster, was the No. 1 qualifier and overpowered points leader Gary Scelzi in the second round en route to his first victory of the season.