Jarrett Outduels Irvan For Primestar 500 Win
Motor sports
Dale Jarrett finished what he started Sunday, running away with the Primestar 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Ga., and moving into the Winston Cup points lead.
Jarrett, who dominated a race last month at Rockingham, N.C., only to lose to Jeff Gordon, this time gave no opening to his closest pursuer, teammate Ernie Irvan.
The race ended with sundown fast approaching because a spectacular crash 44 laps from the end of the 328-lap event caused a delay of nearly one hour.
It was the third straight top-five finish for the 40-year-old Jarrett, who earned his ninth career victory and first at the Atlanta track.
“Finally,” Jarrett said after climbing from his Ford Thunderbird. “It was a great effort by all of our guys. We kept adjusting on it. We knew after the last couple of weeks we couldn’t get through with what we had. We had to make the car better.”
The second-generation NASCAR star wound up leading six times for 253 laps, including the final 59. He was never challenged in the second half of the race, and beat Irvan to the finish line by 1.38-seconds, about 20 car-lengths.
“D.J.’s been pretty dominant all year and we just haven’t been able to get to the end,” said Irvan, who held off a charge by Morgan Shepherd.
Jarrett, who won $137,650, averaged 132.730 mph.
Jarrett moved into the points lead by 29 over Terry Labonte. Gordon, who won the first two races of the season and came in leading the standings, blew his engine and finished last in the 42-car field.
“It blew up, and it blew up big. Probably a rod or something,” Gordon said. “It’s going to cost us and we’re going to have to fight back hard like we always do.”
Spokane’s Chad Little finished 19th, winning $18,435.
Drag racer in critical condition
Al Hofmann was listed in critical condition Sunday night, hours after his car caught fire as it crossed the finish line victoriously in the Funny Car drag racing competition at the NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla.
Hoffman was about to celebrate the 13th victory of his career when his engine exploded at the end of his quarter-mile run.
Hoffman was transported to Shands Medical Center where he was listed in serious condition.
Hofmann, of Umatilla, Fla., covered the quarter-mile distance in 5.056 seconds at 287.35 mph to defeat Mark Oswald.
Russell wins Daytona 200
Scott Russell became the first fourtime winner of the Daytona 200 on Sunday in Daytona Beach, Fla., finishing 4.5 seconds ahead of his closest competitor.
Russell, 32, of Alpheretta, Ga., averaged 105.870 mph around the 3.56-mile road course at Daytona International Speedway aboard his yellow No. 4 Yamaha 750.