Jarrett victory tightens up points race

Monday, Nov. 3, 1997 | 8:45 a.m.

PHOENIX -- Dale Jarrett's exploits on the race track made for an exciting Dura-Lube 500 and even a more thrilling Winston Cup championship battle.

Jarrett made up almost a full lap on the mile oval under green-flag racing to win Sunday's Dura-Lube 500 at Phoenix International Raceway and pull to within 77 points of Jeff Gordon for the $1.5 million series championship.

Jarrett appeared to have caught an unlucky break when he made a green-flag pit stop on lap 129 of the 312-lap race, only to be caught on pit lane when Ward Burton hit the wall and brought out the yellow flag. Jarrett, running third when he pitted, came out at the end of the lead lap, in 17th place.

In fewer than 110 laps, Jarrett made up a full mile and passed Rusty Wallace for the lead on lap 240. He held on for the remaining 73 laps to secure his seventh Winston Cup victory of the season.

"We got a little loose there at one point and we decided to stop a few laps early and, of course, the caution came out and that got us down," Jarrett said. "We had to work hard after that but the car was so awesome after that (pit stop)."

Jarrett also had to pray hard. Because he was out of sequence on his pit stops, Jarrett had to milk the fuel cell in his Ford Thunderbird for the final 95 laps of the race.

"I was worried about fuel there," said Jarrett, who was forced to pit about 10 laps earlier than his closest competitors. "We don't get the best fuel mileage but the car was good enough that I was able to conserve it and, really, make it easier to drive."

Jarrett beat Wallace to the checkered flag by 2.105 seconds and Bobby Hamilton, who put on a strong run early in the race, took third. The race was slowed by only four caution flags for 23 laps and there were 13 lead changes among nine drivers.

Series points leader Gordon developed handling problems late in the race and finished two laps down in 17th place after falling to as low as 30th after blowing a tire on lap 273.

"I really don't know what the problem was," said Gordon, who took a 125-point lead over Mark Martin into the race. "I felt something starting to go away in the right front and it started vibrating and it started pushing the front end real bad. I knew we couldn't make it the last 50 laps but we were praying for it and, sure enough, as soon as we got a lap down something goes in the front end."

The win, combined with Gordon's finish, allowed Jarrett to leap over Martin into second place in the points battle heading into the final race Nov. 16 in Atlanta. It also renewed Jarrett's hope of claiming his first Winston Cup championship.

"Well, we've got a chance and that's all we asked for going (to Atlanta), is to have a shot at it," Jarrett said. "We've got a shot and that's what we've worked 31 races for. What we have to do now is go down there and try to win the race and see what shakes out."

Gordon, who has won 10 races this season but has been hampered by tire troubles in two of the past three races, just shook his head after he climbed out of his Chevy Monte Carlo.

"I don't know how much worse it can get," the 26-year-old Gordon said. "I keep hearing about how lucky we've been and I just don't see it that way. I've said all year that this championship is going to come down to Atlanta (and) that's pretty much what we've got right now."

Gordon still can clinch the championship with a finish of 18th place or better in Atlanta -- no matter what Jarrett or Martin, who trails Gordon by 87 points, do. But the 1995 Winston Cup champ said that is easier said than done.

"I wish it was that easy," he said.

"Finishing 18th sounds easy based on how we've run this year but I don't know what to expect. If nothing breaks, we should be able to run in the top five. We can't keep having things like today happen if we're going to win it.

"There is no stronger car in Atlanta than (Jarrett's) ... of course, we don't need to beat him, just keep him in sight."

On Sunday, that was easier said than done.

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