Post by Savant on Aug 9, 2004 4:56:02 GMT -5
Dale Jarrett finishes 2nd in Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis - Published 05:56 EDT August 09 2004
What a Race - The 2004 Brickyard 400 held Sunday at the Indianapolis Superspeedway with a quarter-million attendees turned out to be one unique NASCAR spectacle special and one of the more exciting Nextel Cup races of the year, with excellent commentary throughout that leaned so favorably towards Dale Jarrett's chances of winning, appeared almost biased!
From the get go we had high expectations for our fave veteran driver Dale Jarrett, whom, since we have taken an interest in Dale Jarrett's Racing Adventure - DJRT, has been slowly and methodically moving up the NASCAR lineage over recent months and weeks, closer and closer to Victory Lane. In fact, following some spectacular comebacks from near last to the top few places, we even suggested to the folks at Dale Jarret Racing Adventure: This guy's going to win some races.
Sunday, in somewhat of a premonition and curious twist of fate: In the opening coverage, there was Dale Jarrett standing tall and proud as the first featured driver in the lineup for the National Anthem that seemed like an early positive omen for the day that something good would happen for the coveted UPS 88 Decaled, Dale Jarrett and Robert Yates racing team.
Starting well back in the running and without even a single mention as one to watch by Fox Sports, once again who could have known how, after about the halfway mark, that Dale would be well up there again with the leaders, clawing his way dutifully towards third place where he remained for most of the race.
As we have commented before, few people who are as familiar with NASCAR racing, realize just how difficult it is to win one of these races and how many things have to go so right in order to do so and more often than not how much the luck of avoiding accidents can factor into the results.
Since becoming such avid NASCAR fans this is really what makes the sport so intensely addictive: Figuring out the real winners ahead of time and after telling so many fans this might be DJ's day: After about 100 laps, we're waxing psychic.
As if to catch yet another lucky break, just as he did in the Tropicana 400 a few weeks ago, Jimmie Johnson spun out ahead of Dale and had it been just one second later might have put both cars out of the race in some kind of unthinkable crash, but that was not to be with DJ avoiding such mishap by the skin of his teeth and to witness such a debacle unfold in front of him and emerge yet again unscathed, must have given him a sign from above that fortune was again with him.
The race was highly eventful as it turned out, with multiple crashes occurring near the mid and rear end of the fleet this time, but this left some dangerous debris all over the place, resulting in a record 12 cautions being called and in spite of that, still caused more havoc towards the end when the 2nd place car ran over debris and bombed out, enabling Dale to take the spot behind race leader and winner Jeff Gordon to finish just 0.9 seconds ahead of DJ, that yet again had their been a few more laps, might have given UPS Car 88 the final edge since Gordon's 24 Car also sustained debris damage.
The end result turned out impressive enough for Racing Legend and Owner Robert Yates Racing Team of Dale Jarrett's UPS 88 and 3rd place team-mate Elliot Sadler's M&M 38, proving they have a pair of Fords with great future potential.
Once again, DJ found time to give special mention of several less fortunate and Cancer causes he generously supports.
Have a Great Week
Drive Carefully
Savant
What a Race - The 2004 Brickyard 400 held Sunday at the Indianapolis Superspeedway with a quarter-million attendees turned out to be one unique NASCAR spectacle special and one of the more exciting Nextel Cup races of the year, with excellent commentary throughout that leaned so favorably towards Dale Jarrett's chances of winning, appeared almost biased!
From the get go we had high expectations for our fave veteran driver Dale Jarrett, whom, since we have taken an interest in Dale Jarrett's Racing Adventure - DJRT, has been slowly and methodically moving up the NASCAR lineage over recent months and weeks, closer and closer to Victory Lane. In fact, following some spectacular comebacks from near last to the top few places, we even suggested to the folks at Dale Jarret Racing Adventure: This guy's going to win some races.
Sunday, in somewhat of a premonition and curious twist of fate: In the opening coverage, there was Dale Jarrett standing tall and proud as the first featured driver in the lineup for the National Anthem that seemed like an early positive omen for the day that something good would happen for the coveted UPS 88 Decaled, Dale Jarrett and Robert Yates racing team.
Starting well back in the running and without even a single mention as one to watch by Fox Sports, once again who could have known how, after about the halfway mark, that Dale would be well up there again with the leaders, clawing his way dutifully towards third place where he remained for most of the race.
As we have commented before, few people who are as familiar with NASCAR racing, realize just how difficult it is to win one of these races and how many things have to go so right in order to do so and more often than not how much the luck of avoiding accidents can factor into the results.
Since becoming such avid NASCAR fans this is really what makes the sport so intensely addictive: Figuring out the real winners ahead of time and after telling so many fans this might be DJ's day: After about 100 laps, we're waxing psychic.
As if to catch yet another lucky break, just as he did in the Tropicana 400 a few weeks ago, Jimmie Johnson spun out ahead of Dale and had it been just one second later might have put both cars out of the race in some kind of unthinkable crash, but that was not to be with DJ avoiding such mishap by the skin of his teeth and to witness such a debacle unfold in front of him and emerge yet again unscathed, must have given him a sign from above that fortune was again with him.
The race was highly eventful as it turned out, with multiple crashes occurring near the mid and rear end of the fleet this time, but this left some dangerous debris all over the place, resulting in a record 12 cautions being called and in spite of that, still caused more havoc towards the end when the 2nd place car ran over debris and bombed out, enabling Dale to take the spot behind race leader and winner Jeff Gordon to finish just 0.9 seconds ahead of DJ, that yet again had their been a few more laps, might have given UPS Car 88 the final edge since Gordon's 24 Car also sustained debris damage.
The end result turned out impressive enough for Racing Legend and Owner Robert Yates Racing Team of Dale Jarrett's UPS 88 and 3rd place team-mate Elliot Sadler's M&M 38, proving they have a pair of Fords with great future potential.
Once again, DJ found time to give special mention of several less fortunate and Cancer causes he generously supports.
Have a Great Week
Drive Carefully
Savant