Dover II: Dale Jarrett preview

DJ looks forward to rigors of Dover.

DOVER, Del., September 17, 2002 --- The "monster mile" of Dover Downs International Speedway is one tough nut to crack. Considered one of the most physically challenging tracks for drivers, Dover Downs features a tough concrete surface that produces a lot of heat both in and out of the racecar. Dale Jarrett and the #88 UPS Racing Team seem to excel at the tough one-mile track, and look forward to returning for this weekend's "MBNA 400." Racing begins at 1 p.m. EST on Sunday, Sept. 22nd with NBC providing live racing coverage beginning at 12:30 p.m. EST.

Dover Is Good Medicine For Team UPS While some drivers and teams may grimace at the thought of 400 miles at Dover Downs International Speedway, Jarrett and the #88 UPS Racing Team always welcome the site of the one-mile concrete track. Since their union in 1996, Jarrett, Todd Parrott and the #88 Robert Yates Racing Team have combined for one win and nine top fives in 13 starts.

"Dover is a place where we look forward to racing," Jarrett said. "This is a physically demanding race track and those are the types of places I look forward to racing because it's just that much more of a challenge. Besides that, this has been a pretty good track for the #88 team. So, we always look forward to racing at Dover. We were able to put together a good finish in the spring after starting from pretty far back in the field. Hopefully, we'll be able to put together a better qualifying package this time. It's very important to be up front at Dover. Pit selection and track position are crucial, and besides that it's always more fun to be up front."

*Since joining the #88 Robert Yates Racing Team in 1996, Jarrett has lead 597 laps at Dover.

*The #88 UPS Racing Team has been racing at Dover since 1996 with Jarrett at the wheel. In that time they have completed 5,235 of the 5,500 laps run to score a 95 percent lap completion rate.

*Since 1996, Jarrett has scored eight top-five finishes in 13 starts. That gives the #88 UPS Team a top-five finish average of 62 percent.

The Points Battle Tightens Up
Sterling Marlin toppled from atop the point standings following the New Hampshire 300 allowing Mark Martin to take a six-point lead over Marlin. Overall, the battle has tightened up all the way back through 12th where Jarrett currently sits with 3,240 points. He is only 78 points out of 10th place, and 238 points out of fifth. Meanwhile, less than 150 points separate point leader Mark Martin and Rusty Wallace who is currently sixth in the Winston Cup point standings.

UPS To Begin Safety Pit Stop Program
UPS will make its first high school visit this week as part of its "Safety Pit Stops" which are programs aimed at encouraging safe driving habits among high school students. The program is taking place at local high schools in cities that are visited by the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. The first stop will take place Wednesday, Sept. 18th John Bartram High School in Philadelphia, Pa., less than 60 miles outside of Dover, Del., home to the Dover Downs International Speedway where Winston Cup teams are competing this weekend. Students will participate in CD-Rom training that emphasizes the UPS Five Seeing Habits - tips that stress the importance of space and visibility when driving. Additionally, students will hear recorded back-to-back safety messages from Dale Jarrett, driver of the #88 UPS Ford Taurus.

-ryr-