Saturday, June 15, 2002
Jarrett continues surge by winning Michigan pole
By JENNA FRYER
AP Sports Writer
BROOKLYN, Mich. — It's only fitting for Dale Jarrett to continue his recent surge at his favorite track on the Winston Cup circuit.
Jarrett, fresh off his first victory of the season, followed it Friday by winning his first pole of the year by taking the top spot at Michigan International Speedway.
Jarrett won his first-ever race here, beating Davey Allison in a side-by-side battle in 1991, and has a total of three victories here.
“I tell people all the time when I get asked the question "What's your favorite race track?' that this is it for me,” said Jarrett, who ran a lap of 189.071 mph to earn the top spot for the Sirius Satellite Radio 400 on Sunday.
“It's for a lot of reasons, I had a lot of success here. I won my first race here, but more than anything else, it's just a great racing facility.”
He was one of 19 drivers to take their turn on the 2-mile track before qualifying was delayed over 90 minutes for rain. He then sat inside watching golf on TV, waiting and wondering if anyone would beat his speed after the rain subsided.
“With the way it was going to cool off, and they got to finish after the rain, there were some guys capable of beating it,” said Jarrett, who ended his 30-race winless streak last week.
No one came close.
Michael Waltrip, who qualified before the rain, posted a 188.793 to earn the second starting spot in a Chevrolet Monte Carlo — his highest starting spot at Michigan since he won the pole in June, 1991.
“Jarrett didn't win the pole just because I screwed up, but because he ran a great lap,” Waltrip said. “That will make it better to sleep tonight. I did all I could and he just did it better.”
Dale Earnhardt Jr., Waltrip's teammate, was the fastest of the second group of qualifiers, but will only start third after running a 188.744.
Bill Elliott qualified fourth in a Dodge Intrepid and Ward Burton was fifth. Rookie Ryan Newman was sixth and was followed by Elliott Sadler, Ricky Craven and Mark Martin.
Tony Stewart rounded out the top 10 as the highest qualifying Pontiac.
NASCAR allowed the Grand Prix its first major change to the body in over two years this week when it said Pontiac teams could extend their front air dams and raise their rear spoilers and Stewart hoped it would help in Sunday's race.
“I think our car will be pretty good, but we haven't been in traffic yet so we'll have to wait and see,” Stewart said. “But we definitely have something to work with for the rest of the weekend.”
Winston Cup series points leader Sterling Marlin had an awful run, posting a 184.422 that required him to use a provisional to make the field. He'll start 39th.
Defending race champion Jeff Gordon was also slow and will start 24th, his lowest starting position ever at Michigan.
No one, though, had as bad of a run as Casey Atwood, who wrecked his Dodge before he took the green on his qualifying lap. Atwood was checked in the infield car center and has a bruised shoulder, but should be able to compete in the event named for his primary sponsor.
“The car just came around on me, it was on the warmup lap,” said Atwood, who starts 43rd. “I was taking it easy and let off early in turn three. It just came around and it hit pretty hard, but I'm fine.”
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Jarrett continues surge by winning Michigan pole
