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End Of Road Starts To Sink In For Former Champion Jarrett

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 8, 2008

DAYTONA BEACH - After more than two decades, Dale Jarrett's NASCAR career will soon be done, a fact he clearly was at peace with as he spoke to reporters Thursday at Daytona 500 media day.

Yet, despite an impending move into the ESPN booth when he steps aside for Zephyrhills' David Reutimann after the first five points races and the May 17 all-star race in the No. 44 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota, the finality of the moment seemed to really sink in for Jarrett.

"The biggest thing was when I drove in late last night, as I was driving up to the tunnel, I said, 'This is my last time coming here as a competitor,'" said Jarrett, a three-time Daytona 500 winner and 1999 Sprint Cup champion. "Now, I'll start looking at things a little bit differently in that respect, but I'm ready for that to happen. Hopefully, these races will go well and we'll finish up on a good note."

It's natural to wonder whether a good start would change Jarrett's mind about retiring at age 51. But if anything, Jarrett said, starting well would reinforce his decision.

"To me, it'd be actually easier," Jarrett said, "because I want to leave the race car and the race team in good hands for David Reutimann to come in and just continue right on."

GORDON'S YEAR? A NASCARmedia.com survey of 200 reporters held last week predicted that Jeff Gordon would win this year's Sprint Cup championship and that 2007 Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti would emerge from a promising group of former open-wheel drivers to win Rookie of the Year.

The poll also predicted Dale Earnhardt Jr. would make the 12-driver Chase for the Cup in his first season with Hendrick Motorsports. Two-time defending champion Jimmie Johnson was picked to finish second.

PRESSURE'S OFF: Defending Daytona 500 champion Kevin Harvick admitted there is a different feeling approaching Speedweeks having already won the big one.

"You still have that drive to want to win those races again," Harvick said, "but it almost takes pressure off you coming into the Daytona 500, because every year you come here and say, 'Well, am I going to win this year? Am I ever going to win the Daytona 500?' It takes all those questions away, and you can just concentrate and you know what it takes to win the race and you know what it's all about when you do win the race."

Harvick edged Mark Martin by .02 seconds to win last year's race.

HAIL TO THE CHAMP: Johnson's busy week included attending the Super Bowl on Sunday in Phoenix and what is becoming his annual visit - as Cup champion - to the White House in Washington, D.C.

He said the novelty of the Oval Office had not worn off.

"One observation I had in there that I think was funny, is you can tell that's not the office that President Bush really works in," Johnson said. "It's way too clean. There isn't a paper on the desk. There isn't a computer on the desk. I really want to see, like, his spot. ... I want to see how messy this man is or how organized he is. I know what my office looks like."

BUSCH ON SHOOTOUT POLE: Kurt Busch will sit on the pole for Saturday's Budweiser Shootout after drawing the top spot Thursday. Martin will join Busch on the front row after pulling No. 2 in the random drawing.

This will be the 30th running of the Shootout, a non-scoring event that marks the season's start of competitive racing and includes pole-sitters from the previous season as well as five past Shootout winners.

Carter Gaddis

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