Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, July 31, 1990 TAG: 9007310446
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Driver Dale Jarrett, whose plans have been the subject of much speculation in the Winston Cup garage, confirmed Sunday at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway that he has agreed to remain with the Wood Brothers Ford team in 1991.
"You can put all the rumors to rest because I'm staying with the Woods," Jarrett said.
"The Woods are hard-working people who are great to work with. They make me feel right at home and it's great to know that I'll be back in their car next season. I think it's just a matter of time before we begin to come on strong."
Jarrett got his shot in the Woods' car in April when the team's regular driver, Neil Bonnett, was injured in a crash at Darlington, S.C. Bonnett, who received a blow on the head and is still trying to fully recover from from a severe case of amnesia, hasn't driven since.
Before agreeing to stay with the Stuart-based operation, Jarrett had been linked to a new team being formed by Charlotte businessman Sam McMahon for '91. Jarrett wriggled out of a signed letter of intent with McMahon to remain with the Woods.
Jarrett, 33, the son of NASCAR Hall of Famer Ned Jarrett, has made 12 starts in the Woods' Thunderbird this season. His best finish is an eighth-place run in the July 7 Pepsi 400 at Daytona Beach, Fla.
Dale Earnhardt may not like running slow, but he certainly can't argue with his results when it comes to restrictor-plate racing.
Earnhardt's Richard Childress team completed its domination of NASCAR's four 1990 plate races Sunday with another easy win. Earnhardt finished 3-for-4 in the plate races, and would have been perfect if not for a cut tire that cost him the Daytona 500 only a mile from the finish line.
How dominant was Earnhardt's Chevrolet at Daytona and Talladega, the only tracks where the plate is used? In the four events, Earnhardt led for 523 of a possible 736 laps, or 1,346 of a possible 1,900 miles.
Earnhardt's sixth 1990 victory enabled him to shave Mark Martin's lead in the Winston Cup standings to the slimmest of margins - one point.
Martin, after running second most of the race to Earnhardt, had to settle for ninth when he was forced to pit for fuel with only 10 laps left in the race. The pit stop cost Martin at least 27 points in the standings, the difference between third and ninth.
Before the title chase finishes, Martin may have to pay dearly for his win at Richmond in the season's second race. Martin was docked 46 points when NASCAR officials discovered an illegal carburetor spacer on his winning Ford at Richmond.
"I just hope Richmond doesn't come back to haunt us big-time," Martin said.
LUGNUTS: Earnhardt's victory, thanks to a $68,400 pole-race sweep bonus from Unocal, was worth $152,975, and boosted his season's earnings to $1,168,525. That figure nearly doubles second-place Rusty Wallace's $592,729. . . . Darrell Waltrip, who missed Sunday's race while recovering from injuries received in a July 6 practice crash at Daytona, said he will sit out the next three races - Watkins Glen, Michigan and Bristol. "I hope to be back in the car full-time at maybe Darlington [Sept. 2] and Dover [Sept. 16], Martinsville [Sept. 23] for sure," Waltrip said. . . . Curtis Turner Jr., son of late Roanoker and NASCAR great Curtis Turner, finished 14th in his NASCAR Daytona Dash Series debut at Hampton's Langley Speedway on July 14.
by CNB