DATE: Saturday, June 14, 1997               TAG: 9706140576

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C5   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY BOB ZELLER, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: BROOKLYN, MICH.                   LENGTH:   73 lines

NEW DAD SEES POLE SLIP AWAY DALE JARRETT MESSES UP THE FATHER'S DAY ANGLE BY STEALING THE TOP SPOT AT MICHIGAN FROM JOE NEMECHEK.

Hollywood would have given the pole position for Sunday's Miller 400 to Joe Nemechek, but Dale Jarrett didn't read the script.

The story should have been that Nemechek, a new father on Wednesday, was duly inspired by the extraordinary experience of fatherhood to come to Michigan International Speedway and win his first-ever Winston Cup pole position for the Father's Day race.

Nemechek ran a lap of 183.379 mph in his Chevrolet on Friday and actually had the pole for about 20 minutes. But a dozen drivers later, Jarrett delivered a Friday the 13th hex in the form of a lap of 183.669 mph.

What truly made it unscripted was that Jarrett didn't seem to be a threat. He was 10th-fastest in the afternoon practice session. His qualifying lap was three-tenths of a second faster than his practice lap around this 2-mile oval.

``I knew it was a good lap, but I had no idea it was quite that good,'' Jarrett said. ``We never seriously contemplated the pole. We were trying to get our car good enough to be in the top 10, and that was going to be good enough for us.''

But Nemechek didn't seem to mind too much. He'll start from the outside pole. And he's got plenty to celebrate this Father's Day weekend.

In fact, after his qualifying run, he spent several minutes on pit road telling a family all about the birth of his son, John Hunter, at 2:40 p.m. Wednesday in Charlotte.

``It was the most awesome thing,'' he said. ``I have a whole new respect for women who give birth. Holy moly!''

His wife, Andrea, is one of the most optimistic people in the Winston Cup garage, and it was no different at the hospital.

``The doctors told me they'd never seen anyone so upbeat the whole time she was in labor,'' Joe Nemechek said. ``We went to dinner Tuesday night and ate hot wings. That kicked everything off.''

Less than 24 hours after the birth, Nemechek headed here, wearing his wife's hospital band.

``I've been rubbing Andrea's belly every week for good luck before qualifying and the race,'' he said. ``I'm going to keep the hospital arm band on now and hope that will bring me good luck this week. Surely, a new father will be lucky on Father's Day.''

As for his performance on the track, Nemechek said, ``It was a good lap, just a little slower than we had run in practice. What a way to start the week off. When you can unload off the truck and be fast, that makes your weekend.''

Nemechek's luck could have been perfect Friday, but Mother Nature apparently threw a wrench in the works. Jarrett's pole-winning run probably was enhanced by a slight cooling of the track.

``Most of the time, it is definitely a benefit to go out late, especially when you start qualifying at 3:30 p.m.,'' Jarrett said. ``I could feel it. I got in my car with about six cars left to qualify in front of me and I could feel the temperature change just sitting inside the car. So we were very, very lucky.''

Ricky Craven was third-fastest in a Chevy at 183.192 mph, followed by Sterling Marlin in a Chevy at 182.695 and Ted Musgrave in a Ford at 182.399. Also in the top 10 were Wally Dallenbach Jr. (182.362), Johnny Benson Jr. (182.223), Bobby Labonte (182.159), Jeff Burton (182.062) and Jimmy Spencer (181.910).

Ricky Rudd was 33rd-fastest at 180.162 mph, and Mike Wallace was the slowest of the 47 drivers finish a qualifying run with a lap of 176.458.

With up to 43 starting positions available, at least five drivers face an early trip home.

Rookie David Green is currently 38th-fastest, followed by Darrell Waltrip, Morgan Shepherd, Rick Mast, Brett Bodine, Rick Wilson, John Andretti, Hut Stricklin, Derrike Cope, Mike Wallace and Jerry Nadeau. The second round of time trials, scheduled for 10:45 a.m. today, promises to be a brutal test. ILLUSTRATION: Photo

``I knew it was a good lap, but I had no idea it was quite that

good,'' Dale Jarrett said after reaching 183.669 mph.

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