DATE: Monday, July 21, 1997                 TAG: 9707210153

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY BOB ZELLER, STAFF WRITER 
DATELINE: LONG POND, PA.                    LENGTH:   76 lines

JARRETT THE DOMINATOR AT POCONO

When you are Dale Jarrett and you're driving a NASCAR stock car powered by one of Robert Yates' horsepower-rich engines, you don't need to rely on superstition or good-luck charms.

But when a member of Jarrett's team found a silver cross lying in the team's garage stall Saturday, the team put it to work anyway.

The result, if only by coincidence, was a dominating victory by Jarrett in Sunday's race. And the victory did, in fact, end a mini-slump for the powerhouse Ford team, which had not been to Victory Lane since March, when he won at Darlington.

``It was just a little good luck charm that was found lying in front of our car yesterday,'' Jarrett said. ``It was a little cross. The guys told me that they had found it. They didn't have any idea where it came from. But it was there and they taped it to the roll bar, figuring we could use everything and everybody's power to help us win.''

Jeff Gordon, who finished second in his Chevy, 2.99 seconds behind Jarrett, attributed the victory not to Jarrett's good luck but his exceptionally powerful car.

``There was really only one good car out there today,'' Gordon said. ``That was about as perfect as we've had our car here. We couldn't compete. We were in a different class.

``As soon as that sun comes out and it gets slick, those (Fords) are in a league of their own. If you ask me if I think it's equal, I'll tell you no.''

Jarrett led 108 of the 200 laps, while Gordon was in front for 53 circuits.

``I think he's lobbying for something already,'' Jarrett said of Gordon. ``I did have an awesome race car, and probably the best engine I've ever had in a car ever. This motor was incredible. It's almost unfair, that thing was so good.''

``Even when I would mess up a little bit or the car would get a little tight, it would still get down the straightaway.''

The race was largely a dull affair, although there was a hint of suspense in the final 50 laps.

When Jarrett pitted for the final time on lap 165, he took on four tires. A lap later, so did Gordon. But Jeff Burton, who finished third, saved several seconds by taking on only right-side tires. And Ted Musgrave, who finished fourth, also took on two tires.

Among those four, Musgrave was in front when the pit stops were complete. But he was struggling after making a minor track-bar adjustment on his stop.

``It was like I had a completely different car,'' Musgrave said. ``It was extremely loose.''

Burton, Jarrett and Gordon went by him in one fell swoop a few laps after the pit stops. Jarrett then passed Burton in turn 2 on lap 180 and led the rest of the way.

Mark Martin finished fifth, followed by Mike Skinner, Jimmy Spencer, Kyle Petty, Jeremy Mayfield and Bill Elliott. Eight other drivers also finished on the lead lap.

The decision to take four tires on the final pit stop was the key, Jarrett said.

``We had talked about four tires,'' Jarrett said. ``Then, as I started getting close to pit road, (crew chief) Todd (Parrott) said the 16 car (Musgrave) had taken two. But I could tell in his voice that that wasn't what he wanted, and I knew in my heart that wasn't what I wanted.

``So I said four tires, just like we had discussed. When you have a car that good, there's no sense in taking a chance on something that you hadn't done all day long. . . . As good as my car was, I knew that later in the run the four tires would work out.''

Said Burton: ``I held the 88 (Jarrett) off as long as I could. I blocked him and I drove him pretty bad there for awhile, but he got a run on me and I just couldn't do anything with him.''

It was Jarrett's third victory this year and the 11th of his career. But it did not improve his position in the points race. He is still fourth, and trails leader Jeff Gordon by 152 points. ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photo]

ASSOCIATED PRESS

A four-tire change on lap 165 helped Dale Jarrett leave the rest of

the field eating his dust Sunday in the Pennsylvania 500.

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