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Jarrett's moment of triumph settles in slowly

 
Published March 25, 1997|Updated Oct. 1, 2005

Dale Jarrett wondered for years what it would feel like to win at Darlington Raceway. When the time came, though, he had other things on his mind.

"All I could think about was keeping my foot down and staying ahead," he said. "All I could see in my mirror was Ted Musgrave's car."

Musgrave clung close to Jarrett's Ford through the final 58 laps at the TranSouth 400 on Sunday. He drew as near as Jarrett's window on the final lap but could not pass.

The winning realization hit Jarrett in Victory Lane, where his father, Ned, was teary, knowing they share wins at Darlington and Daytona, two of the most respected tracks among NASCAR drivers.

"He knows that this is where a driver puts a notch in his belt," said Jarrett, who won from the pole. "It's the toughest place by far that we run at."

Jarrett earned $142,860 and increased his series points lead to 87 over Jeff Gordon.

Gordon's Chevrolet was third, almost 15 seconds behind. The 25-year-old had won the past three races at the historic 1.366-mile oval, but he brushed the wall while leading on Lap 38 and could not catch up to the Fords.

"It's like being in the lead was the last place anyone wanted to be," he said.

Even Jarrett scraped the wall 10 laps after Gordon, but the damage was more psychological than mechanical. He said it took him time to find the right groove close to the barrier.

And Jarrett couldn't help remembering the few cents of oil that slid him out of the lead for the Southern 500 and cost him last season's Winston Million bonus.

"I believe that things are going to happen to you when you are ready for them," he said.

The race was slowed by 10 cautions. The worst of the incidents came on Lap 163, when Ricky Craven and Robert Pressley crashed hard coming off the second turn. Pressley had to be helped from his car.

Pressley complained of pain in his lower back and was taken to McLeod Regional Medical Center in nearby Florence for X-rays. Officials said they feared Pressley aggravated a compressed vertebra he sustained in the Daytona 500 on Feb.

16. But the racer was released a few hours later and was reported just a little sore.

Jarrett worked his way up front again on Lap 165, and Musgrave joined him after the last caution. Then the two ran a match race to the finish line.

Musgrave would slide a little left in the straightaways and peek out among the corners, testing for Jarrett's weakness. Jarrett danced down when Musgrave moved and mirrored every maneuver.

"I tried to get under him," Musgrave said. "I nerfed him a little bit and turned him sideways a little bit and I tried him again off Turn 4."

But Jarrett was too strong, as he has been most of the season. He led 171 of the 293 laps and for the year has been out front more than 60 percent of the time (914 laps of 1,614 raced since Daytona).

"In my eyes, he should have won every race this year," Gordon said.