Pit strategy is the gamble the #88 UPS Racing Team made on lap 67 in the Dodge Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway on Sunday afternoon. The team elected to have driver Dale Jarrett pit for fuel only on lap 67 under the green flag to gain valuable track position. A spin while coming back up to speed, however, cost Jarrett all of that precious track position. Then with six laps remaining, an accident took him out of the race, resulting in a 34th-place finish.
It didn't take long for cars to start going off the 2.52-mile road course as caution waved on the second lap after a multi-car accident forced NASCAR to red flag the racing action for about 15 minutes. Jarrett's car resembled a pin ball during the first lap after getting hit from behind and then running into the back of Bobby Labonte's #43 Dodge. Jarrett's biggest accomplishment, however, was avoiding the lap two accident which took place in front of him when the Ken Schrader's #21 Ford spun. The action occurred behind the UPS Ford Fusion when Sterling Marlin, Casey Mears and Tom Hubert all got collected as a result of Schrader's spin.
Jarrett battled a race car that was slightly loose in the right-hand turns, but after adjustments went to the other end of the spectrum, tightening in those same turns. The challenge of passing cars hampered Jarrett's ability to move up through the field. After making a four-tire pit stop during the fourth caution, the team decided to stop for fuel as soon as they were in the window for completing of the race.
Jarrett wasn't sure whether he had help from behind, but shortly after exiting the pit area, he spun and was 33rd when he was able to get the UPS Ford straight.
"The track was just extremely slick this year," Jarrett said. "The handling issues on the car didn't let us try any of the strategy we had prepared for because we had to pit a few times to try to adjust on the car and get it to where I could drive it. I don't know what happened there when we pitted for fuel. The car came out from behind me so it felt like I had been hit but I don't know. And then to get tangled up in a wreck there toward the end, it's unfortunate."
Elliott Sadler found passing just as difficult behind the wheel of the #38 M&M'S® Ford Fusion, but managed to move up 16 positions from his starting position of 24th, finishing the day in eighth place.
Sadler moved ahead of his teammate in the standings. He is 19th in the point standings, while Jarrett is 23rd.
Jeff Gordon went to victory lane for the first time in the 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season. Jimmie Johnson continues to lead the Nextel Cup Series point standings, using his 10th-place finish to grow his lead to 113 points over Matt Kenseth.
The NASCAR Nextel Cup Series travels to the place where the 2006 NASCAR season began. Fox wraps its coverage of the 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season next weekend at Daytona International Speedway. Broadcast for the Pepsi 400 begins at 7:30 p.m., with the green flag waving at 8:00 p.m.
