November 12, 2006 - The race weekend at Phoenix International Raceway was poised to finish better than it had started for Dale Jarrett and the #88 UPS Racing Team. Jarrett was positioned to finish in the top-20, but a late race accident with Sterling Marlin sent Jarrett into the wall and effectively ended the UPS Team's day with a 39th-place finish in the Checker Auto Parts 500. DJ at Phoenix
When the UPS Ford started a run, the car leaned toward the tight side but then transitioned to a well-balanced car the longer a run went. Jarrett would lose five to six positions during the first 15 to 20 laps, but the more laps that he completed the better the handling became allowing Jarrett to pick up what he had lost as well as a few more positions. During the first 75 laps, Jarrett steadily climbed into the top-20 and was running 18th when the first caution period occurred on lap 69.
In an effort to help the car during the first part of the run, the UPS Team elected to make a few adjustments to the UPS Ford during the halfway point of the race, but the adjustments took the handling of the car in the wrong direction making it difficult for Jarrett to pass cars at all. After getting the car back to where it was at the beginning of the race, Jarrett climbed back into the top-20. Then on lap 290, Sterling Marlin had an issue and overcorrected, making contact with Jarrett as he did so and sending the UPS Ford hard into the outside wall.
"It was just that kind of day for us," Jarrett said. "The car was actually better than it had been all weekend, but some adjustments there in the middle of the race hurt us. We were in position to make up the lost track position but I got hit by the 14 car. The car is pretty much done. Hopefully we can get something better at Homestead next weekend."
Rookie teammate David Gilliland put forth a solid effort for the #38 M&M's® Team in Phoenix. After starting the race from the 13th position, he competed in and around the top 15 throughout the event and left Phoenix with a 16th-place finish.
Kevin Harvick scored the win at Phoenix while Jimmie Johnson extended his lead over Matt Kenseth with his second-place finish. Johnson carries a 63 point lead to the season finale in Homestead next weekend. NASCAR concludes the racing season for all three of its top touring series next weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The NEXTEL Cup Series Ford 400 is scheduled to start next Sunday at 3 p.m. EST. NBC provides the live television coverage of the season finale. NBC will start their broadcast with an hour-long pre-race show at 2 p.m. EST.
