This week in the 49th annual Pepsi 400 the current Nextel Cup car will make its final appearance in a restrictor-plate race. The restrictor-plate debut for the new Car of Tomorrow is scheduled for Talladega in October, and every team that's not running a Chevrolet is excited for the change in hopes of ending Chevrolet's dominance at those tracks. Since 2001, a Chevrolet has won 11 out of 13 races at Daytona and 12 out of 13 races at Talladega. Dale Jarrett, second in wins at Daytona among active drivers, hopes that trend ends very soon.
"That's an incredible stat but I'm not surprised," Jarrett said. "They've had the best aerodynamic package at those two tracks for so long. It would be nice to beat them before we switch over to the new car. But we've still got a little ways to go in our Toyota to battle for that win but if there is a track where that could happen it's at Daytona. We'll just wait and see what happens on Saturday night."
The Pepsi 400 is scheduled for an 8:00 p.m. EDT start this Saturday.
Dale Jarrett Discusses Racing at Daytona International Speedway
What has made you so successful at Daytona?
"We've seen our fair share of both success and failure at Daytona. But I feel very fortunate to have won a few times there. It's a place that requires enormous amounts of patience to make it through. This weekend we'll be racing 400 miles under the lights, and that really gets exciting. Some guys get so pumped up they want to just jump right up there and lead that first lap. And that's fine. They can go ahead and do that. But you have to be careful some and realize it's a long race and there will be plenty of chances to get to the front if your car's good. I've tried to approach these races with that attitude. I like to hang back early and see how things develop and progress. As long as I know my car is good enough to stay in the draft, then I try to do what I can to avoid the 'big one' and not press the issue too early. That strategy seems to have worked for me most of the time and I've been able to hang around until the end."
How much different is Daytona from Talladega?
"To the regular fan who watches the races at both tracks, everything looks almost the same from their point-of-view. And they really are quite similar, but there some differences. At both tracks it's kind of like driving a golf cart in that you just keep the throttle mashed to the floor and keep your RPM's up as much as you can. At Daytona the turns are a little tighter and the transitions are a little harder into the corners, so it becomes tougher to keep that throttle mashed longer into a run. Daytona requires just a little more attention to the handling on the car versus Talladega where the transitions are more gradual. Talladega is wider of course and the start/finish line is past the tri-oval. Other than that, it's just about staying out of trouble and trying to hold your breath for several hundred laps."
UPS Racing Team Notes of Interest
- Dale Jarrett's only win at the Pepsi 400 came during his championship run in 1999.
- In 21 starts since 1984 at Daytona, he has earned five top-five and nine top-10 finishes.
- Jarrett earned his most recent top-five finish in the 2005 Pepsi 400.
- Jarrett has completed 93.74 percent of the laps run during his 21 starts in the Pepsi 400.
