Newman-Jarrett tiff shakes up Chase



An on-track spat between Dale Jarrett and Ryan Newman on Saturday at Bristol hurt not only their respective chances to make the Chase, but also Kevin Harvick's. More



A NASCAR official holds Dale Jarrett on pit road for rough driving. Jarrett finished 31st. Credit: CIA Stock Photo

Newman-Jarrett tiff has Chase implications
By Marty Smith, NASCAR.COM
August 28, 2005
12:09 AM EDT (04:09 GMT)


BRISTOL, Tenn. -- Three drivers engaged in a fierce battle for Chase qualification saw their fortunes take a dramatic turn for the worse in Saturday's Sharpie 500 -- all at the same time.


Kevin Harvick fell to 16th in the points, his lowest position since February. Credit: Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images

Dale Jarrett spun Ryan Newman on Lap 318 of the 500-lap affair and eventually collected Kevin Harvick in the process, resulting in a two-lap rough driving penalty from NASCAR.

The situation truly began on Lap 301 when Newman got into Jarrett, sending the No. 88 Ford into the outside wall.

Seeking retaliation, Jarrett set sail. Only 17 laps later, he exercised that revenge, turning into Newman exiting Turn 4 and spinning the No. 12 Dodge into the outside wall.

"Mine was unintentional and his was intentional and that's all I'm saying," said Newman, who fell to ninth in the championship standings as a result of the accident. "NASCAR can do what they want with it."


Jarrett refused comment.

Unofficial Results
Sharpie 500
Pos. Driver Make
1. Matt Kenseth Ford
2. Jeff Burton Ford
3. Greg Biffle Ford
4. Ricky Rudd Ford
5. R. Wallace Dodge

Newman's Dodge came to rest on the frontstretch apron, and Brian Vickers swerved low to elude it. To miss the heavy-braking Vickers, Harvick swerved right and plowed head on into Newman.

Seemingly incensed at having been caught up in an accident not of his own doing, Harvick departed the infield and headed to the driver motorhome lot to change clothes, thinking his night was over.

When told that his car was in fact ready to return to competition, he reportedly refused to return to the track. Scott Riggs had been summoned to drive the No. 29 Chevrolet.

But Riggs never got in the car. Harvick returned to the track to man his rightful machine.

"I didn't think they'd fix it," said Harvick, who lost two positions in the standings as a result of the accident. "The throttle was hung wide open and they got it fixed, so I came back and got in it. It's disappointing, but what do you do?"

Harvick explained, too, that there was more the accident than one might first realize.

"I didn't see the 12 sitting there and the spotter never said anything," Harvick said. "That wreck didn't really have anything to do with me hitting [Newman]. I just got behind [Brian Vickers] and couldn't see where I was going and just hit him."

Jarrett, who entered the weekend in the 11th points position, leaves 14th, 78 points behind 10th place Jeff Gordon.

NASCAR Nextel Cup director John Darby said Jarrett faces no further penalties.

NASCAR.com

 

number one, kevin harvick is a baby...he should lose his ride for pulling his little stunts like that...but he wont...

number two...dale jarrett is an old, uncompetitive piece of crap....

welcome to the WWF of auto racing...NASCAR will let things go until another redneck king dies...if jarrett would have spun gordonm, or junior...any of 'the golden boys'..there would have been HELL to pay...its just a shame that it is going to take ANOTHER on track death for nascar to start enforcing the rules with more than a slap on the wrist.

 

very ture all they did was what hold him for one lap thats it like you said if it was jr or gordass he would have been fined thats funked up

 

Here is another article, with bull sh*t comments from Dale Jarret...

Jarrett Boils Over

Pete Pistone
Managing Editor
Posted Sunday, August 28, 2005


Jarrett sank to 14th in the point standings.


Newman is now ninth in the standings.

Dale Jarrett sure would have loved to have been racing the truck Saturday night at Bristol.

With all the usual beating and banging that goes on during a 500-lap grind at the half-mile high-banked track, maybe a UPS delivery truck would have been a beter vehicle of choice for Jarrett.

The veteran driver was involved in several incidents in Saturday's Sharpie 500 including the race's most controversial tangle between Jarrett and Ryan Newman.

On lap 301, Newman got into the rear bumper of Jarrett as they raced through the third turn, spinning the UPS Ford around and into the outside wall.

After taking his battered machine down pit road for repairs, Jarrett returned to action and apparently on a mission to find Newman.

The duo found themselves together again on the 317th lap and Jarrett drove into the side of the ALLTEL Dodge, an obvious payback from the early incident.

"Mine was unintentional. His was intentional, that was obvious," Newman said. "I sure didn't expect him to retaliate like that."

The innocent bystander in the fight was Kevin Harvick, who got swept up trying to dodge the accident on the backstretch and plowed into the side of Newman's car.

NASCAR was not amused and parked Jarrett with a two-lap penalty for rough driving eliminating him from contention and most likely erasing any hopes of making this year's "Chase for the NEXTEL Cup" championship season.

A 31st place finish dropped Jarrett down to 14th place in the series point standings with only two races left in the regular season.

"It wasn't our night," said Jarrett. "We had some handling issues early and then we kept getting hit. The handling on the car just wasn't right after Ryan got into me and I couldn't keep the car down in the corners."

"This pretty much seals our fate in regards to making the Chase," he added. "We went for so long this season without having issues like this. I guess we're due."

RacingOne Report