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Thursday Roundup

Jarrett's crew will be busy again

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) - Dale Jarrett's crew will have to get to work. Again.

For the second year in a row, Jarrett's team was forced to make hurried repairs heading into the Daytona 500. The three-time and defending race champion was involved in a crash during the first Twin 125-mile qualifying event Thursday.

"I have no doubts they can fix the car," said Jarrett, who would have to start at the rear of the 43-car field if he went to his backup machine.

"It didn't get hit too hard," crew chief Todd Parrott added. "We've been through this, so we know what it takes."

Last year, Jarrett's Ford Taurus was damaged during a practice session the day before the race. His crew arrived at the track early Sunday to fix dents on the rear and front of the car.

Later that day, Jarrett started from the pole and won his third Daytona 500.

On Thursday, he failed to finish after tangling with rookie Ron Hornaday with four laps remaining. Jarrett still qualified for the 500 based on his earlier qualifying speed, which put him 31st in the field.

"You go through things like this," he said, standing outside his trailer while the crew looked over the car. "All you can do is pick up and go after it. That's what good teams do."

Stewart feeling closed in

No, it has nothing to do with a fear of driving nearly 200 mph. Stewart must deal with a slight case of claustrophobia.

"It's not a deal where my sister held me under a blanket when I was little," Stewart quipped. "I just don't like tight, close quarters."

Which is just what he faces every weekend, strapped tightly inside a NASCAR Winston Cup machine with a steering wheel pressed against his chest.

Stewart didn't have a problem until he started driving Indy cars, where there's barely enough room for a driver to move. The Winston Cup cars are much bigger, but he still feels a little cramped.

To help him cope with the condition, Stewart relies heavily on the system that blows air onto the driver, cooling it with dry ice.

"We just make sure the air conditioning is working inside," Stewart said. "Something as simple as a $1.50 bag of ice makes me feel better."

Dodge gets a perfect 10

Learning curve? What learning curve?

Dodge, making its return to NASCAR Winston Cup racing after a 16-year absence, landed all 10 of its entrants in the biggest race of the year.

Pole-sitter Bill Elliott and Stacy Compton locked up the 1-2 starting positions for the Daytona 500 during qualifying last weekend. The other eight Dodge Intrepids made the field during the Twin 125s, including Race 1 winner Sterling Marlin.

"That just says a lot about the commitment that the people at Dodge have made to this program and the way the people have worked together as a team," said Ray Evernham, who was lured away from Jeff Gordon's team to lead the Dodge effort.

Little E stands behind dream

Dale Earnhardt Jr. hasn't had any newsworthy dreams lately, but the one he had last month still feels real.

"I stand behind that as if it happened last night," he said.

Earnhardt Jr. said he was sleeping soundly when he bolted awake and began saying to himself, "I won it on my second try, I won it on my second try."

Could it have been a foreshadowing of success at the Daytona 500?

"It's looking good so far," he said, after finishing 0.004 seconds behind Mike Skinner in the second qualifying race. "It was one of those dreams where you wake up and realize `Oh man, I'm back at home in my bed.'"

Last year, Earnhardt Jr. finished 13th at Daytona in his first start. The race included a late tussle with his father that dropped both out of contention. Earnhardt Sr. finished 21st.

Buckshot hits the target

Buckshot Jones qualified for his first Daytona 500 by less than six-hundredths of a second.

No wonder he already feels like a winner.

"The race is going to be a cakewalk," said Jones, in his first season with Petty Enterprises. "The big thing is getting in the Daytona 500."

Jones failed to qualify for the race in 1999, finishing 21st in one of the Twin 125s. This time, he sneaked into the 14th position in Race 1, edging out Rick Mast by 0.056 seconds.

Jones will start 29th on Sunday. Mast didn't make the field.

Wallace stretching a dollar

Kenny Wallace doesn't even have a primary sponsor. Not to worry. He'll be racing Sunday in the Daytona 500.

Wallace finished a surprising 11th in the first 125-mile qualifying race, putting him 23rd on the starting grid for the 500.

"I've been against all odds for two months," Wallace said. "I made a move to go with a new team and just because they don't have a sponsor, people look at me like I'm dirt. It hurt because I'm used to being on top. I'm a Wallace."

He wasn't the only low-budget driver to make the field. Jeff Purvis and rookie Kurt Busch, both racing without a major sponsor, also got in during the qualifying events.

Lug nuts

Dave Marcis has another streak going, but he would prefer to end this one. After starting in 32 consecutive Daytona 500s, he will miss his second in a row after wrecking in Thursday second qualifying race, finishing 21st. He remains tied with Richard Petty for the most starts at NASCAR's premier event. ... Five rookies will start the Daytona 500, led by Andy Houston from the inside of the fifth row. ... Among those failing to qualify was 1990 winner Derrike Cope.