Long Live #3
04-03-2003, 10:11 AM
TALLADEGA, Ala. (AP) -- Dale Jarrett learned a lot of what he knows about restrictor-plate racing watching the late Dale Earnhardt race at Daytona and Talladega.
Those are the tracks where NASCAR requires horsepower-sapping carburetor plates to keep the cars from racing at speeds above 200 mph. They are also the places where the rule is racing in huge two- and three-wide packs with constant movement up and down the field.
"There are ways of slowing cars down that you're racing up against,'' said Jarrett, who will race Sunday in the Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway. "I've worked long and hard to figure out these things. There are ways you can affect other cars without hitting them or anything like that.
"I learned that by watching a guy who was probably the best at it and that was Dale Earnhardt. He'd tend to figure it out before anyone else would and, if you just paid attention to what Dale was doing, then you could learn a lot in a short period of time.
"I would watch him on the track and then kind of verify what I thought I was seeing on tape to make sure that's what I was seeing,'' added Jarrett, who has one victory at Talladega.
Those are the tracks where NASCAR requires horsepower-sapping carburetor plates to keep the cars from racing at speeds above 200 mph. They are also the places where the rule is racing in huge two- and three-wide packs with constant movement up and down the field.
"There are ways of slowing cars down that you're racing up against,'' said Jarrett, who will race Sunday in the Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway. "I've worked long and hard to figure out these things. There are ways you can affect other cars without hitting them or anything like that.
"I learned that by watching a guy who was probably the best at it and that was Dale Earnhardt. He'd tend to figure it out before anyone else would and, if you just paid attention to what Dale was doing, then you could learn a lot in a short period of time.
"I would watch him on the track and then kind of verify what I thought I was seeing on tape to make sure that's what I was seeing,'' added Jarrett, who has one victory at Talladega.