Dale Jarrett, No.
44 UPS Toyota
Camry
NASCAR Sprint All-Star
Race at Lowe’s Motor
Speedway
May 17, 2008
UPS Racing Team Notes of
Interest
-
Dale Jarrett will
make the final start
of his NASCAR Sprint
Cup Series career
this weekend at
Lowe’s Motor
Speedway (LMS).
-
This weekend’s race
marks Jarrett’s 17th
career start in the
All-Star event,
which he has
competed in every
year since 1992.
-
Jarrett’s best
finish in the
All-Star Race is
second, scoring the
runner-up post in
2000 and 2001.
-
Heading into this
weekend’s All-Star
Race, Jarrett’s
Sprint Cup Series
career features 32
wins, 163 top fives,
260 top 10s and 16
poles.
-
Jarrett will finally
drive the famed UPS
“Big Brown Truck”
following drivers’
introductions prior
to the start of the
All-Star Race. In
addition, a fan,
selected this week
at random, will
accompany Jarrett on
the long-awaited
ride. That lucky fan
is Patrick Gadsby of
Anderson, S.C.
-
Jarrett will be
available for
interviews this
Friday, May 16 at 4
p.m. EDT in the
infield media center
at LMS.
Jarrett Discusses Racing
in the All-Star Race
You’ve had a couple of
months since getting out
of the car following
Bristol, so has it set
in that this will be
your last race?
“I think
it has. When I got out
at Bristol, even with
all the wonderful
tributes and stories, I
knew that I had this
race left before it was
over. I’ve been out of
the car for a little
while now so it’s
something that I’ve
started to adjust to,
starting this next
chapter in my career.
The All-Star Race was
just a perfect race to
end on for me personally
as well as from a
sponsor perspective.
This is a race for the
fans and it’s a great
way for me to say thank
you to them for the
career they’ve allowed
me to have.”
Was there any
significance to the
All-Star Race being the
last race for you?
“After
really looking over the
schedule, there are a
couple of tracks or
races that stand out as
ones where you’d like to
run your last race.
Obviously the Coca-Cola
600 came to mind because
it would be here in
Charlotte. But as I
looked at that, and it
was going to take away
from somebody trying to
run all the races if I
go take a spot there and
I didn’t want to do
that. I looked at
Indianapolis, same
scenario basically – a
great place to end your
career, but it is
perfect here. This is
where it should happen.
The All-Star Race gives
me a perfect opportunity
to do that with family
and friends coming
here.”
Can you talk about the
busy week you have ahead
of you?
“We do
have a really busy week
coming up but I’m really
looking forward to
everything that is
planned. UPS obviously
has some great things
lined up, especially
with the “Big Brown
Truck” prior to the
start of the race. The
track (LMS) has also put
together some really
great things for the
fans but I’m sure it
will be a situation like
in Bristol, on the day
after the race, it will
set in. It’s an honor
that so many people want
to recognize you and
play a part in your last
race. As I said before
Bristol, I just hope
that everyone
understands how much I
appreciate the
opportunities that I’ve
been given in this
sport. I looked at this
always as an honor and a
privilege to drive these
cars, know the people
and make a living at
this.”
Can you talk about what
it would mean to win
this race in your final
start?
"It's the
one thing that I wish
that I had, one of those
trophies. It would be
the story book ending to
finish our last race
with a trip to victory
lane. We'll try
extremely hard and do
everything short of
cheating to make that
happen."
