Richmond: Dale Jarrett preview

Team UPS hopes to shine in Richmond.

RICHMOND, Va., April 30, 2002 --- Everything gets a little more intense under the lights and the NASCAR Winston Cup Series is no different when it takes to the .75-mile oval of Richmond International Raceway Saturday, May 4 for the "Pontiac Excitement 400." Dale Jarrett and the #88 UPS Racing Team are on a roll after securing their third straight top-10 finish last weekend. Jarrett's momentum has moved the team to 13th in the point standings. The team looks to continue their push into the top 10 this weekend. The "Pontiac Excitement 400" starts at 7 p.m. EST with FX providing live race coverage.

Richmond Can Prove Tricky For Novices
Richmond International Raceway is the next short-track venue for the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. Sometimes trick to navigate, the track tends to offer lots of side-by-side racing as well as a little bumping and grinding. With two wins and 11 top-five finishes at Richmond, Jarrett has studied the track well and has the knowledge to prepare him for the 400-lap event.

"Getting into turn one can be tough because there is a bump there and a lot of guys have difficulty maneuvering that turn and getting into turn two," Jarrett explained. "That can be a problem, but I think getting off of turn four is where you have to be good and it's very tricky. You get into the gas way early and every lap it seems you're just kind of getting yourself as close to the wall coming off there as you possibly can."

* Since joining the #88 team in 1996, Jarrett has scored nine top-five finishes.

* Jarrett's average finish at Richmond since 1996 is seventh.

Team UPS Rolls From California With Third Straight Top 10
The 2002 season started slow for the #88 UPS Racing team, but since scoring a fourth-place finish at Martinsville nearly one month ago has been edging its way toward the top 10. The team scored its third straight top-10 finish at California last weekend and hope to continue building on that type of performance.

"This is about the third or fourth week in a row now that we've had a top-10 finish and that's what we've got to keep doing," Jarrett said. "We're getting better each week and that's what we need to do to get back to where we're a contender for the win each week."

Jarrett To Appear At Ford Fan Day
Dale Jarrett is one of a handful of Ford drivers that will participate in the Ford Racing Fan Appreciation Day on Thursday, May 2 at Richmond Coliseum in Richmond, Va. Jarrett will conduct a question and answer session for 15 minutes beginning at 2:45 p.m., and will sign autographs from 3 to 4:30 p.m.

UPS Fun Facts To Know And Share
UPS pioneered the air cargo industry in 1929. Since then, UPS has steadily built one of the largest, most technologically advanced airlines in the world. Today, UPS Airlines is the ninth largest airline in North America, with 336 jet aircraft in service or on firm order. It also employs more than 384 chartered aircraft every day. UPS's main air hub is located in Louisville, Ky., and has six additional regional air hubs located around the United States.

-ryr/ups-