Memorable Starts - Dale Jarrett's Final Career Points Paying Race

Hello everyone! One of your three proud leaders of Nascar Amino, Tanor Campos, here and welcome to the triumphant return blog of Memorable Starts on NA! This blog series showcases the debut or final career starts of Nascar drivers who gave everyone something to during their most important race, and today's driver showcase will revisit Dale Jarrett's final points paying start in the Nascar Cup Series as the 1999 champion took part in his final race at Bristol. Anyways, enjoy today's return installment of Memorable Starts involving Dale Jarrett's final career Nascar Cup Series start at Bristol Motor Speedway and if you wish to keep up with any of my latest blogs, then please consider ing my public blogging chatroom with any of my content on this wonderful community!

Dale Jarrett's Performance In His Final Race

The story of Dale Jarrett's final career points paying start in the Nascar Cup Series began on October 12th, 2007, as Dale Jarrett would announce his retirement from full-time racing at the conclusion of the 2007 season while making 6 starts during the 2008 season. Dale Jarrett would run the opening 5 races of the 2008 Nascar Cup Series season, which saw the 44 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota score finishes of 16th place in the Daytona 500, 33rd place at Auto Club Speedway (led the final 3 laps of his HOF worthy career), 39th place at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (final career DNF), and 26th place at Atlanta Motor Speedway that ultimately placed him 32nd in the point standings. The 2008 Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway was the setting for Dale Jarrett's final points-paying start in the Nascar Cup Series as the 44 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota claimed 37th place starting spot after qualifying was canceled due to inclement weather. During his final pre-race driver's meeting in Nascar, he spoke to the other drivers/teams, saying this speech.

:point_down:

Enjoy this. We all have our time in this, and mine has been fantastic. To me, it has been an honor and a privilege to be able to race in this series and say I raced with and against and sometimes beat the best in the world. Thanks for allowing me to do that. Enjoy it. It's a great sport, and you guys make it what it is. - Dale Jarrett 2008

The 44 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota took the green flag for one final time with Dale Jarrett behind the wheel, but he struggled to get going at the start as Dale Jarrett fell down to 38th place then eventually got lapped by race leader Clint Bowyer before the scheduled competition yellow came out on lap 50. Dale Jarrett failed to beat Travis Kvapil for the free , which left the 44 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 1 lap behind the race leader and continued to tumble down the running order as Dale Jarrett fell down to 39th place at the start of lap 100 in the Food City 500. Dale Jarrett was able to regain 37th place after ing Jermey Mayfield and Mike Skinner for position before climbing up to 35th place following yellow flag caused by Dave Blaney, who spun in turn 2 at Bristol. The 1999 Nascar Cup Series champion, unfortunately, let 35th place slip out of his hands as the franchise driver of Red Bull Racing Brian Vickers ended up getting around the 44 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota before the yellow flag came out due to big wreck.

Dale Jarrett's final Nascar Cup Series start was starting to get even worse as the 44 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota had fallen all the way down to 40th place, and now 4 laps behind the race leader during the event. The 44 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota was able to make up a little bit of ground at the beginning of the second half of the race at Bristol Motor Speedway, which saw Dale Jarrett move up to 39th place after Bobby Labonte made unscheduled pitstop for repairs. The 1999 Cup Series champion was able to make up 3 spots on the racetrack as multiple issues plagued his nearest rivals that allowed the 44 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota to move up to 36th place on lap 300. Dale Jarrett would remain in the same position but fell 5 laps down to the race leader that almost ended up being early retirement from the event after keeping his car off the wall following collision with the 48 car.

Dale Jarrett fell another lap behind the race leader as the 44 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota was now 6 laps down but stayed in the 36th position heading towards the 400 lap mark during the Food City 500 at Bristol. The 44 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota would unfortunately fall 7 laps behind the race leader with only 50 laps to go in his final Nascar Cup Series start that currently saw Dale Jarrett running in 36th place. For the first time since earlier in the race, Dale Jarrett was able to regain 35th place with only a few laps to go at Bristol Motor Speedway, but unfortunately, lady luck would deny him of a happy ending to his career. Dale Jarrett would take the checkered flag for the first time in his career in 37th place at Bristol Motor Speedway as the 1999 Nascar Cup Series champion finally closed the final chapter to his Nascar career.

My Thoughts On Dale Jarrett's Performance

Dale Jarrett might've struggled during his final points-paying start in the Nascar Cup Series, but he managed to keep his car clean throughout the event and made it to the checkered flag for one final time. The 44 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota was mostly backmarker entry at best, which was shown throughout the event at Bristol Motor Speedway, and Dale Jarrett did enough of a good job to maximize the performance out of his racecar in his final NCS start. While Dale Jarrett didn't get the greatest send-off to his full-time NCS career but the marks and memories that he left on the racetrack is something everyone will fully from the 1999 Cup Series champion.

#MS