Dale Jarrett Optimistic After Clash Victory

A year ago, Dale Jarrett won the Daytona 500 pole knowing he might not be very competitive in the race.

On Sunday, Jarrett heralded his expectations for next Sunday’s 500-mile event by outrunning Sterling Marlin to win the 18th annual Busch Clash at Daytona International Speedway.

“We brought a car here last year to really, really run fast,” Jarrett said. “It was very fast. We won the [Daytona 500] pole, but we didn’t know how good those new Chevrolets were going to be and our Ford just never handled in the race.

“Knowing that, this time we were able to really compromise. We got more downforce and not as much drag. It isn’t quite as fast, but it handles a lot better.”

Jarrett ran well in both 10-lap segments of the unique sprint race for the previous season’s pole winners, racing from 12th to second--just behind Marlin--in the first half, then coming from the back row in the inverted second-half start win the event.

Jarrett, who earned his first Clash start by winning the pole for last year’s Daytona 500, beat Marlin to the line by 0.19-seconds, about four car-lengths. He averaged 184.995 mph over the 20 green-flag laps.

Miscellany

San Diego Charger defensive tackle Shawn Lee was arrested early Sunday outside a New York nightclub after injuring a man he shoved into a wall during a dispute. Vadin Granin, 24, of Elwood, N.J., needed 31 stitches to close a gash on his head.

Police said Lee and a friend, Sheryl Freeman, were inside the China Club at about 3:30 a.m. when Lee began arguing with Granin. Lee and Freeman left the club, but Granin followed them out and began harassing them, said Officer Valerie St. Rose, a police spokeswoman.

Police didn’t know what triggered the argument.

World record-holders Sergei Bubka and Javier Sotomayor were among the winners at the French International indoor track meet in Paris. Bubka cleared 18 feet 4 1/2 inches in the pole vault, well below his world record of 20-2 and even below his season’s best of 19-4 1/4. Cuban Sotomayor set a 1996 best in the high jump by clearing 7-9 1/4.

Names in the News

Jim Fassel, quarterbacks coach for the Oakland Raiders last season, has been hired as the Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator.

Michigan football Coach Lloyd Carr has agreed to a four-year deal worth at least $250,000 a year. Athletic Director Joe Roberson said that if Carr is found to have broken rules he can be dismissed without compensation, the Detroit News reported.

Jaroslav Otevrel, a Czech top player in the Finnish championship ice hockey league, was seriously injured in a game in Helsinki and it was feared he could be paralyzed.