Brickyard 400 Live Report by Jason White

Thurs: POLE DAY
I was excited with the new team rounding into shape, with Barry Dodson at the helm and DC injected with a shot of confidence. During practice they fought the left front a lot - on the scanner I caught Derrike calling it "indecisive," but they finished practice with the 25th time, so there was reason for being confident. I go to the Brickyard every year with a large group of people. We get to the track when the gates open every morning and run to the spotters row above turn 4 to watch the qualifying and the IROC race. In 1996, my first year of attendance, I got a lot of ribbing for being a DC fan, and it has just gotten worse over the years, especially since his track record hasn't been the best. I would just enjoy the races, stick to my guns, and hope for better the next year. I mention this because I expected the wrath to be larger this year with the way the season has gone, but I wore my fan club polo shirt anyway and was prepared to hear it again. WOW, I was surprised. While all these guys - whom most I see twice a year (the 500 and 400) - have other favorite drivers, they are all slowly finding a soft spot for DC! Anyway, qualifying started and DC went out and was immediately loose - as were many drivers with the track getting much warmer. While most didn't have the guts to push the car - DC drove the wheels off. He did touch the wall but held on and ran 176.8 - which at the time had a chance of holding on for 25th!! It ended up 30th, and I went home confident DC would make the race.

Fri: IROC
During morning practice - it seemed obvious that Derrike's time would hold up. The #1 and #75 ran some fast practice laps but as the track warmed up, I knew they couldn't sustain the speed. Sure enough, DC held and only slid back one spot! 31st! I was pumped! During happy hour the team made some good strides. With only one hour to work on race setup they did all they could and freed up the car. Both DC and Barry seemed happy with the car and were excited for Sat. The IROC race was OK but with the exception of Bobby L., I just don't cheer for many of the drivers. There wasn't much passing and the field got strung out quickly. My good friend that I stay with took off soon after the race and went to watch the Busch race at another friend house. That was also uneventful and I was disappointed to see that Tony Roper didn't make the race. (just a side note - it was funny however to see that Jason White made the field - it wasn't me!!)

Sat: RACE DAY
After tailgating and arriving to my seats high above turn 3, I settled in for a great day of racing action. We all know that DC had a miss in the motor and couldn't sustain his position, but he drove smart and hard and hung in there all day. The team gave him constant support and the pit stops seemed better than they had been all year. There is reason for excitement in the DC camp and for all his fans. The race itself ended up being the Dale Jarrett show, without a very exciting finish. However, I enjoyed my week immensely and cannot wait to attend my next race!