1999 season recap

Since Robert Yates gave him the biggest break of his career with a brand-new team in 1996, Dale Jarrett had been chasing Hendrick Motorsports in his quest for a NASCAR Winston Cup championship. First it was Terry Labonte, then Jeff Gordon as Jarrett finished third, second and third again in his first three championship runs. Finally in the last year of the 20th century, Jarrett reached the pinnacle of stock car racing, becoming the second second-generation driver to win NASCAR's highest honor.

With three-time champion Jeff Gordon having a rare off season, Jarrett made it look easy.

FIVE RACES TO GO:

Talladega, AL - Dale Jarrett found himself 222 points ahead of Bobby Labonte coming to Talladega. This was the one Jarrett feared most, the one where his lead could vanish in an instant with one wrong move at Talladega. And Mark Martin would be running all-out as one of five drivers with a chance to win Winston's $1 million No Bull 5 bonus. But if there was any track where Jarrett had a slight advantage, it was Talladega, where he could use his superior horsepower and drafting skills to get to the front. Indeed he did, finishing second to Dale Earnhardt for the second straight time at Talladega. And with Labonte finishing seventh and Martin struggling to a 15th-place finish, he was able to inch just a little closer to his first championship. With just four races left, Jarrett stretched his advantage to 246 points over Labonte and virtually eliminated Martin with a 319-point edge. Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart, meanwhile, were more than 400 points behind and racing for fourth.

FOUR RACES TO GO:

Rockingham, NC - Dale Jarrett was strong again, but Bobby Labonte refused to yield. Through Jarrett led 160 laps and dominated the race early, Labonte hung close to the front and passed him near the end. Labonte would up third and Jarrett fourth as brothers Jeff and Ward Burton battled for the win. Jeff held off Ward for the third time of the season while Labonte and Jarrett finished in a dead heat, leaving with the same 246-point margin they started with. By maintaining the lead, Jarrett had to survive just three more races to collect his first title. Mark Martin, meanwhile, slipped further behind, finishing sixth and falling 334 back. Jeff Gordon was 11th, Tony Stewart 12th, leaving them 12 points apart in the battle for fourth.

THREE RACES TO GO:

Phoenix, AZ - With his championship dreams behind him, Tony Stewart stepped it up a notch, winning his second race of the season and matching the late Davey Allison's rookie mark set in 1987. Mark Martin also came on strong, challenging Stewart at the end before finishing second. Bobby Labonte, meanwhile, did all he could to finish third. Dale Jarrett postponed what had now become the inevitable, finishing sixth and keeping Labonte's hopes alive for one more week. He led by 231 points and could clinch the title early with even a subpar finish the following week.

TWO RACES TO GO:

Homestead, FL - All season long, Dale Jarrett finished where he needed to to maintain his advantage, setting a mark of consistency that would rival Jeff Gordon's remarkable 1998 season. It was only fitting that he would do it again on the day he clinched the title. Though he was never a factor to win the race, Jarrett finished fifth, one spot behind Mark Martin, in the inaugural race at Homestead-Miami Speedway to clinch the 1999 title. Though Bobby Labonte had given him a run for his money during the season, he left Homestead trailing by 211 points, too many to make up in the final race of the season. Adding insult to injury was the outcome of the Homestead race. Labonte led 174 of 267 laps, only to lose the lead and the race when his teammate, Tony Stewart, rammed him while exiting pit road with less than 20 laps remaining. While Jarrett rode a float around the speedway and Stewart celebrated his second straight win, Labonte was left wondering what might have been. With the win, Stewart moved back in front of Jeff Gordon and led Jeff Burton by 78 points for fourth.

FINAL RACE:

Hampton, GA - With his championship quest behind him, Bobby Labonte let it all hang out in the season finale, leading 147 laps for his career-high fifth win of the season. And fittingly, Dale Jarrett finished right behind him, charging past Jeremy Mayfield and Mark Martin at the end for second. With the championship already in hand, Jarrett ran as hard as he could, leading 17 laps late in the race and beating everyone but Labonte. The final tally showed Jarrett winning the title by 201 points over Labonte and 319 over Martin. Stewart finished fourth, the highest for a rookie in the modern era, followed by Jeff Burton and defending champion Jeff Gordon.