Jarrett Wins at The Rock; Will it be the last spring race held there?(News)

Byline: AL PEARCE

Word in the pits was, this was the last spring race at The Rock-NASCAR will shift its '04 date to Fontana or Kansas City, although not necessarily on the same weekend. If true, at least the Subway 400 gave 'em something to remember fondly.

Unlike the recent Daytona 500 and its three prelims, the 400 had excitement, real racing and a thrilling finish. Dale Jarrett and Kurt Busch swapped the lead three times in the final 11 laps before Jarrett won by less than a second. It was his 31st career win and his second at North Carolina Speedway, a place he'd like to see keep its two dates. ``I hate the idea of maybe not having two races here,'' he said. ``From a driver's standpoint, you've got to love a place like this. Yeah, it's hard to get hold of, and hard to race on, but it lends itself to some really good races. The driver has a lot to do with what happens, and that's why so many of us like it.''

But Jarrett is nothing if not a racer/businessman. He knows how the game is played, how TV calls the shots and how focus groups claim the Charlotte-Darlington-Rockingham area already has enough racing. He recognizes the small markets that gave NASCAR its identity have long outlived their usefulness.

``On the other side, I understand NASCAR's position,'' he said. ``They have to look at the sport as a whole, to what's best at this day and ...