Jarrett extends title lead with win

Jarrett led six times for 117 of the event's 160 laps. He led the last 43 laps of the race, keeping the lead after a two-tyre-and-fuel pit stop on Lap 143 during the final caution period.

He pulled away on the restart and beat Bobby Labonte to the finish line by 3.351 seconds, averaging 148.228 mph.

Defending NASCAR Winston Cup and event champion Jeff Gordon finished third.

'It was hard work,' said Jarrett. 'The car was really good...Todd [Parrott, Jarrett's crew chief] had already told me we were good on fuel.

'Then the caution came out...We agreed to come in and take two tyres. We had no idea what it would do to the car. But really, it was the best it was all day.'

Jarrett earned $712,240 for the win and expanded his Winston Cup points lead to 274 points over Mark Martin, who finished fourth today.

Jarrett became the second two-time winner of the Brickyard 400, next to Jeff Gordon.

This was the fourth victory of the season for Jarrett, tying Jeff Burton and Gordon.

Labonte was a victim of the last of three caution periods of the race.

Dave Marcis suffered engine failure on Lap 143, and nearly every car on track entered the pits for fuel and tyres.

Labonte, running fourth at the time, had enough gas to finish without the caution. Martin and Burton, running second and third, couldn't have gone the distance.

It would have been close for Jarrett, who admitted after the race that he would have needed to soft-pedal to finish the race without taking on more fuel.