CHARLOTTE — Richard Petty's winnings in 1971 would not even pay a race team's tire bill today, but Dale Jarrett's Winston Cup Championship in 1999 earned him some serious money.

The Winston Cup points fund will take a quantum leap for the 2000 season. In 1999, the total points fund totalled $5 million. In 2000, it will be $3 million for the driver's share alone.

Everywhere he goes, Jarrett hears the well wishes. He finds himself taking stock of what it means to be on top by watching champions of other sports.

"I was sitting there talking about what it would be like to be Tiger Woods and just be at the top of your sport like that, and Kelley (Jarrett's wife) made the comment to me, 'Well, you're there right now,'" Jarrett said. "We're not at his level by any means, but we are the champions for the year."

Note to competitors: Jarrett's team expects to aim higher than last year's top finish.

"We're not going to ease up," said Jarrett's crew chief, Todd Parrott. "We are going to keep up with the same intensity and the same focus that we have had for the past four years."

Jarrett thinks he can get back on the stage in December and become racing's first $3 million man.

"I've always found it to be very inspirational and motivating to go to the (NASCAR) banquet and look up at the head table and always wonder what it was like to sit up there," Jarrett said. "But I think sitting up there makes you even more motivated." -->