Dale Jarrett begins collecting the spoils of his first NASCAR Winton Cup victory after clinching the championship in Sunday's Pennzoil 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Topping the list of what's to come, according to Jarrett, is the 24k gold replica model car trophy that is presented annually by The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company during the champion's banquet at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City. Jarrett will receive his award on Friday, December 3, from Goodyear's Chairman, CEO and President Sam Gibara.

Looking ahead, Jarrett said, "The trophy is one of those things I've always looked at and admired more in New York. To me, it means more than the money or anything else that comes along. Everyone wants to be standing right beside that trophy."

The glittering, solid 24 karat gold car has been in the works for three months. The final engraving is now underway to turn the 1/12th scale model into the #88 Quality Care/Ford Credit Taurus.

Handcrafted by artist Mike Dunlap, the one-of-a-kind trophy weights six pounds. It is 16 inches long, six inches wide and four inches high. Its value to Jarrett, however, is priceless.

The Goodyear rubber he drove on to his first title also means a lot to Jarrett. "There's too many times where we don't give Goodyear the credit they deserve. Certainly the tires are very consistent, week-in and week-out. That helps us to get our race car to work on a more consistent level with each pit stop…knowing what we can change to make it better.

"Goodyear is a huge part of this sport. We're very proud to be associated with them, Jarrett said."