NEWNow you can listen to Pak Gazette articles!
It’s been a difficult stretch for the NASCAR community, and now it’s mourning another loss, as legendary driver and broadcaster Ned Jarrett has passed away.
He was 93 years old.
Jarrett, a member of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, died of natural causes at his home in Newton, North Carolina. A celebrated driver and broadcaster, he was named one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers in 1998.
ZERO BS. ONLY DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!
He raced in the Cup Series from 1953 to 1966, and began racing while working on his family’s farm and sawmill when Hickory Speedway opened.
“I played a little basketball and baseball in high school (and) I thought I had some athletic ability,” he said, according to NASCAR. “When they opened the track, I ran the first race they ran there. I was hooked.”
Jarrett remains number one on the all-time wins list for Ford drivers. He won 43 races behind the wheel of a car with a blue oval on the front, and his position on that list seems secure for quite some time.
Ned Jarrett puts on his helmet as he prepares for a practice session at Darlington Raceway. (Photo by ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images)
The highest active driver on the list is Team Penske’s Joey Logano, who has 35 of his 37 career wins with Ford.
Jarrett is also remembered for his career in broadcasting which began after he retired from hosting. He started as a pit reporter on radio for the Motor Racing Network (MRN), then moved to television with CBS and ESPN.
ZERO BS. ONLY DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Jan. 29: NASCAR Hall of Fame inductees Dale Jarrett (left) and his father Ned Jarrett pose for a portrait session during the NASCAR Hall of Fame induction ceremony. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/NASCAR via Getty Images)
There is probably no moment in his television career as memorable as the 1993 Daytona 500, in which he called a late-race battle between his son, NASCAR great Dale Jarrett, and Dale Earnhardt Sr. that ended with his son taking the victory.
“You know who I’m rooting for, it’s Dale Jarrett. Bring her in, Dale, don’t let her go down there,” Jarrett said during the broadcast. “He’ll make it! Dale Jarrett will win the Daytona 500! Very good!”
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE Pak Gazette APP
Jarrett’s sons, the aforementioned Dale and his brother Glenn, followed in their father’s footsteps and went into broadcasting after their racing careers ended.
Martha, his wife of 67 years, died in 2023.
