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Ned Jarrett, one of NASCAR’s founding legends and the sport’s oldest living champion, died Thursday of natural causes at his home in Newton, N.C.
He was 93 years old.
Known throughout the sport as “Gentleman Ned,” Jarrett was a two-time Cup Series champion who won 50 races across a career that ran from 1953-66, becoming just the third driver in history to reach that milestone.
He claimed titles in 1961 and 1965 — the latter in extraordinary fashion, finishing in the top five in 42 of 54 races despite breaking his back in a crash at Greenville-Pickens Speedway midseason.
Ned Jarrett is pictured in 2006. AP PhotoHe retired at just 34 years old, walking away from the sport on his own terms after Ford pulled its manufacturer support in 1966.
But for many fans, Jarrett’s second act defined him just as much as his first.
He returned to NASCAR as a broadcaster in 1978, joining Motor Racing Network Radio before moving to the television booth at CBS and ESPN, where he became one of the most trusted voices in the sport through its explosive growth in the 1980s and 1990s.
His most enduring moment behind the microphone came at the 1993 Daytona 500, when he found himself calling the final laps of a race his own son, Dale, was about to win.
As Dale Jarrett pulled away from Dale Earnhardt on the final lap, Ned could not contain himself.
“Come on, Dale, go baby, go,” he urged on national television. “It’s the Dale and Dale show as they come off Turn 4. You know who I’m pulling for — it’s Dale Jarrett.”
It remains one of the most cherished calls in NASCAR history, a moment that was equal parts broadcast and pure fatherly joy.
The Jarretts became only the second father-son combination in history to each win a Cup Series championship, joining Lee and Richard Petty, when Dale claimed the title in 1999.
Ned Jarrett celebrates after winning a race in 1964. AP PhotoNed was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2011.
“Despite his calm demeanor, Gentleman Ned Jarrett was as fierce a competitor as NASCAR has ever seen,” NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell said. “He was as kind as his nickname indicated, and his endearing personality helped him excel in his second career as a broadcaster. Ned was an outstanding ambassador for the sport for more than six decades.”
He is survived by his three children — Dale, Glenn and Patti — all of whom built their own careers within NASCAR.
Jarrett’s wife, Martha, died in 2023.
“He was a friend to everyone he met,” his family said in a statement. “While we mourn his passing, we celebrate the remarkable life of an amazing man and truly the best father anyone could have wished for.”
English (US)