| NED JARRETT | | | | for another championship when Ford withdrew |
| | | | their sponsorship in NASCAR. He decided it |
| Ned Jarrett is well known in the world of | | | | was time to retire while he was at the top of |
| NASCAR as "Gentleman Ned Jarrett" because of | | | | his game. He was just 34 years old and the |
| a certain calmness about him. Behind the | | | | only driver to retire as a NASCAR champion. |
| wheel of a race car however, he was fierce | | | | The Jarrett family is one of the first |
| competitor. His 13 year racing career brought | | | | families of NASCAR. Ned is the father of Dale |
| him two cup championships. Ned developed an | | | | Jarrett who won a championship in 1999 and |
| interest in driving early in life. His father | | | | recently retired from driving the UPS #44 for |
| let him drive to church every Sunday when he | | | | Michael Waltrip Racing. Ned and Dale are the |
| was just nine years old. At the age of 12, he | | | | second father-son pair to win cup |
| began working for his father in his sawmill, | | | | championships (behind Richard and Kyle |
| but that's not where he wanted to stay. | | | | Petty). |
| | | | |
| His heart was at the track. When he was 20 | | | | Born: October 12, 1932 (1932-10-12) (age 75) |
| years old, he drove his first race at Hickory | | | | |
| Motor Speedway. It was the first race held at | | | | Birthplace: Newton, North Carolina |
| this track. Ned finished 10th. His father | | | | |
| however, was not as excited as Ned was. He | | | | Awards: 1961 Grand National Champion |
| said that Ned could work on cars all he | | | | |
| wanted but he wasn't allowed to race. Around | | | | 1965 Grand National Champion |
| this time, Ned's brother-in-law was doing | | | | |
| some racing. Once, he was unable to drive for | | | | Named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers |
| a race due to an illness and asked Ned to | | | | (1998) |
| fill in for him. So, using his | | | | |
| brother-in-law's name, he drove in the race | | | | Myers Brothers Memorial Award (1964, 1965, |
| and placed second. | | | | 1982, 1983) |
| | | | |
| Ned was so pleased with how this plan worked | | | | National Motorsports Press Association Hall |
| out that he began to drive in more races | | | | of Fame (1972) |
| using an assumed name. Before long, his | | | | |
| father got wind of what was going on. He | | | | North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame (1990) |
| looked at Ned and said "If you're going to | | | | |
| drive, at least use your own name". So that's | | | | International Motorsports Hall of Fame (1991) |
| exactly what he did. After winning | | | | |
| championships in the Sportsman series (now | | | | Oceanside Rotary Club Stock Car Hall of Fame |
| Nationwide) in 1957 and'58 Ned wanted to | | | | (1992) |
| enter the Grand National Cup series (now | | | | |
| Sprint). | | | | National Auto Racing Hall of Fame (United |
| | | | States) (1992) |
| He found a Junior Johnson Ford he wanted to | | | | |
| buy for $2000. He didn't have enough money in | | | | American Auto Race Writers & Broadcasters |
| the bank to cover the check so he waited | | | | Association Hall of Fame (1992) |
| until after the bank closed, wrote the check | | | | |
| to purchase the car with the intention of | | | | Jacksonville, Florida Speedway Hall of Fame |
| winning two races, earning enough money for | | | | (1993) |
| the cost of the car. "I wanted that Ford in | | | | |
| the worst way," said Jarrett. "Only problem | | | | Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (1997) |
| was I didn't have $2,000. I had known that | | | | |
| Junior had won in that car on several | | | | Talladega Walk of Fame (1997) |
| occasions and I felt that was the car I | | | | |
| needed to make myself known in the Grand | | | | Hickory Metro Sports Hall of Fame (2001) |
| Nationals." | | | | |
| | | | NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Statistics |
| Needless to say, Ned won both races and the | | | | |
| car was his. In 1966, Ned was in contention | | | | 352 races run over 13 years. |