Ned Jarrett

Ned Jarrett was born in Newton, N.C., on October 12, 1932, one of four children. He was introduced to cars early, as his father allowed him to drive the family car to church on Sunday mornings at the age of nine. By the age of 17, he was working in his father's lumber business, but his true passion lay in racing.

Ned Jarrett is the father of Glenn Jarrett, who briefly raced stock cars before becoming a cable television race broadcaster. His other son, Dale Jarrett, won his first NASCAR championship in 1999 and was a notable competitor in the 2001 championship. Ned also has a daughter, Patti, who worked in racing before becoming a mother. Patti is married to Jimmy Maker, a crew chief for Bobby Labonte.

Jarrett's racing career began in earnest in 1952 at a track in Hickory, N.C., where he drove a Sportsman Ford and finished tenth. Despite initial disapproval from his parents, he continued racing, sometimes under an assumed name, until his father insisted he race under his own name. By 1959, he was fully committed to pursuing a career in Grand National racing. He bought a Junior Johnson Ford for $2,000, won two races with it, and quickly covered his costs. In 1960, he won five races and, by 1961, he clinched the NASCAR Grand National Championship. He dominated the racing scene again in 1964 and 1965, securing 15 wins in 1964 and another championship in 1965, including a memorable victory at the Southern 500 in Darlington, S.C.

In 1966, Jarrett was poised for another successful year when Ford unexpectedly withdrew from NASCAR. This led him to retire from racing at the age of 34. After retiring, he ventured into real estate and other business ventures before returning to the racing world as a broadcaster. He was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2011, a testament to his significant contributions to the sport. Currently, he resides in North Carolina and engages in motivational speaking, sharing his experiences and lessons from his racing and post-racing careers.