Remembering the Indelible Voice of Ned Jarrett

The NASCAR world lost one of the most prominent members in its history on Friday (June 5) with the passing of 2-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, Ned Jarrett.

Jarrett retired from driving several decades ago, following the 1966 season after an impressive career that included 50 wins and the 1965 Southern 500. He endured physical ailments during a decade-long stint in the sport, as well as suffering the loss of some of his closest friends.

In fact, when Fireball Roberts was critically injured after being engulfed in flames at the 1964 World 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Jarrett was the one who pulled him from the burning wreckage. Roberts sadly succumbed to complications from his injuries a month later, no doubt a moment that influenced Jarrett’s “early” retirement from the sport at the height of his career, just after turning 34 years old.

The on-track accomplishments alone would have gotten Jarrett a pass to the NASCAR Hall of Fame. But it’s behind the microphone where fans will remember him best, connecting his voice to the competition that made them lifelong fans of the sport. A long career in radio led to longtime broadcasting gigs with CBS and ESPN just as NASCAR went national in the 1980s and 1990s, putting his career in lockstep with the sport’s explosive growth.

Jarrett began his broadcast career with a local radio program in Newton, North Carolina in the early 1960s. One of his earliest feats was calling a race he couldn’t even see. At Martinsville Speedway, Jarrett was forced to call the action while in the restroom; there no way to bow out gracefully and not disturb the continuity of the broadcast. Instead, he told the story as best he could hear it — and nobody was any the wiser.

As I became engrossed in NASCAR in the late 1980s and early 1990s, I would sit and wait daily until the 5 p.m. hour, when I was able to tune into a sports radio station two hours away in Jackson, Michigan for Ned Jarrett’s World of Racing. It was a quick hit of NASCAR news of the day, a way to get information without having to wait until his weekly television program, Inside Winston Cup Racing.

Airing on TNN, Jarrett hosted that show alongside the late Steve Byrnes, who would eventually take a prominent role with FOX Sports in 2001, and the late Randy Pemberton, brother of former NASCAR Vice President and crew chief Robin Pemberton. To this day, I am convinced it was the best weekly NASCAR-focused program that has been created.

I can still remember his commercial that aired weekly for the book series of 40 Years of Stock Car Racing and his unique way of pronouncing “see-ries” and “pho-tos.” His unmistakable southern charm had a way of firmly connecting the sport to its family-style, southeastern foundation it has carried for 75+ years.

But if there’s one thing that sets Jarrett apart from his contemporaries, it is his consistently reserved and unflappable demeanor during a broadcast. Not given to wild outbursts or shouting, that calming presence wouldn’t waver even during a particularly lurid crash sequence. Here he is in 1991, calmly describing Darrell Waltrip barrel rolling countless times through the infield at Daytona International Speedway without losing his composure or screaming at the top of his lungs.

Many fans likely know Jarrett from those days of broadcasting on ESPN and CBS. The trio of Jarrett, Benny Parsons and play-by-play man Bob Jenkins were the pillar of ESPN NASCAR broadcasting for over a decade, burned in the memories of all the children who grew up watching during that era. Their genuine love and appreciation for each other, chemistry combined with an upbeat, relatable way of telling stories within the sport became the bar through which all stock car broadcast teams have been judged.

Over on CBS, it’s Jarrett’s call in the 1993 Daytona 500 that remains one of the most iconic in the sport’s history. Producer Bob Stenner made the call for the rest of the booth to maintain silence and let Ned call his son home, as the father announced “the Dale and Dale show” coming to the checkered flag with his son out front.

Jarrett was also on hand for Dale Jarrett’s first win at Michigan International Speedway with ESPN, but Bob Jenkins, as lead announcer, called the entire final lap flag to flag – Ned didn’t push his way in or step over Jenkins call. The Daytona 500, in comparison, became his crowning achievement and will forever live on in history as one of the greatest calls of The Great American Race.

In the days following the event, Ned sought out Dale Earnhardt, wanting to apologize for losing objectivity and pulling for his son to beat him. That alone can tell you the type of spirit he brought to the microphone on a weekly basis. Earnhardt simply smiled, reassuring Jarrett that all was well by saying, “I understand. I’m a daddy too.”

One of the most indelible voices of our sport, Ned Jarrett was indeed a gentleman and carried his nickname appropriately. When you think of 1990s NASCAR and who brought it to you live, Jarrett will live forever as one of the sport’s transcendent analysts… and one of the nicest people ever to be involved in the sport.

When you think of sports broadcasting, a few names come to mind: Vin Scully, Ernie Harwell, and Jack Buck. When NASCAR is mentioned to me, it’s Ken Squier, Barney Hall… and Ned Jarrett.