Two-time NASCAR champion Ned Jarrett, who built a second career in motorsports radio that spanned decades, died June 4 at his home in North Carolina. He was 93.
Known as “Gentleman Ned” for his demeanor on and off the track, Jarrett won the NASCAR Grand National Series championship in 1961 and 1965, accumulating 50 wins across 352 starts over 13 seasons. After retiring from racing at 34, he joined Motor Racing Network, the radio home of NASCAR, in 1978 as a pit reporter before moving to the booth, and hosted Ned Jarrett’s World of Racing for 31 years.
He later worked with CBS and ESPN and was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2011.
MRN President Chris Schwartz said Jarrett laid the foundation for generations. “With his calming voice and attention to detail, Ned was one of motorsports’ great storytellers. On behalf of everyone associated with the Motor Racing Network, I extend my deepest sympathies to Ned’s family and friends,” Schwartz commented.
The Jarrett family said in a statement, “[Ned] was a friend to everyone he met and NASCAR’s oldest living champion. By all accounts, he was a true NASCAR legend. While we mourn his passing, we celebrate the remarkable life of an amazing man and truly the best father anyone could have wished for.”
