NASCAR Hall of Famer Ned Jarrett, a two-time series champion, died on Thursday. He was 93.
The Jarrett family said he died at his home in North Carolina.
“With profound sadness, the family of NASCAR Hall of Fame driver and radio/TV personality, Ned Jarrett, announces his passing on Thursday, June 4, 2026,” the family statement began. “He died peacefully of natural causes at his home in Newton, North Carolina, with his family by his side. He was 93 years old.
“Our father was a devout Christian and a devoted, loving family man. He 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. Rest in Peace, Dad.”
Jarrett’s top-level series championships came in 1961 and 1965. He had 50 wins and 185 top-five finishes in 352 starts between 1953-66. He was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2011.
Jarrett broke his back in a crash at Greenville-Pickens Speedway in South Carolina in 1965, partially leading to his retirement at age 34. The other part of the equation was Ford Motor Company’s withdrawal from stock-car racing.
Jarrett returned to racing in 1978 as a radio broadcaster and eventually had television stints with CBS and ESPN. During the 1993 Daytona 500, he openly rooted for son Dale Jarrett as he won the race over Dale Earnhardt.
“Despite his calm demeanor, ‘Gentleman’ Ned Jarrett was as fierce a competitor as NASCAR has ever seen,” NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell said in a statement. “His on-track accomplishments speak for themselves with wins and championships across several NASCAR divisions. But it was his off-the-track persona that separated Ned from his peers. 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, and he will be dearly missed. On behalf of … all of NASCAR, I offer my deepest condolences to all of Ned’s family and friends on the loss of a NASCAR legend.”
Dale Jarrett also is a Hall of Famer. He was enshrined in 2014.
–Field Level Media
