The Jarretts

When someone mentions a championship family in NASCAR, the name Jarrett jumps to the forefront. With Ned Jarrett's two championships and son Dale with one so far, they certainly make a case for themselves.

Ned, the patriarch, has three children and one grandchild actively involved in racing. His son, Dale, is the 1999 NASCAR Winston Cup Series champion.

His other son, Glenn, tried his hand at racing but traded in the steering wheel for a microphone. His daughter, Patti, is married to Jimmy Makar, crew chief for Joe Gibbs Racing's No. 18 Pontiac since 1992.

Ned's grandson and Dale's son, Jason Jarrett, has competed in the Busch Series and is now honing his skills in ARCA competition.

Ned Jarrett began his racing career in Hickory, N.C., where he and his wife, Martha, still reside. Tearing up the short tracks of the south, he made his way to NASCAR's elite level.

Before he could do that, however, he had to convince his dad he could make a living behind the wheel of a car. His family had worked in the sawmills of the area for generations.

	Ned Jarrett

Ned didn't want his dad to know what he was up to on Saturday nights, so he used the name of his racing partner -- John Lentz.

When "Lentz" started winning races, word soon spread around the small town. Ned finally had to fess up to what he had been doing.

All his dad wanted to know was if he was a good racer, and if he was going to win, to use his real name so he could get the credit.

From there, Ned started to campaign in NASCAR events in 1953. During his 11-year career, the pilot of the famed blue No. 11 won 50 races. In 352 races, he claimed 35 poles, 185 top-fives and 239 top-10s. Not only is he one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers, his victory total places him 10th on the all-time win list, tied with Junior Johnson.

His best years were 1960 and 1965, when he earned his two championships driving between 40 and 55 races per season. When he retired at 34, he started a new career in motorsports broadcasting.

Working the radio broadcasts of races at first, he then ventured into television. Ned could be seen on CBS, TNN and ESPN, to name a few, giving his expert insight.

His most memorable on-air moment came during the CBS broadcast of the 1993 Daytona 500.

Father and Son

Dale Jarrett and Dale Earnhardt were duking it out throughout the last few laps. Ned was calling the action with Ken Squier and Buddy Baker from the booth.

As it looked like his son was going to win the race, the director told Ned to call his son to the checkered flag. The scene was etched into race fan's minds as one of the most touching moments in sports history.

When the younger Jarrett held off Earnhardt for his first of three Daytona 500 victories, it was surely a sign of things to come. Dale began his Winston Cup career in 1984 at Martinsville.

He became a full-time series driver in 1987, making 24 starts for Eric Freedlander. The next year, he made 29 starts for four different drivers. In 1989, he drove for Cale Yarborough and then the Wood Brothers the following two years.

When Joe Gibbs Racing came on the scene in 1992, Jarrett was their first driver. He moved to Robert Yates Racing during the 1994 campaign after Ernie Irvan's life-threatening crash at Michigan.

Finding a large majority of his success with the RYR team, he reached the highest pinnacle of his career, capturing the 1999 Winston Cup championship.

Dale, a Hickory, N.C., resident, has 12 Bud Poles, 30 trips to Victory Lane, 134 top-fives and 197 top-10s and has amassed more than $30 million in winnings.

Other than his Daytona 500 wins, he has also won some of the biggest races on the circuit: The Brickyard 400 in 1996 and 1999, the Coca-Cola 600 in 1996, as well as the Bud Qualifier and Shootout in 2000.

With Dale still racing and Jason gaining seat time and experience, it looks like the name of Jarrett isn't going anywhere soon.