1on1: Ned Jarrett

Despite the fact that he has been retired as a driver for more than four decades, Ned Jarrett remains the all-time leader in race wins for Ford at the top level of stock-car racing.

Yet Jarrett, now 75, is at least as well known in NASCAR for being a pioneer in the broadcasting field. He also is the father of popular Sprint Cup driver Dale Jarrett, who soon will be making the transition from driver to full-time broadcaster as well.

I caught up with the elder Jarrett recently and talked one-on-one about a wide-ranging number of topics.

Q: What was the last movie you saw?

Jarrett: Um, probably there was a premier of one of the movies that I went to. Days of Thunder (which opened in theaters in June of 1990). I don't watch them. I don't have that much time to watch one particular thing.

Q: What do you like to watch on television?

Jarrett: I do watch the races in my recreation room. I have three TVs up there. I have a pretty good sized screen, maybe a 60-inch. I haven't measured it. I watch the race on that one and on the other I will watch the in-car camera stuff -- and then on the other TV I can watch anything else because there usually are some sporting events on that I like to watch. And then I have a setup where I subscribe to (NASCAR.COM's) TrackPass and I can pick up the radio contact between Dale and his spotter. That is off the computer, not in the rec-racing room, so I have to run a wire.

Q: That sounds like quite a setup. Is it better than actually being at the race?

Jarrett: Yeah, you don't have to fight the traffic. I don't have much interest in trying to do that at my age.

Q: Is your favorite hobby still playing golf?

Jarrett: Yeah, golf. I play like five times a week. I subscribe to the theory that if the forecast calls for it to be 50 degrees or higher, I'll play. I live right on a golf course.

And then the other thing I like to do is watch the grandkids play ball. I have two that are playing sports.

Q: What are their names and what are they playing right now?

Jarrett: The oldest is Karsyn, Dale's daughter who is a senior at Hickory High (School in North Carolina). She's 17. Zachary is 13 and he goes to St. Stephen's Lutheran Church (school). They are both good athletes and I love to watch them play. They play basketball, of course, now. They did play soccer. Zach does everything like his dad. He does every sport.

Q: Yeah, Dale was quite the athlete in high school, wasn't he?

Jarrett: Yeah, he had a lot of natural, God-given talent. It is fun to watch all of them.

Q: What kind of car are you driving these days?

Jarrett: I have a (Lincoln) Navigator that is my favorite. My wife has a (Lincoln) Town Car that we might drive to church or some places like that. But when we go to ballgames, I drive the Navigator. I like it because I like sitting up high where I can see everything. I'm still loyal to Ford. They've always been so good to me.

Q: Do you have a stretch of highway you like to drive?

Jarrett: I enjoy driving Interstate 40 here. Certainly that is close to here, and I do still enjoy driving. (Continued)