Mike Mulhern

Dale Jarrett’s Last Ride: NASCAR’s Classiest Act Driving into the Sunset

Dale Jarrett, one of NASCAR’s classiest
(Photo credit: Toyota Motorsports)

By Mike Mulhern

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CONCORD
This All-star race will mark Dale Jarrett’s last NASCAR run, after so many years on the tour. And he’s hoping he doesn’t go out with a bang but with a smile.
“As I think back on the career, there is one word that comes to mind, and it’s ‘fortunate,’” he says.
“Fortunate that I was able to be a part of a great sport in a time that it probably was gaining its biggest growth over the years. 
“…not because I was a part of it, but that I was just lucky to be a part of it.
“It’s very fortunate. I have been very, very lucky to be a part of this and to have what I consider a very successful career.”
These final days, Jarrett concedes, have been emotional, even though he’s not leaving the sport, just heading for the TV broadcast booth. 
“It’s difficult,” he says. “It’s been easy to talk about…but to be honest it’s been getting more difficult by the day—to know this is going to be it.
“But it’s the right thing to do. 
“It’s not that I’m having any second-thoughts, it’s just difficult knowing when I get out of the car Saturday night that is the last time I will ever compete at this level. 
“You can do a lot of fun things, I can go golf….but nothing will ever match the excitement you get from driving a race car and being able to compete at this level.
“I’ve already had calls from owners saying ‘Would you consider…?  We know that opportunity might be here.’
“Yeah, it would probably be just a crazy amount of money. But that’s not what’s ever driven me.”
Actually Jarrett, the 1999 tour champion, ran his last Cup tour event at Bristol several weeks ago. But he was in the ESPN booth at Texas, Phoenix and Talladega.
“I have to keep in touch with the sport, I have to keep up with what’s going on, because our (full Cup) coverage starts in July, and it’s pretty extensive,” Jarrett said. “My ‘next life’ here is going to require me to know a lot more stuff even, and I’ve tried to do that.”

Dale Jarrett and family...but will his new TV job be even more demanding?
(Photo credit: Toyota Motorsports)

Jarrett might not be going out quite on a high; it’s been a few years since his last tour win. But he’s still fairly competitive, unlike some drivers who clearly held on to the wheel too long.
“We’re competitors, and just cutting off is difficult,” Jarrett says. “I know there are going to be times I’ll look back and think I should have kept going at this.
“But the announcing side is going to become extremely busy. I’m actually looking at my schedule, starting in July when we start with the Cup side at Indianapolis for ESPN, and I’m actually spending more time doing my job then if I were driving. It’s just a huge commitment.

DJ’s old office......
(Photo credit: Toyota Motorsports)

“From 1993 to 2004 and 2005, that was a span that was just fantastic. You hear about people loving to get up every day because they love to go do their job, and that’s the way I was. 
“That’s how good it was—you wanted to do that every single day. 
“When they said ‘Do you want to go test somewhere?’ ‘Yeah, let’s go.’
“It was a blast.
“Even though everything came together in the latter stages of my career, it was perfect timing, because I was at a point where I could handle all of that.”
Through it all Dale Jarrett has been one of this sport’s classiest acts.
And Friday, on the eve of his final run, he offered a salute – to the media: “It has been a long time, and I appreciate the way all of you have treated me very fairly. 
“I can’t say you’ve always written good things…but that’s not your job. Your job is to write what you think and report.
“You’ve been extremely fair to me, and I appreciate that. It means a lot.
“Thank you. You do a lot of good things for the sport. I really do appreciate it.”