Dale Jarrett
Dale Jarrett
Dale Arnold Jarrettis a former American race car driver and current sports commentator known for winning the Daytona 500 three timesand winning the NASCAR Winston Cup Series championship in 1999. He is the son of 2-time Grand National Champion Ned Jarrett, younger brother of Glenn Jarrett, father of former driver Jason Jarrett, and cousin of Todd Jarrett. In 2007, Jarrett joined the ESPN/ABC broadcasting team as an announcer in select Nationwide Series races. In 2008, after retiring from driving following...
ProfessionRace Car Driver
Date of Birth26 November 1956
CityConover, NC
I think Dale would at least be pleased from that to know that we moved forward in that. He and I had a discussion the week of the Daytona 500 about the HANS because he was questioning me why I was wearing it. But certainly, there were a lot more put into use the weeks following that Daytona 500.
I'm going to fire him for next week and then he's going to come back at Charlotte too,
It will be interesting to see how the transition from day to night goes this year. We don't have as much information on tires like we did in the past so that could be of some concern as we prepare for that this weekend. But it will be a great show. I've said this before but everything seems to intensify under the lights and I'm sure this weekend will be no different.
We feel like we've made some gains because we know that the competition has stepped up. It's incredible what's out there right now and I know you hear this from everybody, especially the guys that are trying to make their way into that top 10 about how tough it is, but you get around looking at time sheets from practice and things and you realize just how difficult it is. There are literally 22-25 teams every week that you say, 'Those are good cars.' And you're gonna have to be on your game to outrun those.
For as long as I can remember, we spent the Labor Day weekend at Darlington (S.C.).
The first two cars last week are so obviously doing something on the race track that is of benefit to them, then they don't pass inspection and they're allowed to sit there and jump up and down on their cars and do whatever they need to do to get through?
I think our relationship - mine and Dale's - as far as I'm concerned is as good, if not better than ever. When I came back in 2003, we talked about our differences and our problems, and I think they've been great since then.
I think things went really well. It has a very nice look to it and performed well.
I think he took it like he did everything else. He was the man in charge.
I think more than anything, this is our first opportunity to see how our cars are going to handle in the draft in actual race conditions. We have been to the test, but it's not an actual race and this is, so that's probably the biggest advantage.
I wasn't a lap down and, as we've seen, a lot of these races end under 'green-white-checkered,' and there's no free pass in the last 10 laps. I've got to try to stay in front of the leader to try to make sure I give myself a chance to earn as many points as I possibly can.
I think Earnhardt took that role, just like he did everything else. He was in charge of everything, and he'd put himself in that position. Not that anybody could have taken that position away, but we all had a huge respect for him.
I think we've recovered. It will never be the same because, again, you're not gonna replace someone like that. ... But the sport is in a better position, (and) a lot of that still comes - even five years down the road now - from the things that Dale did and was doing and was putting into place at that particular time.
I think that everybody in the garage area has a lot of respect for Jeff and I think that's because of what he's accomplished and the way he's gone about it that NASCAR has that same respect for him.