[Quality88]

Somehow, some way, we have managed to make the trip up I-75 from Atlanta to Bristol so obsessed with Tony's tires, Kyle's Toyota, and Carl's Oil Lid that we've managed to forget about what this weekend should really be about. For the final time a champion will be in our midst, a living Daytona legend begat of another NASCAR immortal.
For the 668th time Dale Jarrett will take the green flag in a Cup Series event. He will chase his 33rd career win, though racking up his 261st top-10 would be just as worthy of an achievement. He has logged more than 185,000 laps, led 7,050 and banked a cool $59 million.
Not bad for a guy most people never expected to start even one Cup race.
As a kid he watched his father "Gentleman" Ned Jarrett win two NASCAR championships and 50 races. But it was Dale's older brother Glenn who was expected to become the racer.
"Dale?" Ned says now. "Dale was going to be a golfer. But he knew what he wanted to do and that was to be a race car driver. Even when everyone around him tried to tell him he should do something else."
The "other" Dale was a charter member of the NASCAR Busch Series in 1982, holding his own with the tough-as-a-locust-post likes of Jack Ingram, Sam Ard and Harry Gant. For nearly a decade he raced in stock car purgatory, building his own cars in Hickory, N.C., and bouncing from one second-tier Cup ride to another (how about that No. 18 Freedlander Financial Chevy, everybody?).
But thanks to a series of well-timed career zigs and zags, Dale worked his way from obscurity (how's that No. 1 Port-A-Lube Buick running?) onto a list of coveted lists -- multiple Daytona 500 champions, multiple Brickyard champions, 1998's Top 50 Greatest NASCAR drivers and, ultimately, the 1999 Cup championship.
How did he get there? What were the most memorable moments along the way? And what were the decisions he probably wished he hadn't made? Read ahead as we roll out Dale Jarrett's Top 5 NASCAR Moments and Top 5 Career What-If's......

ESPN - Jarrett's swan song overshadowed by Tony, Kyle and Carl - Nascar

[Quality88]

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[BringBackWilkesboro]

I do remember Eric Freelander's #18 as a matter of fact. Terrible Tommy Ellis had a shot in it before Dale, and that Port A Lube Buick was Hoss Ellington's ride I think.

It is a shame that all anyone wants to talk about is the off the track issues, but that's come to be expected. Way too often people forget the race and the RACING stories that surround it because one to many people had to open his or her mouth (Lee White, Tony) about something out of their control.

I certainly haven't forgotten Dale. 32 Isn't the most mind blowing win total of all our legends, but Dale won all the big ones, numerous times. The 500 3 times, the Brickyard twice, 3 wins at Charlotte, Darlington and Pocono. He was always a contender at all the biggest races in our season. He will be missed, but clearly it's time to move on.

[3fanforever]

To me, Tony's tires, Kyle's Toyota and Carl's oil lid will never overshadow Dale Jarrett's last dance. What a great guy and great driver. It will be refreshing to hear his insight in the booth. I'm looking forward to it. He's a class act!

[Bob Tanner]

Dale is a real gentleman, just as his father is. He will be missed but, luckily for us, we'll still get to see him on ABC/ESPN. Hopefully he'll be able to add a lot of professional driver-inspired commentary which that network has been sorely lacking.

Ned is the Grand Marshall for Sunday's race and will give the command. I think it would be a missed opportunity for him to not first take the mike and command, "Son, start your engine!" Then let the rest of the field fire up.

I have three distinct memories of Dale's career.
1st: Fighting Davey for the win at Michigan, beating him by less than a fender
2nd: His first Daytona 500 win and his dad calling the final lap.
3rd: Bristol, 1994 (I think) In the early stages of the race Jeff Burton (I think but won't swear to it) turned Dale, driving the #18 for Joe Gibbs, into the wall and put him out of the race. Dale climbed from the car and when the offending driver drove by him, he threw his helmet into the window screen. Ned was in the booth that day and he said, after the throw. "I'll tell you, that boy wasn't raised that way!"

Good bye, Dale Jarrett. It's been a good ride and you've done yourself, and the sport, proud. Thanks for the memories.

[Quality88]

Originally Posted by Bob Tanner

Good bye, Dale Jarrett. It's been a good ride and you've done yourself, and the sport, proud. Thanks for the memories.

Damnit... now I need a beer to wash the blues away

[jks812]

Originally Posted by Bob Tanner

Ned is the Grand Marshall for Sunday's race and will give the command. I think it would be a missed opportunity for him to not first take the mike and command, "Son, start your engine!" Then let the rest of the field fire up.

That would be awesome.

[Phils20]

This is a link to a story about his UPS ads. Now that may seem a bit off topic, but I thought it was well done. It really focus's on his last one, which I thought was great, and touches on his class and persoanlity, I think.

Give it a shot.

Thanks Dale, for the great memories!

I know that my favorite is his first Daytona 500 win! I'll never forget the "Dale and Dale show!"!!

He is gonna do a great job in the booth! I'm glad he's sticking around the sport.

The Frontstretch: The Best Ad Campaign in NASCAR History by Kurt Smith -- Friday March 14, 2008

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by Phils20

He is gonna do a great job in the booth! I'm glad he's sticking around the sport.

Generally I can do without former competitors in the booth. They tend to be rather clumsy in their delivery, self ingratiating and just generally out of their element.

I can think of two exceptions to this rule, Benny Parsons and Ned Jarrett.

Both of these gentlemen ALWAYS left you with the feeling that they WEREN'T the focus of the show, the race was. The drivers on the track, and not the former ones in the booth, were the stars of the show.

They didn't talk at you, they talked to you and you got the feeling that if you and the former driver in the booth were both in your living room, watching the race on the telly, drinking an adult beverage, he would be talking to YOU in the same tone of voice, pointing out exactly the same things, as they were doing on the screen.

I fully expect Dale to follow in that manner. He comes from good stock.

[Quality88]

Here's a nice video

NASCAR.COM : Video

[Phils20]

Very cool video!

[PenelopePitStop]

Thanks for this Thread, Q.

I saw the "Thanks Dale" in the stands during the pre-race. Nice. As I watched the end of the coverage at Bristol, I said to myself, "If they don't interview Dale, I'm going to be flippin' furious!" Well, it wasn't until the final minutes, but they did.

I mentioned in another Thread a couple of weeks ago that I could count on one hand how many drivers are/were a class act. DJ is one of them.

A friend of mine used to live in the same neighborhood as DJ in one of the Carolinas (I can't remember if it's North or South). She never met him, and only knew who he was because of me, but she said all the neighbors said he was really down to earth, they saw him all the time around town, and he threw one hell of a barbeque.

He seems satisfied with his career, as he should be, and he's a great announcer. Too bad some of these "young guns" don't take a lesson or two from DJ on how to be a gentleman on and off the track.