What Dale Jarrett hasn’t done since running his final NASCAR points race March 16 at Bristol is second-guess his decision to retire from driving.
The 1999 Winston Cup champion, three-time Daytona 500 winner and favorite of fans and peers will say farewell for good tonight with an encore performance in the Sprint All-Star race.
“I’m still very comfortable with the decision,” said Jarrett, 51. “I think it was the perfect time, and these last few weeks have given me time to reaffirm that. It has given me a chance to look at the sport in a different way and get myself prepared for what happens with ESPN as we get closer to July.”
Family and friends from Jarrett’s hometown of Newton, N.C., and current residence of Hickory will arrive tonight by the busload. Other drivers will shake hands with Jarrett and wish him well - no doubt secretly hoping he treats them well from the TV booth.
“I’ve had a real pleasure racing against him,” Gordon said. “He’s one of my favorites as a driver and as a person. I’ve had an opportunity to race hard against him, race for championships against him, and in my opinion he stacks up there with the all-time best.”
“Dale Jarrett is a class act,” Edwards said. “I’ve only had him mad at me one time, and it was here, and he was even real nice about how mad he was at me.”
Yet, he leaves NASCAR fifth in career earnings with $59,737,859 and tied with Tony Stewart for 20th on the all-time victory list with 32.
“You hate to see someone like Dale Jarrett, who worked so hard for so long to get his break and then finally take full advantage of it, finish out his career the way he has,” NASCAR vice president and historian Jim Hunter said.
Retirement is a word used loosely in NASCAR. Terry Labonte cut back to a limited schedule in 2005, quit for good after the 2006 season, came back last year to run three races and will be back for five more this year. Bill Elliott quit full-time driving in 2003 and has been running a limited schedule since.
Because drivers who’ve won championships have automatic qualifying provisionals, Jarrett undoubtedly will get offers to come back. In fact, he says he already has been contacted
by some owners.
But he insists he’s retiring.
“I hate to use the word never, but I have no plans whatsoever for getting back in a car,” Jarrett said. “I’ve told this to my family and I’ve told it to the fans. I think whenever you tell them things like this, you need to hold to that.”
So tonight, then, it’s truly a farewell.
With no second-guessing.
