NASCAR Hall of Fame driver and two-time Cup Series champion Ned Jarrett has died at the age of 93.
His family said in a statement: “With profound sadness, the family of NASCAR Hall of Fame driver and radio/tv personality, Ned Jarrett, announces his passing on Thursday, June 4, 2026. He died peacefully of natural causes at his home in Newton, N.C. with his family by his side. He was 93 years old. Our father was a devout Christian and a devoted, loving, family man. He was a friend to everyone he met and NASCAR’s oldest living champion. By all accounts, he was a true NASCAR legend. While we mourn his passing, we celebrate the remarkable life of an amazing man and truly the best father anyone could have wished for. Rest in Peace, Dad.”
In a statement, NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell said: “Despite his calm demeanor, ‘Gentleman’ Ned Jarrett was as fierce a competitor as NASCAR has ever seen. His on-track accomplishments speak for themselves with wins and championships across several NASCAR divisions. But it was his off-the-track persona that separated Ned from his peers. He was as kind as his nickname indicated. And his endearing personality helped him excel in his second career as a broadcaster. Ned was an outstanding ambassador for the sport for more than six decades and he will be dearly missed. On behalf of the France family and all of NASCAR, I offer my deepest condolences to all of Ned’s family and friends on the loss of a NASCAR legend.”
The NASCAR family is saddened by the loss of Ned Jarrett, a NASCAR Hall of Famer, two-time Cup Series champion and one of our sport’s greatest ambassadors.
We extend our deepest condolences. pic.twitter.com/ewOS2kPyZd
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 5, 2026
Named one of NASCAR’s 50 greatest drivers in 1998, Jarrett won 50 premier-series races in addition to two titles in 1961 and 1965. He also holds the record for the premier series’ largest margin of victory in the 1965 Southern 500, claiming the win by 14 laps.
Following his racing career, Jarrett returned to the sport as a radio broadcaster with the Motor Racing Network in 1978 before transitioning to television with CBS and ESPN. His call during the 1993 Daytona 500, where his youngest son, Dale, held off Dale Earnhardt for the win, remains one of the most memorable moments in the sport’s history.
He was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2011.
