Jarrett sees, reluctantly, that it's time to go

BRISTOL, Tenn. – What he has been unable to achieve in recent years shouldn’t unduly detract from Dale Jarrett’s considerable achievements as a stock-car racer.

At least in an official, statistical sense, Jarrett is bowing out as a regular in the Sprint Cup Series this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway. He will also compete one final time in the May 17 Sprint All-Star Race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, but that’s only an exhibition race, albeit a significant one.

Jarrett, 51, won the 1999 Winston (now Sprint) Cup championship. He won the Daytona 500 three times and has taken the checkered flag 29 other times in a career that began at the Cup level with three races in 1984. It wasn’t until 1991 that Jarrett won for the first time, but by any measure, he was one of the sport’s top competitors from that Michigan victory right up until he won for the final time at Talladega in 2005.

Sunday’s Food City 500 will be Jarrett’s 668th Cup race, ranking him 16th in NASCAR history. He’s 25th in wins; 18th in second-place, top-five and top-10 finishes; and 20th in laps led. In what is now the Nationwide Series, Jarrett won 11 times, and only seven drivers have competed in more races than his 329.

The Hickory native has exuded class in the same manner practiced by his father, Ned, who won championships in 1961 and 1965. Now he is following his father into broadcasting, where he will undoubtedly be similarly articulate and insightful.

“It’s certainly a day that I knew was going to come at some point in time,” said Dale. “I’ve had the time to reflect a little bit over the last couple of weeks on everything that’s taken place, and all of the many positive things, and, certainly, some of the things I would’ve done a little bit differently.”

There wasn’t much public behavior to regret. Oh, there were occasional flashes of anger, but by and large, Jarrett has been as close to a model citizen in the eyes of the public as any driver of his generation.

“I’ve looked at it as a privilege and an honor to drive these cars, to be a part of the NASCAR world as it is today, and be a part of the sport when a big part of its growth was occurring,” he said.

Most athletes have a hard time giving it up, none more so than stock-car racers. Racing at high speed is apparently breathtakingly addictive, even after a driver’s time at the front of the pack has dwindled.

Jarrett said the ramifications of career’s end only fully dawned on him recently as he watched his kids play youth sports.

“I still get to play golf and compete at that, but as far as being an actual competitor, which I’ve been all my life, it’s going to be a difficult day, I think, even more so now that I’ve gotten closer to it,” he said. “When we were talking about it earlier in the year, it didn’t seem like it was that bad, but now the time is arriving. …

“Sunday is going to be it.”

You may reach Monte Dutton at mdutton@gastongazette.com.