Race win calls from the broadcast are often energy-packed and neutral, but very rarely do they have layers of personal emotions packed within. One such call of the Daytona 500 in 1993 exists and remains a favorite. 

FOX broadcaster  Mike Joy was reminded of an iconic call by two-time Cup Series champion and NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Ned Jarrett, who peacefully passed away on Thursday at 93. Jarrett, whose racing accolades speak for themselves, experienced a special moment during the 500 in 1993. 

Joy, who was part of the broadcast for CBS at the time, recalled, “With one lap to go in the Daytona 500, CBS-TV producer Bob Stenner hits his 'all call' key and barks "Everybody lay out !... Ned, be a dad, and call your boy home.”

Joy recalled the iconic call and wrote, “ ‘Well, Alright!’ Ned exclaims. "It's the Dale and Dale show, and you know which Dale I'm pulling for…”

Jarrett was calling the race when his son, Dale Jarrett, was holding off a charge from Dale Earnhardt.

Jarrett called his son’s win filled with emotions about a historic Daytona win and even congratulated Dale Jarrett when the pit reporter spoke to the race winner. 

Jarrett’s gentleman tag and a famous Darlington win

Jarrett passed peacefully in his sleep, almost 60 years after he retired from racing, and two things will always be attached to Jarrett’s legacy: his nickname of ‘Gentleman’ and a record that will never be broken. 

NASCAR CEO Steve O Donnell recalled in a statement, remembering the legend after his passing. 

“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.”

The competitive side of Jarrett came to the fore many a time in his career, but never as much as his 1965 win in Darlington. At the Southern 500, Jarrett entered as a competitor but not a favourite. On a hot day in Darlington, when several cars faced engine problems, Jarrett remained resilient.

His team even asked him to cool the engine down and see if he wanted to come in for some water to be thrown on the engine. Still, Jarrett remained on track, eventually winning by a massive margin of 14 laps, becoming the only driver to complete the grueling 500 miles. 

He retired in 1996 with 50 wins at the age of 34 after Ford withdrew from the competition for a short period, leaving Jarrett without a drive.

Rest in peace, Gentleman Ned.

Read more on the Daytona Racing Digest

Written by

Debrup Chaudhuri

Edited by

Suyashdeep Sason