Ned Jarrett at Darlington, circa 1965. Photos courtesy of Ford Motor Company.
Ford Racing has kicked off an occasional series on legendary Blue Oval racing heroes at its website, and the first person to be profiled is 1965 NASCAR Grand National champion Ned Jarrett. That was an incredible year for Jarrett in more ways than one: He came back from a serious back injury within a matter of days, then won the prestigious Southern 500 at Darlington, on a fiery Labor Day weekend, by 14 laps, a record margin of victory that will likely stand forever.
Jarrett was a young guy out of North Carolina when he hooked up with team owner Bondy Long, who acquired Ford factory backing for a championship run in 1965. Despite the near career-ending wreck at South Carolina’s Greenville-Pickens Speedway, Jarrett hung on to win 13 races in 54 starts, with a remarkable 45 top-five finishes. That was more than enough to lock down the title. Jarrett retired from driving shortly thereafter and has since enjoyed a stellar career as a broadcast racing analyst. His son, Dale, became a NASCAR star in his own right.
Jarrett in his Ford Galaxie at the 1965 Charlotte 400.
Long and Jarrett are both still hale and hearty, and are planning a reunion this year to mark the 50th anniversary of their championship season. Want to know more? You’ll find the whole story at Racing.Ford.com.
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