Dale Jarrett is one of NASCAR’s best-known and best-loved drivers. He is famous for driving the #44 UPS Toyota Camry and was part of Toyota’s inaugural season in NASCAR. He has driven for some of the most prestigious car owners including Cale Yarborough, Wood Brothers, Joe Gibbs, Robert Yates and Michael Waltrip.

A true champion, he has won the Daytona 500 three times. Dale comes from a family that has been heavily involved in racing and is the son of two-time Grand National Champion Ned Jarrett. Dale’s younger brother, Glenn, also drove and was a pit commentator for NASCAR and Jason Jarrett is Dale’s son who has driven in the Busch Series.

In addition to being a talented race car driver, Dale is very good at golf. After graduating from high school in 1975, USC offered him a full golf scholarship, but he had other plans. He turned the volume down and headed for the racetrack. His racing career began in 1977 at Hickory Motor Speedway, a track owned by his father. In his first race, he started last and was able to move up to finish ninth. His talent for driving was beginning to show. He spent a few years honing his driving skills at Hickory before moving to the Busch Series in 1982. His best finish that first year was third and he finished sixth in the points standings. It didn’t take long for Dale to be ready to face the big dogs in the Cup Series and he debuted at Martinsville in 1984. He qualified 24th and finished 14th.

In 1987 he was in contention for Rookie of the Year honors, but came in second to Davey Allison. Dale was hungry for that first cup win and finally got it at Michigan International Speedway in 1991. He finished 17th in his career that season in the points standings. The 1993 Daytona 500 was a memorable one for many NASCAR fans. That race is known as “The Dale and Dale Show” because Jarrett was able to pass Earnhardt for the win with only one lap remaining. Dale Jarrett’s father cheered from the booth where he had announced the race.

Dale is the one who started the “kiss the bricks” tradition in Indianapolis after winning the Brickyard 400 in 1996 when he and his entire crew got down to kiss the bricks. Since then, every winning NASCAR team has been kissing the bricks. In 2003 Indy teams took notice and now uphold the same tradition. In 1998, Dale began suffering from gallbladder problems and ended up having surgery in the offseason. Undaunted, he returned in 1999 and won his first Cup title by 201 points. Earlier this year he retired from driving the Busch series and joined Brett Farve to become part owner. They introduced the #11 Rayovac Ford, one of its drivers being Dale’s son Jason.

In 2000 Dale joined UPS and they began the “Big Brown Truck” campaign which continued until the end of his career. The 2008 Food City 500 at Bristol was Dale’s last race and he passed the torch to David Reutimann, who now drives the #44 Toyota. At a drivers’ meeting before that final race, he spoke to his fellow drivers: “Enjoy this. We all have our time in this, and mine has been fantastic. It’s been an honor and a privilege for me to be able to race.” in this series and say that I competed with and against and sometimes beat the best in the world. Thanks for allowing me to do that. Enjoy it. It’s a great sport, and you guys make it what it is.” After his retirement, Dale joined the ESPN broadcast team as their lead racing analyst.