Martha Jarrett, the matriarch of the Jarrett family, which includes NASCAR Hall of Fame inductees Dale and Ned Jarrett, passed away on Sunday, February 5, according to a statement from the family.
“Sadly, the family of NASCAR [Hall of Fame] member Ned Jarrett announces the passing of his beloved wife Martha, who died peacefully Sunday, February 5, with family by her side,” the official statement reads. “Ned and Martha spent 67 years together, in complete love and devotion. At this time, the family requests privacy.”
Ned Jarrett, who captured a pair of NASCAR Cup Series championships in 1961 and 1965, was married to Martha for 67 years, during which time the couple had two children, Dale and Patricia Jarrett in 1965 and 1969, respectively.
In 1993, when Martha’s son, Dale Jarrett, captured his first victory in the Daytona 500, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, her husband, Ned, was involved with the commentary team for CBS Sports.
Over the closing laps of the race, the camera would pan between on-track action, and the reaction from Martha Jarrett, as she would eventually watch her son capture a landmark victory in his NASCAR Cup Series career.
Dale Jarrett would also go on to be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame, after completing a 24-year career that would net him three victories in the Daytona 500 (1993, 1996, 2000), 32 wins, and the 1999 NASCAR Cup Series championship.
Following in the footsteps of his father, Dale would join ESPN after the conclusion of his full-time driving career in 2008, remaining with the network NBC gained broadcast rights of the NASCAR Cup Series in 2015.
Eight years later, Jarrett still serves as an on-air analyst for NBC Sports’ coverage of the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series.
