Ned Jarrett is a professional retired race car driver. Jarrett was introduced to cars early in life. Ned drove in his first race in 1952 at Hickory Motor Speedway (North Carolina). He drove a Sportsman Series Ford that he co-owned with his brother-in-law, and finished tenth. 

Jarrett raced in his first Grand National Series race in the 1953 Southern 500 at Darlington Speedway. Jarrett was the 1955 track champion at Hickory Motor Speedway. Jarrett came in second driving in the Sportsman Series in 1956, and won the 1957 and 1958 championships. In 1959, he was looking to pursue a career in the Grand National Series. He purchased a Junior Johnson Ford for $2,000. He did not have enough money to cover the check, so he waited until the bank closed to write the check, entered two races, and won them. Jarret is a two-time NASCAR Grand National Series champion. He was best known for his calm demeanor and he became known as "Gentleman Ned Jarrett". He is the father of former drivers Glenn Jarrett and Dale Jarrett. 

After racing, Jarrett got into commentating for NASCAR. As of 2004, Jarrett had been inducted in 12 motorsports and sports Halls of Fame. He was part of the 2011 NASCAR Hall of Fame class.