Dale's Personal Life

Spouse Kelley

Kids Jason, Natalee, Karsyn, Zachary

Height 6' 2

Weight 215

Hometown Conover, N.C.

Birthdate November 26, 1956

Hobbies Golf, all sports, family

Biography

With wins in the biggest, longest and richest events of the season under his belt, Dale Jarrett definitely stepped into the limelight in 1996. Maybe even more impressive, though, was that he stayed there in 1997. In fact, Jarrett even improved on his dream season this year,setting new career highs with seven wins, 20 top-5s, and 23 top-10s. The driver of Robert Yates' No. 88 fell just short of a first NASCAR Winston Cup Series title, but his second-place finish in the standings was a career-best as well. The personable son of former NASCAR Winston Cup champion Ned Jarrett battled Jeff Gordon down to the wire, posting a second-place finish in the season-ending NAPA 500 at Atlanta. Jarrett bolted out to a strong start for the second consecutive season in 1997, posting two wins and six top-5s in the first seven races. He cooled off some in mid-season, but roared back late, with five wins in the final 15 races. Moreover, the No. 88 was clearly the dominant driver in Busch Pole Qualifying all season long. Jarrett qualified in the top-5 a remarkable 18 times, including three Busch Poles. Not winning the title was a disappointment, but Jarrett established one thing for certain: he is ready to to take up permanent residence near the top of the NASCAR Winston Cup Series standings. Jarrett will have a new teammate in 1998, as his successful partnership with Ernie Irvan will come to an end. Kenny Irwin, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Cintas Rookie of the Year, is set to drive the No. 28 next year. Although the transition will take time, the steadiness of the Yates organization -- not to mention the young driver's talent -- means it is unlikely that Jarrett's team will suffer. Look for another big year from Jarrett and crew chief Todd Parrott, even as they negotiate the change from Ford Thunderbirds to Ford Tauruses. Jarrett began racing in 1977 in the Limited Sportsman Division at Hickory Motor Speedway where his father was once the track promoter. His first NASCAR Winston Cup Series win came in his 129th start at the 1991 Champion 400 at Michigan Speedway in a Wood Brothers car. But the win that launched his career came in 1993 with Joe Gibbs Racing, in the Daytona 500. That season he would finish fourth overall in series points. The year 1996 saw him post his best career finish with a third in the championship chase.