Many active Cup Series drivers use golf as a way to calm their minds in the middle of an intense racing season. But for Dale Jarrett, the 1999 Cup Series champion and NASCAR Hall of Famer, it was more than just a hobby.
Jarrett could have very well become a professional golfer and made it to the big leagues had his passion for speed not been as deep as it was. In an interview with Kyle Petty a few months ago, he spoke in detail about his affinity for the sport.
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“With UPS, we did a special paint scheme and car for Arnold Palmer’s 50th Masters,” he said. “It was the first time that my car had not been white and brown with UPS. This one was green and white for the Masters. Got to play golf with Arnold Palmer at Bay Hill.”
This interest began when Jarrettwas a high schooler in 1977. He had been good enough in golf to warrant a scholarship to study at the University of South Carolina. But he had not wanted to go to college and sit in classrooms, when he could be out having fun playing a sport he loved. This led to him turning down the school’s offer.
Jarrett was good in every sport he played. Early on, he had been more interested in golf than in motorsports. His first sub-par round came when he was just 15 years old at the Glen Oaks Country Club in Maiden, North Carolina. He eventually climbed to a 1 handicap and also won the 1975 Glen Oaks championship. So, why then did he change his route?
All it took was one start in the 25-lap Limited Sportsman Feature at the Hickory Motor Speedway in the summer of 1977 to change Jarrett’s mind. He started the race last and finished in ninth place. As soon as he got out of his car, the decision was made. He told his father that this kind of exhilaration was exactly what he was looking for and that he wanted to get into racing.
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Between the ages of 20 and 25, Jarrett moved from racing in Southern short tracks to the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. By 30, he was a regular in the NASCAR Cup Series and drove for several top owners like Joe Gibbs, Robert Yates, and Cale Yarborough. His extensive career then ended with 32 wins and one championship in the top-tier.
Now that every bit of racing is behind him at the age of 69, Jarrett finally gets to enjoy a few swings in the club.
The post NASCAR Legend Dale Jarrett’s Special Relationship With Golf appeared first on The SportsRush.
