Ned Jarrett’s 1964 Ford
by Tom Jensen April 05, 2021
One of 10 cars in the Hall of Fame’s new exhibit, “A Legendary Decade: The First 50 Inductees,” Ned Jarrett’s 1964 Ford is a standout
A highly competitive driver, Ned Jarrett is one of 16 individuals with multiple NASCAR premier series championships. Photo courtesy of Jamey Price
When it comes to racing resumes, few have one as extensive as the one belonging to Ned Jarrett, a member of the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s second class in 2011.
Jarrett’s numbers alone speak for themselves. The North Carolina native is one of only 16 drivers with multiple premier series championships, having earned titles in both 1961 and 1965. A tenacious competitor, Jarrett won 50 races in 352 starts between 1953 and ’66.
By a wide margin, Ned Jarrett was team owner Bondy Long’s most successful driver, winning 27 races in 1964-65. Photo courtesy of Jamey Price
Jarrett won 50 races in 352 starts between 1953 and ’66.
— Tom Jensen
When he didn’t win, Jarrett still ran up front, finishing in the top five in an impressive 53 percent of his starts. That’s a higher percentage of top-five finishes than posted by fellow Hall of Famers Richard Petty (2010), David Pearson (2011) and Bobby Allison (2011).
There’s much more to Jarrett’s career than numbers, good as they are. After retiring from driving, Jarrett became a successful track promotor and businessman, graduating into television and radio broadcasting of NASCAR races. Always appreciative of what NASCAR racing had done for him, Jarrett was a wonderful ambassador for the sport as well.
In 1964, Ned Jarrett finished in the top five in 68 percent of the races he competed in, an incredible percentage. Photo courtesy of NASCAR Archives & Research Center/CQ-Roll Call Group via Getty Images
Put simply, Jarrett has had a racing life well-lived.
The NASCAR Hall of Fame’s latest Great Hall exhibit, “A Legendary Decade: The First 50 Inductees,” honors the 50 individuals voted into the Hall of Fame in the first 10 classes, from 2010-2019. Each of the inductees is recognized in their respective class, and each of the classes is represented by one car.
The 1964 season saw Ned Jarrett set a personal best with 15 race victories in a single season. Photo courtesy of Jamey Price
So when it came to plan the exhibit, including Jarrett’s Hall of Honor car from 2011, the year he was inducted, was an obvious choice.
The car Jarrett selected is a 1964 Ford Galaxie, the year the driver joined forces with South Carolina team owner Bondy Long. Together, the duo achieved true greatness. In 1964, Jarrett won a career-high 15 races, 14 of them driving for Long, as he piloted the blue No. 11 Ford to 38 top fives and 42 top 10s in 55 races together. A year later, Jarrett won his second premier series championship, this one driving for Long. As a team owner, Long won 29 races; 27 of those came in 1964-65 with Jarrett as his driver.
When Ned Jarrett was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2011, his car of choice was his 1964 Ford. Photo courtesy of Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR
Without question, this was a potent and highly successful combination, and Jarrett’s position in the sport’s history is equally without question. He is one of the sport’s all-time greats.
The NASCAR Hall of Fame is honored to exhibit this great race car and nine other equally impressive vehicles in the Great Hall.
Plan your visit to the NASCAR Hall of Fame and purchase tickets by visiting nascarhall.com/tickets.
