Jason Jarrett knows a thing or two about motorsports.
He comes from one of the most well known families in the sport; his grandfather Ned and father Dale are both former NASCAR Champions.
Surrounded by racing champions, Jarrett was molded into a driver from an early age.
Early Career
His career was launched in 1993 when he won the World Karting Association's Sprint Division Championship of the Carolina's Cup at North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham, N.C.
From there, Jarrett began to work up the ranks, competing in the Limited Sportsman Division at Hickory Motor Speedway where he won Rookie-of-the-year in 1993. After a few years racing in late model events at Hickory and Tri-County Speedway in Hudson, N.C., Jarrett competed in more than 40 NASCAR Nationwide Series races between 1997 and 2000.
ARCA Career
Jarrett began to hit his stride as a driver in 2000 when he ran his first ARCA Racing Series Presented by RE/MAX and Menards race.
"I didn't know a lot about ARCA before I ran my first race in 2000," said Jarrett. "From there, it seemed like nothing but good things were happening for my team."
Jarrett had immediate success in the Series, finishing the 2001 season second in points and winning Rookie-of-the-Year honors. In 2002, Jarrett finished third in points. In 2003, he finished second in points and won the Bill France Triple Crown Award.
As the ARCA Racing Series heads to Salem Speedway on April 11, Jarrett reflected on his time at the track. "Salem was the last place I won in the ARCA Racing Series," said Jarrett. "Since the first time I tested there, I loved it. I always wanted to win a race there. I don't know what it is about the track. There is so much character, and you either love it or hate it. I loved it."
Jarrett had great success at Salem, with a win in 2004, and second place finishes in 2001, 2002 and 2003.
With his last ARCA Racing Series start in 2005, Jarrett has 114 career starts from 2000-2005, 34 top-five finishes, 67 top 10s and two wins at Kansas in 2001 and Salem in 2004.
With his knowledge and experience in the Series, he wants to continue to pass along his wisdom to younger drivers. "I would just like to tell ARCA drivers now just to enjoy your time," said Jarrett. "I was always thinking about my next move and not enjoying the moment. For those young guys, it is such a good chance to race. Just enjoy it."
What is Jarrett doing now?
Jarrett began his career as a spotter in 2006 with several NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series teams. This season, Jarrett is the spotter for Max Papis in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Michael Annett in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and Todd Bodine in several NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races.
"I take the experience I had as a driver in the ARCA Racing Series and as a driver in general to communicate better," said Jarrett. "I have taken what I used to hear on the radio and used that to help mold my skills. I try to tell the drivers specifically what is going on, and what they want to hear."
As Jarrett continues his journey in the motorsports industry, the ARCA Racing Series will always be a good memory. "Sometimes I do not miss racing, but then I read a story about the ARCA Racing Series and it reminds me of good times," said Jarrett. "I had everything that every car driver wanted-a good team, good people backing the team and all the parts and pieces in place. It made for a fun time."
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