Ford Racing Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Championship Week
Wednesday, October 29, 2025
CELEBRATING 60 YEARS SINCE FORD’S FIRST CUP SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP
The Ford Racing program began on Oct. 10, 1901 when Henry Ford won his first and only race, using the publicity from that day to attract investors and eventually start the Ford Motor Company. As part of celebrating its 125-year anniversary, Ford Racing will present a series of stories highlighting key moments. Today’s feature looks back at Ned Jarrett winning Ford’s first NASCAR Cup Series championship in 1965, and how he and his son, Dale, are the only father-son duo to win titles with Ford.
NASCAR is rooted in family values, so when you look at the sport’s storied history, it shouldn’t come as any surprise that some of the most successful drivers share the same last name.
Petty, Wood, Jarrett, Pearson, Allison, Elliott, Waltrip, Earnhardt, Labonte, Wallace, and Busch are some of the names that have dotted the NASCAR landscape through the decades. And while they’ve all won major races and championships, only one father and son duo can say they’ve won a NASCAR Cup Series championship with Ford Racing — Ned and Dale Jarrett.
Ned made manufacturer history when he became the first Ford driver to win a championship in NASCAR’s top division, achieving that milestone in 1965. In addition, he still stands as Ford’s all-time leader for career wins with 43.
“The Pettys are certainly great company to be in. There’s no doubt about that because they’ve been such icons in the sport and so good for the sport over the years,” said Ned about following in the footsteps of Lee and Richard Petty. “For Dale and I to become only the second father-son to win championships is a special feeling to us also. We’re just so thankful for the opportunities that came about to allow us to do that.”
Dale captured his championship in 1999 while driving for Robert Yates Racing and ranks fifth on the all-time Ford win list with 30.
“You think about all the things that have happened in motorsports and in NASCAR racing over the years, and to be part of a select group like that is very rewarding. I was obviously very proud of everything my dad had accomplished. When you go in and kind of follow in what your father did, especially when they were very successful, it can be difficult at times,” said Dale. “I didn’t know if I could drive a race car, but when I got the opportunity to drive it, I thought I could become good enough to one day win races. It’s almost hard to sometimes put it into words, but anytime you can do something for your father, who had done so much for you, I think that makes it even more special.”
Even though the Jarretts won their championships with Ford more than 30 years apart, there were some similarities in how they got there. Despite the fact that Ned won 15 races in 1964, he did not win the championship because his team was not as consistent as it needed to be throughout the season. Likewise, Dale won seven races in 1997, but finished second to Jeff Gordon in the championship chase by a mere 14 points.
Those disappointments, however, helped set the stage for bigger and better things down the road.
“We prepared very well for the 1965 season to try to win the championship,” said Ned, who recently celebrated his 93rd birthday. “We won 13 races and were able to win the championship, but building that consistency in there – 36 top three finishes out of 54 events – that’s two out of every three – and 45 top 10s. We set out to do that and, fortunately, we had a vehicle and the help from Ford that we needed to be able to pull it off.”
When listening to how Dale won his title in 1999 it was like a mirror image of his dad’s.
“If you look back on it, we had 34 points races that year and in 29 of those events we finished in the top 10. That’s pretty amazing,” recalled Dale. “I don’t care what time or what era of racing you’re in, when you can do that and have that type of consistency, that’s what it takes to do it. Plus, we won races, so everything fell into place for us. Between the backing we had from Ford Motor Company and everyone involved, it was just a tremendous season.”
Another honor Dale and Ned share is that both were included on the list of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers, which came out during NASCAR’s 50th Anniversary celebration in 1998.
“We all like to see our children do well and to do as good or better than we did, and I always felt that Dale did a lot better than me,” said Ned. “He didn’t win as many races or as many championships, but the races that he did win – three Daytona 500s and two Brickyards – and the fact that he won so many on the superspeedways was a surprise to me. He started his career with short track racing and I thought that’s where he would be his best, but it was very special to see him win the races that he did win and to go on and win a championship. To do it in a Ford car was very, very special to us because Ford had been a part of our family for so long.”
How long?
“The first car that I remember my dad having was a 1934 Ford. He had six children. It was a two-door car and he put all six of us and my mother into the car and we’d go to church,” said Ned. “When Ford came out with a tractor he bought one of those and he had a Ford truck that he used on the farm and at the sawmill. Ford is about the only thing that we had as far as vehicles were concerned.”
Dale echoed his dad’s sentiment.
“There’s no doubt we grew up a Ford family. Early on my dad drove some other makes of cars, but my first recollection is about Ford,” he said. “I can actually remember Ford sending a film crew to our house in Camden, SC, to do a little video and I think it became a 25-30 minute feature on my dad, so they were at our house for a few days doing all of this and that’s how Ford got into my mind. I thought it was a special company that wants to come and do this and tell the story of my dad and everything taking place.
“Ford Motor Company has been that for a long time. I was extremely proud that I was able to win my first Cup race in a Ford and win my championship in a Ford. They have been very loyal to me over the years.”
This story was previously written for FordRacing.com and has been updated to reflect current statistics.
