'Jarrett will join world of broadcasting'


By CHRIS HOBBS
Record Sports Editor

HICKORY - After Saturday night, Dale Jarrett will have to get used to a new grip - a hand around a microphone instead of two around the wheel of a race car and he is ready.

Jarrett's newest ride as he heads into the next phase of his career around NASCAR racing will be in a TV booth for ESPN with fellow announcers Andy Petree and Jerry Punch, two old buddies from Newton.

Broadcasting, business, more barbeques with the family, more free time and hopefully more rounds of golf will also fill Jarrett's days from now on.

He missed making the field for a race a few times last year and, to a large extent, has seen what lies ahead. It doesn't look as scary as it once did.

"Ya know, last year when we missed the first race they went on and ran the race the next day without me there," Jarrett said. "So I saw that could happen. It obviously happened a number of times after that and I saw that 'Hey, Sundays weren't so bad being at home and having a little more time with my family. I enjoyed that."

Twenty-eight times next year, Jarrett will pack up and leave Hickory to lend his keen racing eye to fans watching NASCAR racing. He has a five-year broadcasting contract with ESPN.

"I know I will be doing TV at least that long," Jarrett said of his five-year deal with ESPN, whose contract with NASCAR is for the same length. "Then we'll have to see what happens after that.

"But I look at this and say this is something that, if I continue to enjoy it as much as I do right now, I could see myself doing it for eight to 10 years."

After a 25-year career racing at NASCAR's highest level, Jarrett thinks transitioning into the TV booth should come easy because he loves talking about racing.

"It's not going to be too complicated because I don't have the vocabulary to make it that," Jarrett said. "But I hope it can be entertaining for the fans and they'll want to turn the TV on. I want to have a good time at it and that happens with Andy and Jerry."