That is what I have for Dale Jarrett. Respect.
It never used to be that way, maybe because I was an Earnhardt fan … I don’t know. What I do know now is that I have respect for the man and his accomplishments.
I also have respect for the way he is retiring, he is not coming back as a driver ever.
He isn’t going to be a Ricky Rudd, Bill Elliott, Terry Labonte, etc. and come back because the price is right or to use the Past Champion’s Provisional (excluding Rudd of course). Or worse yet, a Morgan Shepherd who just barely makes certain races driving a car put together on donated funds just to run a lap or two to collect the prize money and not wreck the only car they have.
I know MWR used and abused his Past Champion’s Provisional these last few years, and I didn’t like it, but at least he was still a full-time driver while it was happening and a ‘Provisional For Hire’ occasional driver.
I didn’t like Dale until after he won his Championship in 1999. He seemed to change after winning the Championship, he became less arrogant. He appeared to be more humble, and that is when I started to like him, and respect him, more.
When faced with a room full of reporters after the All-Star race on Saturday night Jarrett kept his composure and stuck to his guns:
Q: Are you absolutely certain there is no chance somewhere down the road where you might climb back into a car and drive for a race or two?
Jarrett: No, I’m not getting back in. That is my plan right now and I just don’t see anything changing that. I’ve told this to my family and I’ve told it to the fans. I think whenever you tell them things like this that you need to hold to that. … Not to mention that I have a huge commitment to ESPN and that is probably as much as anything. The commitment that I’ve made to them was that [after driving in the All-Star Race] my focus then would turn to being the best announcer that I can be.
Q: Why is it difficult for some of these other drivers to stay retired from driving?
Jarrett: I’m not sure that I can answer for them. We’re competitors and this is what we’ve always done. Just cutting off is difficult and I know that there are going to be times when I’m going to look back and think that I should have kept going at this — but again, I know in the long run that it’s the right decision for me and we’re all different as to what drives us.
source: nascar.com
If he is anything like his father he will stay out of the seat of a Cup level stock car and you’ve got to respect that whether you are a fan of his or not.
Best wishes and good luck in the booth Dale!
Photo Credit: Toyota.com
