Dale Jarrett to join ESPN

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.”

NASCAR WINS

ALL-TIME

(1949-2007)

1. Richard Petty 200

2. David Pearson 105

3. Bobby Allison 84

4. Darrell Waltrip 84

5. Cale Yarborough 83

6. Jeff Gordon 81

7. Dale Earnhardt 76

8. Rusty Wallace 55

9. Lee Petty 54

10. Junior Johnson 50

11. Ned Jarrett 50

12. Herb Thomas 48

13. Buck Baker 46

14. Bill Elliott 44

15. Tim Flock 39

16. Bobby Isaac 37

17. Mark Martin 35

18. Jimmie Johnson 33

19. Fireball Roberts 33

20. DALE JARRETT 32

21. Tony Stewart 32

- Source: NASCAR

DJ’S CUP VICTORIES

1991

Aug. 18: Champion Spark Plug 400, Michigan

1993

Feb. 14: Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway

1994

Oct. 9: Mello Yello 500 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway

1995

July 16: Miller Genuine Draft 500 at Pocono International Raceway

1996

Feb. 18: Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway

May 26: Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway

Aug. 3: Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Aug. 18: GM Goodwrench Dealer 400 at Michigan International Speedway

1997

March 9: Primestar 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway

March 23: TranSouth Financial 400 at At Darlington Raceway

July 20: Pennsylvania 500 at At Pocono Raceway

Aug. 23: Goody’s Headache Powder 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway

Sept. 6: Exide NASCAR Select Batteries 400 at Richmond International Raceway

Oct. 5: UAW-GM Quality 500 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway

Nov. 2: Dura Lube 500 at Phoenix International Raceway

1998

March 22: TranSouth Financial 400 at Darlington Raceway

May 31: MBNA Platinum 400 at Dover Downs International Speedway

Oct. 11: Winston 500 at Talladega Superspeedway

1999

May 15: Pontiac Excitement 400 at Richmond International Raceway

June 13: Kmart 400 at Michigan Speedway

July 3: Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway

Aug. 7: Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

2000

Feb. 20: Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway

Oct. 22: Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400 at North Carolina Motor Speedway

2001

March 18: Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 at Darlington Raceway

April 1: Harrah’s 500 at Texas Motor Speedway

April 18: Virginia 500 at Martinsville Speedway

July 22: New England 300 at At New Hampshire International Speedway

2002

June 9: Pocono 500 at Pocono International Raceway

Aug. 18: Pepsi 400 Presented by Farmer Jack at Michigan International Speedway

2003

Feb. 23: Subway 400 at North Carolina Speedway

2005

Oct. 2: UAW-Ford 500 at Talladega Superspeedway