1999 Cup Series Champ, Who Thrashed Denny Hamlin’s Desperate Plea, Set to Take Honorary Responsibility at Darlington

NASCAR is certainly a unique sport, constantly evolving and growing its popularity. The sport has actually outgrown itself to become the powerhouse racing league it is today. Along with its rich American heritage and peculiar set of regulations, the sport has come a long way since its inception. And 2023 is the year the sport turns 75! Celebrating its diamond jubilee, NASCAR is planning to bring out one of the greatest drivers back onto the track as an honorarium!

The 1999 Cup Series champion who is also a 3-time winner at Darlington is set to return to the track as a driver. But this time he will be a pace car driver on one of the toughest and unforgiving tracks in NASCAR!

Yes! We’re talking about none other than Dale Jarrett.

The upcoming Goodyear 400 at Darlington will feature the legendary driver leading the race in the pace car as part of NASCAR’s 75-year celebration. Jarrett, who retired after his 2008 season, is still to date vocal and very much in the scene as a senior analyst and broadcaster.

Dale Jarrett to lead the pack as part of NASCAR’s 75 years celebration

Starting the hype train, the raceway shared the exciting news on its official Twitter handle that the Hall of Fame driver is to be part of the upcoming race on May 14. As part of its ‘Throwback Weekend’ theme, the race will also feature other greats of the sport.

The upcoming race at Darlington will mark the culmination of NASCAR’s celebrating its 75 greatest drivers as part of its 75th year anniversary. Jarrett, who was named on the list as one of the greatest drivers back in 1998, will be among the other greats attending the race.

According to NBC Sports, upon hearing the warm news, an excited Jarrett said, “I’ve always had a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for Darlington Raceway,” further adding, “The track is challenging, the fans are passionate and the racing is always fantastic. It was a major achievement to win races there, and I’m grateful to have this opportunity to drive the pace car on this historic day for our sport.”

READ MORE: NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Jarrett Lambasts “Horrible” Single-Lugnut Pit Stop

Adding to the excitement is the addition of Ricky Craven, also known for his intense dogfight with Kurt Busch, at Darlington. Craven will be waving off the race!

However, this is not the only development for which Jarrett has been in the headlines. The NBC Sports racing analyst in recent days had a strong response to Denny Hamlin following his remarks after the Martinsville Speedway race.

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What happened between Dale Jarrett and Denny Hamlin? Why did the veteran slam the Joe Gibbs Racing driver?

Despite his recent ‘Ross Chastain’ controversy with NASCAR, Denny Hamlin has been vocal on his super-popular Action Detrimental podcast. Following the fiery, intense race at Martinsville, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver revealed his thoughts.

While he finished 4th, Hamlin had some desperate plea for NASCAR. With the race being ever so competitive, he fell short to overtake the drivers in front. Further, Hamlin suggested the organization make amends so that future races on the track can be more exciting and fun, saying, “You got to give us some horsepower back.”

This, however, did not sit well with the veteran driver. He soon came out to bash the #11 driver for his comments, adding on Jarrett, then went on to school the younger driver about the intricacies of the track. He said, “How to translate speed to adaptability when you get in competition and make passes is something totally different and that’s what the good drivers there have figured out.”

WATCH THIS STORY: Denny Hamlin astonishingly reveals he almost quit racing as he discloses details on phone call with mother

By bringing in such great names of the sport, NASCAR is certainly looking to catch a lot of eyeballs at Darlington. Are you looking forward to the race?