Born in Conover, North Carolina, Jarrett grew up working in his father's sawmill and developed a passion for racing that his father initially opposed. He drove his first race in 1952 at Hickory Motor Speedway using a Ford co-owned with his brother-in-law, initially racing under his brother-in-law's name to avoid his father's disapproval. After winning a race under the assumed name, he was caught and told to at least use his own name. He became the 1955 track champion at Hickory and won the NASCAR Late Model Sportsman National championships in 1957 and 1958. He entered the Grand National Series in 1959 by purchasing a Junior Johnson Ford for $2,000, entering two races before the bank check cleared, and winning them both to cover the cost.
In 1961, Jarrett won the Grand National championship with 22 top-five finishes and 34 top-ten finishes across 46 races, achieving one win. Notable for the spirit of the era, he sold his championship-winning No. 11 Chevrolet to Wendell Scott — the first Black driver to compete regularly in NASCAR — when he switched to Ford for 1962.
In 1964, driving for team owner Bondy Long with Ford backing, Jarrett won 15 races but lost the title to Richard Petty. The following year, 1965, became the peak of his driving career. He won 13 races, finished in the top five in 42 of 54 starts, and claimed his second Grand National championship. The 1965 Southern 500 at Darlington encapsulated his dominant form: after the cars of Fred Lorenzen and Darel Dieringer failed in the closing laps, Jarrett won by 19.25 miles — the largest margin of victory in NASCAR history in terms of distance. That season finale win at Dog Track Speedway sealed the championship and proved to be his final NASCAR race victory.
When Ford announced its withdrawal from NASCAR at the start of 1966, Jarrett decided to retire at just 34 years old, having raced only 21 of 49 scheduled events that season. The timing made him the only NASCAR champion to retire directly from the title. He subsequently pursued real estate, business ventures, and eventually broadcasting.
Jarrett began a radio program on WNNC in Newton, North Carolina in the early 1960s, crediting a Dale Carnegie course with shaping his communication skills. He joined MRN Radio as a race broadcaster in 1978 and later became a television analyst on CBS (pit reporter 1979–1984, color analyst 1984–2000) and ESPN (1988–2000).
Several broadcasts became defining moments in NASCAR television history. In 1984 at the Firecracker 400 at Daytona, Jarrett conducted a live interview with President Ronald Reagan during the race. In 1991 at Michigan International Speedway, he called his son Dale's first career victory — a win by inches over Davey Allison in then-the-closest finish in NASCAR history. At the 1993 Daytona 500, with producer Bob Stenner's encouragement, Jarrett broke broadcaster impartiality on the final lap to openly coach Dale home past Dale Earnhardt, saying "It's the Dale and Dale show, and you know which Dale I'm pulling for!" Earnhardt, whom Ned apologized to afterward, replied simply, "I'm a father, too."
Jarrett hosted the daily MRN program Ned Jarrett's World of Racing until retiring from it on May 15, 2009.
Ned and Dale Jarrett became the second father-son pair to win NASCAR Cup championships (after Lee and Richard Petty), with Dale claiming the Winston Cup title in 1999. His son Glenn Jarrett also competed sporadically in the Busch and Cup Series and became a race broadcaster. Dale's son Jason Jarrett recorded wins in the ARCA Series.
Ned Jarrett died at his home in Newton, North Carolina, on June 4, 2026, at the age of 93. He had been inducted into 12 motorsports and sports Halls of Fame by 2004, including the International Motorsports Hall of Fame (1991), the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (1997), and the NASCAR Hall of Fame (class of 2011). He was named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers in 1998 and one of NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers in 2023.