When the stakes are high, off-track relationships often take a backseat for racecar drivers when victory is on the line. It’s a lesson Ralph Earnhardt and Ned Jarrett learned the hard way after an incident strained their brotherly connection for a significant amount of time. For serial winners, ‘getting over’ a wreck that thwarted a potential victory is easier said than done, and it’s not uncommon for grudges to be held for years.

In a candid conversation with Dale Earnhardt Jr, Dale Jarrett recalled how his father’s relationship with Ralph Earnhardt was affected after an on-track incident in 1956 at Gaffney, South Carolina.

An incident that broke a friendship

Ned Jarrett has had quite a journey in his motorsports career. The former sawmill worker competed in his first race at Hickory Motor Speedway in 1951, using his former brother-in-law John Lentz’s racecar. Even though the decision didn’t go down well with the racer’s parents, Jarrett stuck to his dream to live life in the fast lane and eventually claimed the 1955 championship while driving the same vehicle. Given his talent, only one other driver could give Jarrett a run for his money, the 1956 champion Ralph Earnhardt. Despite the on-track battles, the two shared a close bond in their personal lives, until an incident occurred on the racetrack.

Recalling a race that put a strain on their friendship, Dale Jarrett said on the Dale Jr. Download podcast in 2019, “It was 1956 and they were racing against each other you know they were running gosh three four maybe even five times every week. So they ran a race, this is 1956. I wasn’t even born at this time and they were running in Gaffney South Carolina. My dad was leading the race, they took the white flag, went down into turn one and Ralph hit my dad and wrecked him, tore his car all to pieces.”

To add insult to injury, Ralph Earnhardt went on to secure the victory, making Ned Jarrett even more infuriated at being forced to retire early. The following day, Martha Earnhardt had planned a baby shower for Martha Bowman (Dale Jarret’s mother) as the two were best friends, but Ned Jarrett wasn’t in the mood to get over the on-track incident. Revealing what occurred after the race, Dale Jarrett said, “My dad dropped my mom for this baby shower for which that was me, and sat in the parking lot in the car the whole time. Wouldn’t go in there.”

While Ralph Earnhardt and Ned Jarrett eventually forgot all about the incident, it took its fair share of time before either driver was willing to let it go. When asked if the duo finally became friends again, Dale Jarrett candidly said, “Yes, they did but my dad said that it was literally into the next year before he forgot about that one that that one. That one lasted a while.”

The duo was dominant during the 1950s, with Ned Jarrett defeating Ralph Earnhardt for the sportsman title in 1957 and ’58 after winning 80 races out of the 150 he competed in over the two years. However, Earnhardt won the next two titles in 1959 and 1960 but Jarrett did have the last laugh in terms of greater success as he clinched the Cup Series (then Grand National Series) title twice, in 1961 and 1965, while Ralph never won it.

Jarrett regarded Earnhardt highly despite strained relations

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Despite their topsy-turvy relationship, Ned Jarrett and Ralph Earnhardt always had an underlying foundation of mutual respect. Both drivers were at the top of their game in the 1950s, competing four, maybe five times against each other on the racetrack. Given how cutthroat the world of motorsports can be, on-track incidents between the two were inevitable, even though both managed to keep their personal and professional lives separate.

Recalling how Ned Jarrett viewed Dale Earnhardt’s father, Dale Jarrett said, “He talked about how Ralph Earnhardt was probably the hardest racer that he ever raced against. Said he would not give you an inch at any point in time, didn’t matter how good a friend they were off the track. He said he still raced you just as hard and he said he’d be completely fine. He’s a different person off the racetrack.”

Ultimately, Ralph Earnhardt’s competitive spirit is what earned him multiple accolades in his racing career. His achievements on-track earned him a spot as one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers, but most importantly, he also left a lasting legacy behind, which his son Dale Earnhardt built on with seven Cup Series titles.