Biomet Hires A Jarrett As Its New Driver

Warsaw will be well represented in Cincinnati tonight when the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) hands out awards to its drivers and teams on the recently completed season.

The Biomet/Damon race team - owned by ML Motorsports - will be honored for its fourth-place finish in points. This was accomplished in its first full season of racing in the ARCA series. Additionally, driver Brian Ross, from nearby Plymouth, will walk off the stage with the "Rookie of the Year" honors.

In addition to the ARCA banquet, a big announcement is slated for this afternoon at Cincinnati concerning a new driver for Biomet next season. Ross will be leaving the Biomet operation to explore other opportunities in racing and the new Biomet driver will be 25-year-old Jason Jarrett, of Hickory, N.C.

Jarrett comes from a family long associated with auto racing. He is the son of 1999 NASCAR Winston Cup Champion Dale Jarrett, and the grandson of two-time NASCAR champ Ned Jarrett.

The younger Jarrett has been driving in the Winston Busch series the past couple of years but joins Biomet to compete for ARCA rookie of the year honors during the 2001 season.

Dale Jarrett. commenting on his son's decision to race for Biomet, said, "I think this is a great opportunity for Jason. I can think of many well-known and successful drivers who have been in ARCA competition to boost their careers. Two of the names that come quickly to my mind are former ARCA and NASCAR champion Benny Parsons and of course the late Davey Allison (1984 ARCA rookie of the year)."

Ned Jarrett, the grandfather and NASCAR champ in 1961 and 1965, said, "We're certainly proud of Jason and the fact that he has an opportunity with ML Motorsports to compete in the entire 25-race ARCA RE/MAX Series in 2001."

The elder Jarrett is probably better known today as an outstanding radio/TV racing commentator, but his NASCAR career spanned 13 years in which he won 50 races and the two championships.

Young Jarrett will hit the ground running with his new team which begins testing at Daytona International Speedway in Florida next Friday, Saturday and Sunday.