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Jarrett Wins Fourth Quarter Voting
For NASCAR True Value Man Of Year

Dale Jarrett

True Value, the Official Hardware Store of NASCAR, for the second consecutive year is sponsoring the NASCAR True Value Man of the Year. An award designed to honor a driver who proves one can be a winner off the track as well, the award is based on off-track involvement such as community service and charitable efforts.

And for his many off-track efforts while working to earn his first NASCAR Winston Cup title while winning a career-high seven races this season, Jarrett has been tabbed as the fourth-quarter nominee.

Whether or not Jarrett wins the title, it still has been a season the two-time Daytona 500 champ never will forget. In addition to his seven wins, he has 21 top-10 finishes in the first 30 races of the season and finds himself in a battle with Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon for the 1998 NASCAR Winston Cup title.

But it is not his on-track accomplishments for which Jarrett received the nomination.

It was the time he has taken out of his busy schedule to do things for those who haven't had as good a year as he has had.

In recent months, Jarrett has taken the time to shoot public service announcements for the Virginia Department of Transportation's "Drive Smart" campaign and "Operation Christmas" a relief fund for the underprivileged. Jarrett also serves as a spokesperson for the North Carolina Child Support Council and the United Way.

In cooperation with his sponsor White Rain through his NASCAR Busch Series race program, Jarrett also serves as spokesperson for the Susan G. Koman Breast Cancer Research Foundation and has raised $160,000 for the foundation this season.

"It's no secret that sponsors get involved in our sport in large part because of the fan loyalty," Jarrett said. "But we have found out in a huge way with this program this year that fan loyalty goes beyond just buying a sponsor's product. I think sponsors realize race fans are good, caring people and they not only will support a sponsor's product, they will support a good cause."

Jarrett supports good causes as well.

The Hickory, N.C., native annually hosts a golf tournament in his hometown for the Lutheran Brotherhood as well as participating in his father Ned's fund-raising golf outing to benefit the American Cancer Society.

Jarrett serves on the board of directors for Motor Racing Outreach, the group that provides chapel services and bible studies for the racing community on the road and has made donations of both money and time to Brenner Children's Hospital in Winston-Salem, N.C.

"I've been very fortunate in my life," Jarrett said. "More fortunate than I ever could have dreamed and more fortunate than a lot of other people. So if there are times when I can do a few things to help some of those people, I'm going to do that.

"You visit these kids in the hospital and it just tears your heart out. It puts things in perspective. You think winning a race is the greatest feeling in the world, and it is pretty great, don't get me wrong. But you realize what these kids and these folks stricken with cancer and others are fighting for every day means a lot more in the long run than where you finish on Sunday."

For the purpose of determining the NASCAR True Value Man of the Year award winner, the NASCAR Winston Cup schedule has been divided into four quarters in which drivers are nominated for their off-track efforts. The national NASCAR Truck Value Man of the Year will be chosen by a blue chip panel from the list of quarterly nominees. The year-end winner will receive a prize of $50,000 which will be divided evenly between the driver and a charity of his choice.

This year's panel is made up of Steve Ballard, motorsports editor for USA Today, Dan Cotter, president and CEO of True Value, three-time Super Bowl winning coach and NASCAR team owner Joe Gibbs, Sean McManus, president of CBS Sports and Greg Penske, president and CEO of Penske Motorsports, Inc.

In addition to the NASCAR True Value Man of the Year, True Value sponsors the Man of the Race Award, which goes to the eligible driver who wins each of the 31 NASCAR Winston Cup championship events. Each True Value Man of the Race Award winner receives $1,000 with an additional $1,000 going to the charity of his choice.

Jarrett joins Kyle Petty (first quarter), Bill Elliott (second quarter), Terry Labonte (third quarter) as the nominees for the NASCAR True Value Man of the Year which will be announced at the NASCAR Winston Cup awards banquet Dec. 5 at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York.

Editors Note: The images displayed in this article (plus many more) can be viewed in the The NASCAR Image Gallery.

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