Darryll Waltrip Essay, Research Paper

If you want to see lightning and courage together watch Darrell Waltrip race a Nascar car. Darrell Waltrip was born on February 5, 1947, in Owensboro Kentucky, he is married to Stevie and they have 2 daughters 8 and 12. Darrell started racing in Winston Cup in 1972. He has been though many rough times during his career. Nascar has become the most watched spectator sport in America and Darrell is one of the fans favorites. When Darrell started racing he was not a popular driver, because of his aggressive driving style, but as time as gone by he has won the hearts of millions of race fans, for his humor, his loyalty, and his ability to make bad situations good. His talents have been recognized by some of the greatest minds in the sport throughout his career. Darrell is the only driver who can say he has raced against the biggest names in all of Nascar- Petty, Pearson, Allison, Yarborough, Earnhardt, Elliot and Gordon.

Darrell has won the Winston Cup National Title , three times, in 1981, 1982 and 1985. His first win came in 1975 in his 50th start. Darrell is also the first 3 time winner of the “American Driver of the Year”, and the only 5 time winner of the Coca-Cola 600. In 1981, Darrell won a modern-era racing record of eight races from the pole and tied the all-time record of four straight poles. Darrell’s most memorable race was the 1989 Daytona 500, which he celebrated with a shuffling two-step dance that has gone down is Nascar history and is still played on highlight films on all networks. Darrell won the “Most Popular Driver of the Year” twice, in 1989 and 1990. He won “Driver of the Decade” for the 1980’s. During the 1980’s, he only finished out of the top five in the Winston Cup standings once. In the years from 1975-1989, he always finished in the top ten in the final standings.

Darrell is one victory away from possession of third place in the all-time Winston Cup victories, and is seventh in all time Superspeedway victories with 37, fourth in Winston Cup poles with 59. Darrell has pulled into victory lane in eight different American motorsports series: NASCAR Busch Grand National; IROC ;USAC; American Speed Association; ARCA; NASCAR All-American Challenge Series; All-Pro Racing Association; and ARTGO. Darrell also held the Kentucky State record for the 880 yard dash, so maybe he is just a fast man no matter if he is in a car or on the ground. Darrell was the first racer to win more than $10 million in a career, and he is the only driver to have won more than $500,000 in a season 18 times. This is the last year that Darrell will be racing, he is retiring from racing to become a commentator, which he will excel in, no doubt.

Darrell will have raced for 29 years, been in 830 races, had 84 wins, 276 top 5’s, 390 top 10’s, he has won a total of $19,260, 369. He had a career that will be remembered for his ups and his downs, but he was always a fighter and he will be missed by all Nascar fans.