TNN "The Great Drivers" - Darrell Waltrip

[@danieljohnson9351]

I read an article in Stock Car Racing magazine, I believe it was 1972, about this guy from Owensboro, Kentucky who beat a bunch of USAC boys at Nashville. Owensboro is about 50 miles from my home town so for me he was the local boy and I started paying attention to him. I never understood the boos. I always liked him and was impressed with his ability to drive a stock car. He accomplished a great deal with Junior Johnson winning three championships in five years. I think his biggest mistake was deciding to form his own team. He had moderate success for a couple of years but when he started his own engine program he went winless from then on. I always wonder what he could have accomplished if he would have stayed with Hendrick a couple more years if that was even an option after his 1990 Daytona crash. It's too bad he's remembered for the lack of success in his final years. I think he definitely made a positive impact on the sport.

[@tnwhiskey68]

I'm 42, so I didn't become a fan of Nascar until around 1990 when I saw a Mark Martin #6 Foldgers car at my hometown, Tennessee grocery store. I was hooked! Didn't take long to love DW, especially as a Tennessean! Seems like a normal, wholesome, respectable local to me!

[@tomtbi]

When DW finally won his Daytona 500 in 89,I will never forget how excited he was... He definitely did not dissapoint and had one of the most entertaining Victory Lane Celebrations ever-( just like when Dale Earnhardt Sr finally won his Daytona 500 in 98!!)..

[@tomtbi]

I will also never forget DWs Excitement when his brother Michael won his first of 2 Daytona 500s in 01-(Also unfortunately his deep concern for Dale Earnhardt Sr after his fatal wreck in turn 4... RIP Dale Earnhardt Sr and Godspeed)..

[@stansmad]

I miss the TNN Network along with the SPEED channel, good programs. Nothing like them on TV now..... 📺 🙄

[@tomtbi]

BOOGITY BOOGITY BOOGITY!!.. LETS GO RACING BOYS!!... Love that line when DW calls a race!!

[@jasonvogue4487]

Love DW As a razor I didn’t know he was an animal lover like he was and I just got a profound respect for him

[@robertmacklin7708]

I always loved Darrell ...it actually was that Gatorade Chevy that first caught my attention as a 7 or 8 year old boy, but it always amazed me that he got boos from the Michigan crowd and I cheered as loud as I could.

[@coalbranch]

He gave that car to Dalejr last week.

[@KK-ex5zu]

DW was a little before my time, at least the hayday period of his career with Junior Johnson in the #11. My grandfather was a huge fan of DW until he became uncompetitive after the 92 season. Darrell was an awesome driver and did the sport a ton of good in the long run. Hinesight is 20/20, DW did more to grow the sport than most people know of!

[@9751asd]

only if DW stuck to using hendrick engines he would still have been competitive after 92

[@tnwhiskey68]

Stevie Waltrip is the wife that all the drivers wives try to be!

[@coalbranch]

He's a legend DW. So happy for @dalejr to get DW#88 Gatorade car.

[@markcallaway2595]

I never pulled for DW , but later on realized what he did for the sport . I tell you what though , you could tell , back in the 80's at least ,when he was introduced at the track ! You could be out in the parking lot and hear the boo's . I liked ole DW !

[@eddiedawkins19]

Darrell Waltrip has always been one of my favorites in nascar racing..Hes the best, funniest, and creative personalitys that racing has ever seen...He made nascar better, in many many ways

[@eddiedawkins19]

I've been a DW fan for as long as I can remember...love the fact that had fun with his career, had say just about anything...I seen he was very jovial and very emotional, with alot of heart

[@jimbailey8531]

First race in 79 at Talladega dw wins.saw 10 straight races there.went to Charlotte in 85 for the world 600 .dw wins the first race for last years winners. Call the winston then wins the grand national race and then the world 600 on sunday went to Bristol for 5 or 6 races Darrell owned that place.7 wins in a row not in all but straight races . Darrell and the 1980's nascar the last of the great cars and drivers.

[@cc2450]

Jim Bailey you were lucky to get to be at all those races. I'm 44 yrs old now I was a young boy during DW's hay day. I've been to Rockingham, Darlington and Charlotte throughout the years but to tell the truth Id rather watch on tv from the comfort of home. He was my driver though and I pulled for him until he retired. I think many forget how great he actually was.

[@TiMOThy38478]

I think it hurt him too when he drove his own car.I think he was afraid to take chances and mess his cars up

[@headbrown5629]

Wrong... he did pretty well when he bought the engines. He tried to start his own engine program & he went broke trying to build the program from scratch.

[@TiMOThy38478]

@@headbrown5629 i might be wrong but that was the way it looked to me and I was a huge fan

[@evanwilliams6406]

Darrell Waltrip ran the organization like a driver, not an owner and then as you said he started his own engine program and realized that venture ended up bleeding him out of money. DW was better when he bought engines from Hendrick and had he re-joined HMS in 1999, he might have won a few more races and get that 100 race milestone that he always wanted.

[@TiMOThy38478]

@@evanwilliams6406 you are exactly right.Well said

[@mikechurch2359]

I have so much more respect for dw I didn't it the old days

[@dishrod3516]

You have to have confidence to be good and DW had plenty of that!