Know Your NASCAR: The Waltrips

By Jenny Zimmerman, Special to Turner Sports Interactive June 5, 2001
12:59 PM EDT (1659 GMT)

The Waltrip family has experienced the highest of high points in NASCAR history -- brothers Darrell and Michael Waltrip have both won the Daytona 500.

Darrell, the older of the two brothers from Owensboro, Ky., won in 1989. Michael broke his winless streak of 462 races with the most prestigious win of them all, taking the checkered flag for the "Super Bowl of auto racing" in 2001.

The brothers' driving records, however, differ considerably in length. One of the most familiar faces in NASCAR, Darrell owns three Winston Cup championships (1981, 1982, 1985) and is tied with Bobby Allison for third in all-time starts, with 809.

Darrell is fourth all-time for pole positions with 59 and holds the record for most wins (five) in the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C.

Now in the broadcast booth each weekend as a commentator, Darrell is one of the 50 greatest drivers in NASCAR history and was voted Most Popular Driver in 1989 and 1990. His winnings exceeded $19.4 million.

He was named Driver of the Year in 1977, 1981 and 1982 by the press and today remains one of the strongest and influential voices in motorsports.

His favorite tracks were the short ones, where he was king for many a year -- Bristol, Richmond and the road course at Riverside, Calif. Darrell Waltrip is a Hall of Famer at Bristol Motor Speedway and a member of the Charlotte Motor Speedway Court of Legends.

Perhaps the most memorable vision fans have of Darrell recently is of his tearful reaction to his little brother -- "Mikey" as he called him -- winning the 2001 Daytona 500.

The presence of microphones and TV cameras didn't sway Darrell from an emotional and proud congratulations to Michael on live television. Michael, of course, returned the sentiment.

Just as emotional in Victory Lane, the younger Waltrip's first inclination after climbing from his No. 15 Chevy was to speak to his brother in the broadcast booth.

"Me and my brother have won the Daytona 500!" Michael shouted as his brother listened.

Along with the awe-inspiring first-time win at Daytona International Speedway, Michael's credits include the 1983 Charlotte-Daytona Dash Series championship and a win in The Winston all-star race (1996).

He has seen success with his Busch Series team (eight wins, 11 poles), although his limited schedule in recent years (four starts midway through 2001) keeps the No. 99 Chevy team far from the top of the points list.

Since he joined Dale Earnhardt Inc. prior to the start of the 2001 season, prognisticators said this would be the year for the 38-year-old to turn it all around as a Winston Cup driver.

The guy who made up his mind to be a race car driver when he was only 11 has certainly come a long way -- from the daydreams of a child, to watching his older brother become a legend, to a victory of his own in the Daytona 500.