| | (Self-serving note from the writer: Print this column and save it so years from you can remind yourself how much fun it was to have Darrell Waltrip in the garage, and in victory lane. Of course, if you're a real race fan, you won't need this article to remind you, but it will still be fun to have around.)
Darrell Waltrip won three Winston Cup championships -- 1981, 1982 and 1985. And talk about races too close to call: In 1981, he beat Bobby Allison by just 53 points. In 1982, he beat Bobby Allison by just 72 points. In 1985, he had a laugher, beating Bill Elliott by 101 points.
But wait, there's more! In 1979 DW finished second in the championship to Richard Petty, by just 11 points. And in 1983, when Bobby Allison won the title, Darrell finished second, 47 points behind.
And Gore thought his race was close!
|  | | In has been more than eight years since Waltrip won a Winston Cup race. |
Darrell hasn't won a race since 1992 (The Southern 500). And certainly, he has struggled in the final years of his career. But that should not tarnish a record that includes 84 career victories, tied for third on the all-time list with Bobby Allison.
He won the Daytona 500 in 1989, and he earned the nickname "Jaws", a name that could resurface with his new role as a broadcaster on "another" network next year. Waltrip brought humor and personality to the garage. It's still there.
My favorite Darrell Waltrip line: "Somebody told me once, I don't know what shoe size you wear, son, but you got most of it in your mouth."
That was Darrell's style. That IS his style. So, as we welcome in Bobby Labonte as the new champion, here are a few words from a former champion, who retired after the race in Atlanta, following a Victory Tour that, so far, has not included that much-wanted victory.
"It's not been what I had hoped for, but the writing was pretty much on the wall," said Darrell.
"You know we started off with this deal, and we struggled. We had to build cars and equipment. We've had a lot of rotation in people. I've had five crew chiefs. So, it hasn't gone like I had hoped it would. It's not anybody's fault. It's just that is this sport, when you start out behind, you stay behind. And that's what happen to this team. We got pushed down, we're way down in the points -- you're an underdog when you're down in the points. You don't get on the race track first; you don't go through inspection first; you don't get anything because you're at the wrong end of the garage.
"It's like living on the wrong side of town, man. And there's just no perks down there for a guy that's down there. Whether it's me, a guy having been here for 30 years, or a guy just starting out. They treat us all the same."
Waltrip made 29 of the 34 races. There have been some long weekends, when you know that Darrell was wishing he was home with his family, instead of facing the frustrations in front of him.
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There's a group of guys in there that have a ton of respect for me and let me know it. They come up to me every week and put their arm around me and tell me I don't have to drive a lap if I don't want to. They're just glad I'm here. Then there's another group in there that turns their nose up at me. Like I'm an old man, and I ought to go home. And I know who they are. And I don't get mad. I might get even, but I don't get mad. ” |
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— Darrell Waltrip |
"There's been weekends I thought that (wanting to go home) and there's been weekends I did," he said with a laugh.
"There have been weekends when I was so disappointed not making a race. But, some weekends when I made a race, I said I wish I hadn't made the race. The car was so bad. I couldn't drive it. I wasn't comfortable. I wasn't happy. We can't fix it. I don't know what to do to it; getting the layover flag every time you look up at the flag stand; people asking your spotter to ask you to move out of the way. 'He's holding us up,' that kind of rhetoric has just been hard to deal with."
That kind of weekend has left a new generation of race fans with a distorted perception of the racer and the winner that Darrell Waltrip is.
"I love to take chances. I like to get out there and race and hang it out and get in there and rub and shove. But when you can't do that and you're just out there riding around, well, that's no fun. And you might as well put the thing on the trailer, go on home and try it again next week. That's a bad rut to get into but that's where we've been a number of times. It just wasn't worth fighting for. There's still a lot of fight in the old dog, but you've got to have something to fight for."
"There have been times when I said I wish the season was over right now. The only real fun I've had this season is Indy. I mean that was a great weekend. I said, thank you God! At least I had one weekend out of 34 or whatever there is that I could have some respectability," he said with a smile on his face, and a smile in his eye.
"We started up front, and had a really good car all weekend, and finished 11th. We would have had a top-five car, if things had worked out a little different for me. That kind of weekend is what keeps me coming back every weekend thinking, OK, were going to have one of those 'Indy weekends' this weekend."
That 'Indy weekend' has not happened again. But Waltrip's reputation as a winner, and a daring, if not overbearing racer, will be remembered forever, especially in the garage.
"There's a group of guys in there that have a ton of respect for me and let me know it. They come up to me every week and put their arm around me and tell me I don't have to drive a lap if I don't want to. They're just glad I'm here. Then there's another group in there that turns their nose up at me. Like I'm an old man and I ought to go home. And I know who they are. And I don't get mad. I might get even but I don't get mad," he said smiling. At least, I think it was a smile.
While Waltrip may not walk away with a win in his final season, he will take with him the many memories he has shared with the fans.
"Golly, I couldn't tell you the kinds of letters I get, day in and day out. Not so much about what's happening right now but what I've meant to them, growing up. 'I was eight years old the first time I saw you race'. Or 'I was the kid that was at the back gate at Wilkesboro and you gave me a hat and now I'm 35 years old'. But from the fan perspective, I have some incredible memories in that area. They've sent me plaques, pictures, lots of neat things. Ladies have knitted and sewn and made things for me. From that perspective it's been a good year."
Now, Darrell Waltrip -- and his fans -- face the final two races of his career. Can he win one? Unlikely. Does that matter? To his loyal legion of fans, probably not. One thing about Darrell, even the fans that used to "boo" him now cheer for him. And if you were around this sport when Waltrip was on top of it, it's a good bet that your two most vivid racing memories were the day your guy beat him, and the day he beat your guy.
So what did DW expect the final Sunday to be like?
"Well, I don't know. In a lot of ways, I'll be relieved. I think in a lot of ways I'll be looking at it as, it's finally over. And I think that's the sad part. So many athletes will tell you this: The sad part's on Monday, and you wake up and the helmet's in the bag, and that's where it's going to stay. That's when it's going to be sad. That's when you're going to say, 'I don't have to go to Daytona and test, I don't have to worry about what the rules are. I don't have to call my crew chief. I don't have to go to the Winston Preview. I don't have to worry about all that stuff, anymore.' And it's going to be different. And it's going to be sad. It's hard to perceive right now what it's going to be like."
I knew what it would be like -- sad. But, there is some good news, because racing is a little like the movie business. After all, they did make JAWS 2!
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ALSO SEE
Weber's mailbag
AUDIO/VIDEO
 A tribute to three-time Winston Cup champion Darrell Waltrip.
RealVideo: 28.8
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