Darrell Waltrip dominated the world of NASCAR in the late 1970s and through to the late 1980s. He can easily be considered one of the top 10 drivers in the history of NASCAR and many remember him just for this. What some remember though was the fall of both his results and the team that he owned, but in 1998 he was given a late career lifeline. In this year he got the chance to drive Dale Earnhardt Incorperated’s #1 Pennzoil car. This is the last great race of Darrell Waltrip’s career.
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41 comments
What is your favorite feel good story in NASCAR?
DW engine blowing up as soon as he crossed the finish line !!
Watching Kulwicki win the championship and do his victory lap and hopefully not hitting Richard Petty doing his last lap. Lol Richard went later with Alabama playing on the speakers
@Chris Guardiano Have you heard of Tony Stewart?
This is a good race you picked. Good job
Dale Earnhardt, Michael Waltrip and Dale Jr winning the Daytona 500. Mikes win was the brightest point on that very sad day in NASCAR history. And jrs win well that was just its own story, looked like Sr was driving that car that day. Not sure how many father/son duo’s have one the 500 but I wouldn’t be surprised if the Earnhardt s were the first. Only other father son combos I can think of are the Petty’s, Jarrett’s.
DW is in my top 5 favorite personality’s in the sport, just seems like a great dude who I could sit down, get a ice cold root beer with and just talk about absolutely everything and nothing at the same time
My dad was a huge fan of him and we have a flag signed by him and he said that he never thought he could win again and when he lost he said that was his last chance which it kind of was
If Darrell Waltrip won that race, he would’ve became in the Top elite group of people who won in the NASCAR Cup Series in their 50’s
@Elijah barber I got him competing for the ’01 title for sure. He finished 2nd in ’00 and Harvick finished 9th in points in his car as a rookie, minus one points race.
@Elijah barber Good call. Maybe he would have gotten both!
Not to discredit cup but mike stefanik and Ted Christopher were winning races well Into their 50s as was Tiger Tom Baldwin, in the oldest most difficult division the modifieds
And for a racer Bentley warren was doing it in super modifieds from the 60s well I to the 90s and I believe rusty Wallace won into his 50s, Kevin Harvick is knocking on 50 and racking them up still
To me, this is THE best feel good story I can remember since I started watching the sport in 1996. It still brings tears to my eyes, and goes to show, given good equipment, a driver can always drive.
I can picture in my mind, too, that there were always two, who were in those cars that he drove. 1: Darrell Waltrip. 2:An Angel of the Lord! Had to be! So glad that Darrell Waltrip is not only a LEGEND in NASCAR, but also a Devout Christian!
Terry Labonte’s Win in The 03 Southern 500 is my favorite feel good moment
Yup, same vibes of a past champion on his way out getting that last good run, but Terry was able to close the deal where Darrell was not.
@Charlotte Andor Although somewhat ironically, the Southern 500 was also DW’s final career win, 11 years earlier.
It’s unfortunate DW stuck around inside the cockpit for so long. I started watching NASCAR in 1995 and as a kid growing up I only thought of DW as a bum running 25th every week. Gordon was fortunate to compete right up to his retirement. JJ did the next best thing and retired after just a few mediocre years, and he wasn’t nearly as bad as DW got.
Being able to see Matt Kenseth win in his “last full time season” at Phoenix
For the record, I don’t think Dale was ever past his prime. I think he absolutely would’ve finished top 5 in points in 2001 if not challenge for the championship. The team (led by a rookie Kevin Harvick) had two wins and finished 7th in owners points.
TRUTH!
Injuries and competition surpassing RCR was what slowed dale down once he healed in 2000 he was once again a top 3 driver even if you think Gordon and labonte were better
@Elijah barber yep. I think if you look at Dale’s results from that time, they speak for themselves. He has 2 wins and 11 podiums in 2000. He finished 2nd in his penultimate race, for Pete’s sake. Not the kind of results of someone who is washed up or past his prime.
One of the biggest feel good moments, strangely enough, was from DW’s final season. At Indianapolis in 2000, he needed to qualify for the race without a Champion’s provisional, but he did so much more than that. To rousing and echoing cheers from the thousands in the grandstands, he put his Big KMart #66 of Haas Carter Motorsports fastest (at the time). As he completed his slowing down lap, he had his hand out of the window in celebration. After taking his helmet off and climbing out, he gave an enthusiastic bear hug to his brother, Michael.
Although Ricky Rudd ended up going faster than DW to take the pole, it would prove to be the high point of DW’s final season
Wow that’s awesome. Thanks for sharing.
I was at that race! I was a DW fan,and glad he had such a good run that day.
@Paul Stough it also turned out to be the best race finish of his final season as well, finishing 11th
@SiVlog Would have been a top ten if Carter’s team had a better pit crew.
I never was a “Jaws” fan, but I remember this race well, and I was rooting for him. It was very satisfying for Big E to give DW this opportunity. Definitely top “feel good” story!
Bobby Allison and Davey Allison finishing first and second in the Daytona 500 is one of my favorite feel-good moments because my father was a big Bobby Allison fan and I was a Davey Allison fan. Bobby pouring Miller beer over daddy’s head in Victory Circle is, in my opinion, and iconic moment in Daytona 500 history and NASCAR history in general. Sadly, it has become a heartbreaking moment because in spite of watching the footage of it and knowing that is him and his son, Bobby Allison has no direct memory of that entire race due to the brain injury suffered in his career ending crash at Pocono not long after that.
Thats awsome. I was a davey fan and my dad was bobby. I cant even watch now that my dad has passed on.
I started watching NACAR in the late 70’s, I loved watching Darrell race in the bud car and the MT Dew car. Great racing back then. TY for the videos to keep us entertained until next season starts.
As great as this was, I also absolutely love watching his qualifying run for the 2000 Brickyard 400 and the celebration in the pit lane and grandstands that followed
Not to take away from Ol’ DW, but my favorite feel good moments in NASCAR were after Dale passed in 2001, Steve Park won the next race at Rockingham with crediting his success to Dale Earnhardt teaching him to drive the track. Also in that same year Harvick winning Atlanta and Junior winning the summer race at Daytona were all feel good moments that all NASCAR fans needed when they needed them.
Junior and Mikey celebrating the summer race in the Daytona infield was so emotional and healing for both the racers themselves and the sport as a whole. Great moment to call out.
Ernie Irvan’s 1997 win at Michigan. That is the best feel good story for me.
Dale Jr.’s 2001 Pepsi 400 win was a feel good story for me
‘Ole DW’ – one of the best ever in Nascar, in my opinion top 5 all time driver though is impossible to compare eras. He was the man from about 78 – 85, among a sea of legends in the sport. Honestly was an outstanding TV analyst in interviews or in studio shows, he was a bit of a clown in the booth unfortunately but in small doses when he was being serious the guy was great. Never quite seen a guy like him from his early 80s days and his extreme arrogance. People hated him at the time but looking back the guy really dominated the sport mentally in a different way that Sr. later did.
Love DW, so grateful for all he done for NASCAR and the memories he created during my childhood!
Great video as always.It’s been said countless times “if Earnhardt hadn’t been killed in that crash…..” and rightfully so but I always add to that if Park hadn’t gotten hurt so badly in crashes DEI would’ve been a dominant race team with several championships to their name. The team just slowly fell apart after Dale left us, Dale was the glue that held it all together.