Darrell Waltrip is one of the biggest figures in NASCAR, and an unlikely fan favorite. A driver who got himself to the highest level of stock car racing through hard work and skill, his outspoken and aggressive nature earned him dislike from fans throughout most of his career that changed to love as he became a cagey veteran. He went on to a highly-successful broadcasting career, remaining a fan-favorite in the booth.
Inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame and the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, he’s one of the greatest drivers ever to wheel stock cars around America, and indeed the world, on all types of tracks. In the broadcast booth, he’s been responsible for some of the sport’s most iconic commentary, and his signature ‘boogity boogity boogity’ call remains his trademark. He retired in 2019, but remains involved with the sport.
10 He Earned The Nickname ‘Jaws’
Waltrip might be beloved by fans today, but that certainly wasn’t always the case. Bursting onto the scene, he was never shy about his talent, but he did back it up. During an early rivalry with Cale Yarborough, a veteran and champion when Waltrip was a rookie, Yarborough termed him “Jaws” for his aggressive and outspoken manner.
The nickname stuck, and served him well for a large part of his career, when he was booed by most fans for his aggressive behavior off track and his harsh, but honest, criticism off track of drivers and the sport itself. As his career progressed, and his behavior calmed, Waltrip became a consistent fan favorite.
9 He Was The First Driver To Make $10 Million
Waltrip won plenty of big races in his career, and made big paydays. Record-big, in fact, in his day. He collected $10 million from race rewards alone, the first driver to top that figure, which is over $26 million in today’s money.
Indeed, by the end of his career, Darrell had posted $19,886,666 in prize money earned from his 809 Cup Series starts in a glittering four-decade career in which he scored 271 Top-5s and 390 Top-10s in addition to his many wins.
8 He Was Involved In The 1976 NASCAR Cheating Scandal
Cheating and NASCAR are inexorably linked, so being part of one of the greatest cheating scandals in the sport’s history is an accomplishment. At the 1976 Daytona 500, the Chevrolets of AJ Foyt and Waltrip found an extra second drop that they hadn’t seen in practice. Following an investigation, NASCAR determined the cars were using nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, for a power boost.
Boss Bill France found the system, in fact, by promising Waltrip’s crew chief Mario Rossi that he would cut the car up until he found the system, forcing Rossi to reveal the technology, and making Waltrip’s guilt certain. It led him to argue one of the most famous quotes in the sport: “If you don’t cheat, you look like an idiot,” said Waltrip. “If you cheat and don’t get caught, you look like a hero. If you cheat and get caught, you look like a dope. Put me where I belong.”
7 He’s Fourth On The Wins List
In a career that resulted in three championships, Waltrip took the checkered flag first 84 times. That record ties him with fellow great Bobby Allison for fourth on the all-time wins list, only behind Petty, Pearson, and Earnhardt.
He’s also fifth in all-time poles with 59. During his best season, 1982, Waltrip scored the championship as well as the win in 12 out of 30 races. He won once on racing’s biggest stage, scoring the victory at the 1989 Daytona 500 in a Hendrick car.
6 He’s The Best At NASCAR’s Longest Race
Waltrip loved racing on Memorial Day, and the race often went in his favor: he has the most Coca-Cola 600, then World 600, victories of any driver in the sport’s history at five. NASCAR’s longest race is a unique challenge that Waltrip managed to master throughout his career.
That mastery has earned him plaudits, not least from Charlotte Motor Speedway itself. Track President Marcus Smith awarded Waltrip a special Bruton Smith trophy in 2019, in part because "he's won more Coca-Cola 600s than any other driver and completely deserves this honor," and for his work with the sport as a whole.
5 He’s NASCAR’s Driver Of The Decade
Besides an induction into both the NASCAR Hall of Fame and the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, Darrell Waltrip earned a plethora of awards for his success in the sport. He’s been called one of NASCAR’s 50 greatest drivers, the state of Tennessee’s Athlete of the Year, and three-time American Driver of the Year.
He’s also been recognized for his mark on the sport. His fans twice awarded him Most Popular Driver. The sport awarded him the Bill France Award of Excellence for outstanding contributions to the sport. And he was recognized as NASCAR’s Driver of the Decade for the 1980s, the decade where he found the most success.
4 He Was An Owner-Driver
Beginning in 1991, Waltrip decided to cement his legacy as an owner and began fielding his own cars in the Cup Series. With friend and fellow great Jeff Hammond at the helm, the team scored two wins in its first year. As the years went on, though, wins declined and Waltrip started to fail to even qualify for events, and he sold the team in 1997.
At the same time, Waltrip had set up a Craftsman Truck Series team in 1995 that saw success in 1997 where their owner didn’t, but sponsorship issues forced him to dissolve that too, also in 1997. In 2004, though, he resurrected the Truck team to run Toyotas as the brand entered the sport.
3 He Commentated His Brother’s First Win
Moving up to the FOX Sports commentary booth following the end of his career, the first race Darrell called was a huge one for the sport as a whole. The 2001 Daytona 500 was the first win for his brother, who set a record on that day for the most Cup starts before a first win. The emotion was clear in Waltrip’s voice as he encouraged his brother on during the final laps.
That race, though, was marred by the death of Waltrip’s team owner and NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt in the final corner, which Waltrip and the FOX team also called, making for a tragic and memorable first broadcast for the then-newcomer to the booth.
2 He Was A Major Voice For Safety Advancement
Following the tragedy in 2001, Waltrip crusaded for safety, successfully. Interviewing Mike Helton at the next race, his tough interview style and relentless pursuit of an investigation earned him praise.
Believing that the number of deaths caused by head injuries, a number that was steadily growing at that point, was unacceptable, Waltrip campaigned to NASCAR and on-air for safety technology including head-and-neck restraints and SAFER barriers, both of which were implemented partially due to his work.
1 He’s Appeared In Big Movies
Darrell has never shied away from a camera. Even in the early days of his career, he was a regular guest on The Nashville Network’s talk shows, two of which he would later go on to host. He worked on Days of Thunder through his Hendrick connections and has supported several documentaries about the life of Dale Earnhardt.
His most memorable appearance was in the Cars franchise, playing Darrell Cartrip: fittingly, a commentator. More recently, in 2017, he appeared in a cameo with the rest of the FOX booth in the hit film Logan Lucky. Waltrip has even been nominated for an Emmy, although that’s for his commentary work rather than his movie appearances.