Darrell Waltrip still believes he can win

[Chris]

Darrell Waltrip still believes he can win
Racing just ain’t what it used to be for Darrell Waltrip.

When the former three-time Winston Cup champion was in his heyday in the 1980s, drivers drove by the seat of their pants, by instinct and feel. They did it in an environment that, while not as red-dirt as the early days, certainly doesn’t approach the glamour, glitz and sophistication of today’s NASCAR.

Today’s drivers in Waltrip’s eyes are at the level of rock stars with their lifestyles, travel, their helicopters, motorcoaches, private jets and stables full of specialists. But that isn’t dissuading him from still wanting to mix it up. That’s what he’ll do in Saturday’s Busch Series race at Martinsville, driving the #99 Dodge owned by his brother Michael.

Waltrip competed in NASCAR from 1972 to 1999, winning a modern era-best 84 races, before stepping away to be a TV commentator for Fox and SPEED Channel. But he has kept his hand in racing by owning a NASCAR Craftsman Truck team and occasionally racing in the trucks.

Now he steps up to Busch on the half-mile track, the only one he said his wife Stevie and daughters will allow him to run on. He has every intention to finish well and win. Yes, you read that correctly, win. Because as schmaltzy and goofy as Waltrip sometimes sounds on TV, people forget in his prime he was one of the most dominating, ruthless drivers in the sport. At age 59, that DNA still resides deep inside.

To that end, he and Michael already have talked about what form his celebration might take in Victory Lane.

First, he has to get there.

“I’ve still got my skills,” Waltrip told reporters Wednesday. “In my mind I’m convinced I can win that race. I’m convinced if I get the car right and the pit stops (are) good and the strategy’s good that I’m going to outrun (points leader) Kevin Harvick, I’m going to outrun Denny Hamlin and I’m going to outrun Greg Biffle, and I’m going to outrun that whole crowd if everything goes good. I can do it. I know I can.”

Strong words, but Waltrip never was one to back down from anyone or anything. Despite his age and his only occasional forays in a race car, he hasn’t changed.

“I’m not going up there just for fun,” he said. “I’m going to race. I’m not going up there to ride around.”

Unfortunately, that’s basically what Waltrip did for the last eight years of his Cup career, going winless and only once cracking the top 10 in points. His last years as an owner-driver were particularly painful. He ran at the back in substandard, mostly unsponsored equipment while money flew out of his bank account at a rate surpassing his speed on the track.

Now he’s on solid footing when offering advice to Michael, who will field three Toyota race cars in Cup racing next season under the banner of Michael Waltrip Racing.

And while Michael might consider his older brother old-school, he would be wise to listen.

“I’m a little bit concerned about the number of people, the logistics, being prepared,” Darrell Waltrip said of his brother’s team. “I try to give him as much advice as I can. He’s got his own ideas. I respect that.

“But it comes down to one thing. I harp on him about it all the time, and it’s what he’s experiencing this year. It’s performance. If you don’t perform, all the sponsors in the world, all they’re going to end up being is mad at you. You gotta be sure you get the people, the parts, the pieces and everything it takes to perform. If you don’t, this could be a real nightmare.”

But in his ride for his brother, around which a long, successful ad campaign was built for Aaron’s Rentals, Waltrip faces no such pressures and concerns. For him on Saturday, it will come down to putting his foot to the floor and having a good time.

“I think if we can be in the top 10, I would say it was well worth the effort,” he said. “I don’t think I’m being overly optimistic. Last year with my truck I was going to have a top-five or six finish but I got caught speeding out of the pits.

“This time  I’m going to do all my speeding on the racetrack.”

Well I guess there's NO fool, like an OLD fool.... Geesh,.. Waltrip spen the last years of his career having to take Champions JUST to get into the field,.. or he would of been sent home MANY times.... NOW out of the BLUE he thinks he can jump in a car of beat some of the BEST in the business in the BGN series.   HAHAHAHAHAHa
I guess every so often he has to get in a race vehicle and get his great big ego deflated.
Couple items I though was funny...
He has every intention to finish well and win. Yes, you read that correctly, win.
I’m convinced if I get the car right and the pit stops (are) good and the strategy’s good that I’m going to outrun (points leader) Kevin Harvick, I’m going to outrun Denny Hamlin and I’m going to outrun Greg Biffle, and I’m going to outrun that whole crowd if everything goes good
Way I see it,.. if he can manage to stay on the LEAD LAP... he'll be lucky.  maybe with enough yellow,.. he can manage that??  But to be in contention to win.   AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN.

Gee I wish I was in Vegas,.. and they gave ODDS on this,... I'd bet EVERY NICKLE I got.

[Blu]

I want some of whatever DW's smokin'!!!!!

[Chris]

I'm with you Blu,... Must be some PRIMO gonja
hhuumm.. YOU think he could pass a 'pee' test.??      

[Blu]

Dude..Im a tellin ya!!

Seriously, Mikey hasnt done crap with that car all year, and now not only is DW gonna do well with it..he's gonna WIN?? BWAAAAA HAAAAA Pass it on over dude

[skool]

Dude..Im a tellin ya!!

Seriously, Mikey hasnt done crap with that car all year, and now not only is DW gonna do well with it..he's gonna WIN?? BWAAAAA HAAAAA Pass it on over dude

....."ear".....

[Chris]

LOL...
no no  you first man

[Colorado NASCAR Fan]

DW must be livin' in one heck of a fantasy world...does he not remember the last few years of his career when he was washed up and being laughed at?!?!?!  I'm thinkin' he's going to be involved in at least one caution...

[Chris]

OH I'd say he will...
But it'll be "someone elses fault"
If you don't think so JUST ASK HIM... ROFLMAO

[Colorado NASCAR Fan]

Oh I know it will be "someone else's fault".  Damn...and I'm not going to be home to watch it.  Got a wedding to go to.  Might just have to record it.

[skool]

....mmmmmmmmmmppppppfffffffffffffffffft tttt.......coughcoughcoughcoughcoughcou gh.....!   Dude, if he's driving for a win, at least he's in the appropriate car. The Dream Machine........coughcoughcough.   Hey, pass that back here.....wheres my shades?

[Chris]

....mmmmmmmmmmppppppfffffffffffffffffft tttt.......coughcoughcoughcough
WOW that's some good stuff.... NO WONDER ol' DW thinks he can win.
I never even drove and I'm beginning to think I could win this weekend....

AT least he's Livin' the Dream... When he wakes up... he'll realize how much he's let his big mouth overload his @$$ and it'll be a nightmare

[KurtBuschFan]

Well I know a certain writer that thinks he can win too!

[Chris]

Weeeeellll unfortunately I missed the race....
I DID get to a TV (I THOUGHT) in plenty of time to see the end so I could see how ol blabber mouth was running,...
I turned it on TNT at about 5:05 pm and it was showing a movie...
I know Nascar.com showed the race started at 3:30 so no way a race of 250 laps could over in 1 1/2 hours (especially with all the yellows)
Speed was showing some road course race,.. so I have no CLUE what went on...

Anyone care to enlighten me as to the channel, and times it started and ended.... also how did ol JAWS run.

I COULD just go and say "he was a dismal failure",... but I did want to see if he and ANY glimmers of hope. 
I saw he qualified 41st out of only 44 cars.  Was 6/10th of a second off the pole... thats a TON when you running a short track
Then I saw he DID manage to finish on the lead lap,... but with a record number of yellows, HECK there were 30 cars on the lead lap,.. and they just KEEP putting cars back on the lead lap with that Lucky Dog rule.
ALso I saw he finished 28th in the race,.... but to be fair I saw he did spin out with 20 laps to go... so even if he HAD (dare I imagine) been running in the top 10  HAHAHAHA that would of put him back in 30th. And there was ANOTHER yellow after that...

SO I was just curious... mostly how I missed ALL of it

[Busch Babe 899]

The Busch race was actully on NBC yesterday...and even though it started early due to weather, it was over about 5:45pm...record number of cautions (19), record number of caution laps...it was the lOOOONNGEST race...DW DID get spun once, but I'm pretty sure he finished the race...he didn't win, though...

[KK3869]

Finshed 28th on the lead lap, but was 15th until he got dumped.