Misplaced Pages

#273726

117-455: Ty Majeski is the race's defending winner. From 1995 until 1998 , two races were held each year at Phoenix for the series. The first of the two Phoenix races in 1995 was the first-ever race for the series in its history. Since 1999 , the track has had one Truck Series race each year and which has been held the fall each year except for 1999 and 2000 when it was held in March and 2011 when it

234-662: A USAC race. He competed in the 24 Hours of Daytona . He also holds the all-time track record 67 wins at the Fairgrounds Speedway in Nashville, Tennessee , including NASCAR, USAC, ASA, and local Late Model Sportsman NASCAR sanctioned series races. He still holds many NASCAR records, more than two decades after his retirement as an active driver. He has also won many awards in NASCAR. That includes two for NASCAR's Most Popular Driver Award (1989, 1990), three for " American Driver of

351-682: A bond which would be influential throughout his career, as Waltrip would appear frequently on Emery's early morning television show on local Nashville television station, WSMV , and later substitute for Emery in the 1980s on Emery's television show, Nashville Now on the former TNN cable network (now the Paramount Network ). Waltrip would use the success he enjoyed at the Music City Motorplex , and his notoriety and public speaking skills that he acquired from television appearances in Nashville, as

468-510: A broken leg, and a concussion . He missed the Pepsi 400, but came back to run one lap at Pocono , before giving way to Jimmy Horton as a relief driver. (A driver who starts, and completes one lap, is credited the NASCAR points regardless of who is driving the car at the finish). Despite missing the next five races due to his injuries, Waltrip finished 20th in driver points and the team finished 5th in owner points with substitute drivers taking turns in

585-471: A concern for him. He began to seek other opportunities after a conversation with his friend and pastor Cortez Cooper. Johnson had signed Budweiser to be his team's primary sponsor in 1984, which unintentionally made Waltrip one of the faces of the connection he was so concerned about. Years before, Waltrip had opened a Honda dealership in his home town of Franklin, Tennessee , with the help of his friend, Rick Hendrick , owner of Hendrick Motorsports . During

702-479: A driver's contractual salary, and never really comfortable with the allocation of resources that Johnson's two car team required, Waltrip approached Johnson about an increase in his contract salary. Although the story as told by Waltrip is most likely folklore, Waltrip drove his final race for Junior Johnson on November 16, 1986, in a Chevrolet sponsored by Budweiser finishing 4th at that year's Winston Western 500 at Riverside International Raceway , completing one of

819-707: A fuel gamble fell short on the final corner as Majeski was passed by Michael Self for the win. In July, Majeski was passed in the final corner by Matt Kenseth to finish second in the Slinger Nationals. In August, Majeski scored his first Dixieland 250 win in ARCA Midwest Tour competition at his home track, Wisconsin International Raceway . Majeski pulled away after a restart with 16 laps remaining to capture his second Oktoberfest at LaCrosse in October after

936-457: A large grouping of cars, battling for 5th position. The car drafting Alan Kulwicki bumped the Kulwicki car, causing his car to hit Waltrip's Western Auto Chevrolet at speeds approaching 200 mph on the long backstretch. Waltrip's car slowed and was collected by driver Joe Ruttman 's car, both cars sliding sideways several hundred feet on the grassy infield. The tires of Waltrip's car clipped

1053-455: A local dirt track near their Owensboro home. The first night out was far from a success as the youngster, barely old enough to drive on the street, slammed the wall and heavily damaged the coupe. Waltrip soon left the dirt and found his niche on asphalt where the smoothness he learned in the karts proved a valuable asset. Waltrip was a 1965 graduate of Daviess County High School in Owensboro. He

1170-521: A nine-year-old on dirt karts in 2004 at Hi-Go Raceway near his hometown of Seymour, Wisconsin . Majeski's first win came on his tenth birthday. In his first eight races, he had won three features. He eventually was racing at several different tracks in his home area: GSR Kartway near Clintonville, Wisconsin , Hi-Go Raceway in Cecil, Wisconsin and Meadowview Kartway by Hilbert, Wisconsin . Between 2005 and 2009, he won five track titles and 84 features. By

1287-523: A part-time schedule in the series and ARCA. On April 24, 2017, after testing a car at Daytona International Speedway , it was announced that Majeski would run five ARCA races for Cunningham Motorsports . In April, he returned to Wisconsin for the first asphalt race of the year; he led the last 44 laps to take the Icebreaker 100 win at Dells Raceway Park . Two months later, in his Xfinity debut at Iowa, Majeski qualified tenth and ran as high as fifth, but

SECTION 10

#1732855796274

1404-580: A pit crewman for Johnson. Hammond was at first skeptical of Waltrip's driving style since it differed so much from the former driver for whom he worked, Cale Yarborough . Yarborough made adjustments to his driving based on the handling of the car in a particular race whereas Waltrip wanted the car adjusted around his driving style. Hammond eventually came to appreciate Waltrip's "finesse", and smooth driving style which proved highly successful. Waltrip and Hammond would benefit from each other's knowledge and abilities and would work together for most of their careers in

1521-454: A race and Waltrip still remains irked to this very day over the result. Waltrip only visited victory lane five more times and never won again after 1992. While practicing for his 500th career NASCAR start in the Pepsi 400 , at Daytona, Waltrip's car spun in oil laid down by another car experiencing engine failure, and was hit by an oncoming car driven by Dave Marcis . Waltrip suffered a broken arm,

1638-486: A race that Richard Petty won, Waltrip was a pre-race favorite to win the race. As the first NASCAR race covered "flag to flag" on national television, Cale Yarborough , and Donnie Allison , while battling for the lead on the last lap, came together and crashed hard, taking each other out in the third turn. While the Allison and Yarborough cars were spinning and coming to rest in the grassy infield, attention turned quickly to

1755-538: A row that year, again scratching and clawing his way past Bobby Allison with a late-season charge, taking the lead at Martinsville in October, and winning the title by 72 points. At the 1983 Daytona 500 on February 20, 1983, Waltrip, a pre-race favorite to win the race, drove the Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS Pepsi Challenger. He was involved in an accident when his car spun on lap 64, at exit of turn 4, at nearly 200 mph (320 km/h), as he

1872-551: A springboard into NASCAR's big leagues. He became a Christian in 1983 but states it was years later before God came first in his life. One of the charities he supports is the Motor Racing Outreach (MRO) providing spiritual support to racers and their families. Waltrip started in NASCAR Winston Cup Series (Winston Cup), NASCAR 's top racing series at age 25, (25 years, 3 months, 2 days), on May 7, 1972, at

1989-420: A tank of fuel, so that meant Waltrip would need to feather the throttle and draft off other cars in order to save enough fuel to make it to the finish without an additional pit stop. Hammond, interviewed by television pit reporters during the final laps of the race, said that his strategy was for Waltrip to "draft off anybody, and everybody", to save fuel. Even though Waltrip's car ran much slower than other cars in

2106-510: A tight battle with Erik Darnell . In November 2019, Majeski made his NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series debut in the Lucas Oil 150 at ISM Raceway , driving the No. 44 truck for Niece Motorsports . During the weekend, he also ran his first NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race at the track with Chad Bryant Racing. On December 10, 2019, it was announced that Majeski had joined Niece full-time in

2223-638: A victory. He took the ARCA Midwest Tour win over Rich Bickle to pocket the win money and bonus. Majeski then won the Myrtle Beach 400 Late Model race in its first year since moving to Florence Motor Speedway in Timmonsville. In 2021, Majeski joined ThorSport Racing and would return to the Truck Series at Charlotte and Nashville in the No. 66, a part-time fifth truck for them. Majeski returned to

2340-427: A year in which Waltrip won five Winston Cup races. Still, Waltrip had a huge and devoted fan following. It was often said by race commentators and sports columnists that "you either hate him or love him". It was Waltrip's rival Cale Yarborough, driver for legendary owner Junior Johnson , that privately told Waltrip that he intended to cut back on his racing appearances and leave Junior Johnson & Associates team at

2457-699: Is an American motorsports analyst , author as well as a former national television broadcaster and stock car driver. He raced from 1972 to 2000 in the NASCAR Cup Series (known as the NASCAR Winston Cup Series during his time as a driver), most notably driving the No. 11 Chevrolet for Junior Johnson . Waltrip is a three-time Cup Series champion ( 1981 , 1982 , 1985 ). Posting a modern NASCAR series record of 22 top five finishes in 1983 and 21 top five finishes both in 1981 and 1986, Waltrip won 84 NASCAR Cup Series races throughout his career, including

SECTION 20

#1732855796274

2574-1621: Is located in Sandusky, Ohio instead of the Charlotte metropolitan area . The Thorson family (the owners of ThorSport) led Majeski to temporarily stay in the same housing development as them while he is searching for a permanent home in the area. ( key ) ( Bold  – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics  – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led. ) Season still in progress Ineligible for series points ( key ) ( Bold  – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics  – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led. ) 1995  M. Skinner 1996  R. Hornaday Jr. 1997  J. Sprague 1998  R. Hornaday Jr. 1999  J. Sprague 2000  G. Biffle 2001  J. Sprague 2002  M. Bliss 2003  T. Kvapil 2004  B. Hamilton 2005  T. Musgrave 2006  T. Bodine 2007  R. Hornaday Jr. 2008  J. Benson Jr. 2009  R. Hornaday Jr. 2010  T. Bodine 2011  A. Dillon 2012  J. Buescher 2013  M. Crafton 2014  M. Crafton 2015  E. Jones 2016  J. Sauter 2017  C. Bell 2018  B. Moffitt 2019  M. Crafton 2020  S. Creed 2021  B. Rhodes 2022  Z. Smith 2023  B. Rhodes 2024  T. Majeski Darrell Waltrip Darrell Lee Waltrip (born February 5, 1947)

2691-681: Is one of his favorites. The early years found Waltrip competing against legendary stock car racers such as Richard Petty , David Pearson , Cale Yarborough , and Bobby Allison , among others. Waltrip soon earned the respect of his more experienced peers. He was given the No. 95 as a number but Waltrip preferred car No. 17 because his hero, David Pearson , had success with the number in earlier years. As an owner/driver, Waltrip ran 5 races in 1972, 14 races in 1973, 16 races in 1974, with 7 top-five finishes, and 17 races as an owner/driver in 1975, with his first Winston Cup victory coming at his home track, May 10, 1975, at age 28, (28 years, 3 months, 5 days), in

2808-550: The 1989 Daytona 500 , a record five in the Coca-Cola 600 (formerly the World 600 ) ( 1978 , 1979 , 1985 , 1988 , 1989 ), and a track and Series record for any driver at Bristol Motor Speedway with 12 (seven consecutive from 1981 to 1984). Those victories have him fifth on NASCAR's all-time wins list in the Cup Series, one behind Bobby Allison and place him second to Jeff Gordon for

2925-596: The Capital City 500 , in Richmond , Virginia. He would post three top-five and four top-ten finishes in the 11 races he ran for DiGard in 1975. During the late 1970s, Waltrip would begin his domination of NASCAR's short track venues, especially at the Bristol International Speedway ( Bristol, Tennessee ), Martinsville Speedway ( Martinsville, Virginia ) and the Music City Motorplex ( Nashville ). He holds

3042-548: The Goody's 500 ) and had six Top 5 finishes. In 1988, he won two races, including his fourth Coca-Cola 600 win. In the first race of 1989, the Daytona 500 , Waltrip won the race for the first time in his 17th attempt with a fuel conservation strategy along with his long-time crew chief Jeff Hammond, making his final pit stop for fuel a distant 53 laps (132 miles) from the finish. Most of the other cars could run no more than 45 or 46 laps on

3159-586: The Hendrick Motorsports years, and was Waltrip's crew chief for his 1989 Daytona 500 win and 3 of his 5 Coca-Cola 600 wins. In the 1991 season, Waltrip visited victory lane twice, his first win in his second stint as owner-driver coming in only the 7th race of the season on April 21, 1991, in the First Union 400 , at North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina . His second win of

3276-627: The Motorsports Hall of Fame of America for 2003 the International Motorsports Hall of Fame for 2005. After being nominated for the inaugural 2010 and 2011 classes, he was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame 's 2012 class. Waltrip served as a color analyst for Fox Sports alongside Mike Joy , Larry McReynolds , and Jeff Gordon , a columnist at Foxsports.com , and an author. He is the older brother of former NASCAR driver and

3393-639: The Mountain Dew sponsored Buick Regal , Waltrip won 12 races each year, and his first two NASCAR Winston Cup Series (Winston Cup) championships, in 1981 and 1982. Waltrip's success and driving prowess helped to bring the Buick Grand National into prominence. The company later honored the Waltrip years with throwback paint schemes, once in 2006 and again in 2008. It was during the early 1980s, with Junior Johnson, that Waltrip first worked with Jeff Hammond ,

3510-452: The Music City 420 , outpacing the field by two laps at the track where he had won 2 track championships in Nashville , Tennessee, in the No. 17 Terminal Transport Chevrolet , a car Waltrip owned. During the 1973 season, Waltrip drove 5 Winston Cup races for Bud Moore Engineering . Except for five races in 1973, driving for Bud Moore Engineering , Waltrip primarily drove his own cars from

3627-593: The Slinger Nationals , Majeski started 20th and passed up to second place. While battling for the lead near the end of the race, he got into an incident while trying to pass a lapped car and restarted at the back of the lead lap cars to finish fourth. Majeski raced four times during the LaCrosse Oktoberfest weekend; he won the late model feature on Thursday night, the Dick Trickle 99 on Friday night, and

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Championship Race - Misplaced Pages Continue

3744-531: The Talladega Superspeedway , in Talladega, AL , on May 1, 1977, and his first of a five career victories in the series' longest race, a grueling 600 mile race, the Coca-Cola 600 (formerly the World 600 ), May 28, 1978. Waltrip, and Parrott, would win 21 NASCAR races together from 1977 through 1980. In perhaps the most famous and most well known NASCAR race, the 1979 Daytona 500 , held February 18, 1979,

3861-593: The "Ickey Shuffle" dance in Victory Lane. Later, after the Daytona 500 win, Waltrip visited president George H. W. Bush at the white House in Washington, D.C. Waltrip's popularity as a driver would come full circle on the evening of The Winston , an all-star racing event held May 21, 1989, (an event that did not award points toward the NASCAR national championship), at Charlotte Motor Speedway . With two laps to go, Waltrip

3978-438: The 1970s driving the No. 88 DiGard Chevrolet , sponsored by Gatorade , ranked NASCAR's No. 2 driver, having won 22 Winston Cup races in just 149 race starts. His aggressive driving style and outspoken demeanor earned him the nickname "Jaws", a reference to the 1975 film about a killer shark . The nickname was given to Waltrip by rival Cale Yarborough in an interview after Waltrip crashed Yarborough and D.K. Ulrich out of

4095-462: The 1972 Winston 500 , at Talladega , Alabama, the series' fastest and longest track at 2.66 miles, (4.281 kilometers), driving a 1969 Mercury Cyclone he purchased from Holman-Moody , originally the Ford Fairlane driven by Mario Andretti to victory in the 1967 Daytona 500 . Waltrip finished 38th in his first Winston Cup race after retiring on lap 69 due to engine failure. Waltrip paid $ 12,500 for

4212-472: The 1977 Southern 500. Ulrich assumed that Yarborough had caused the wreck and questioned him after the race, to which Yarborough famously responded, "That Jaws ran into you." Waltrip himself preferred the nicknames "D.W." or "D-Dubya" but he acknowledged Yarborough by displaying an inflatable toy shark in his pit at the next race. At the height of his NASCAR Cup Series success in the early 1980s, fans often booed Waltrip, in large part because of his success on

4329-506: The 1979 NASCAR championship. In that 1979 season, Waltrip won seven Winston Cup races and was a serious contender for what would have been his first championship despite numerous engine failures, mechanical problems, and differences with DiGard management. On September 23, 1979, after winning pole position and leading 184 laps at the Old Dominion 500 , at Martinsville , Virginia, Waltrip again experienced engine failure. The DiGard team pitted

4446-463: The 1986 season, Waltrip and Hendrick discussed the possibility of Waltrip joining the Hendrick organization, which fielded cars for Geoff Bodine and Tim Richmond and the two discussed the potential of Waltrip moving to a new team. Waltrip was still under contract with Johnson for the 1986 season, but following the year he was able to break the contract in a unique way. As he recounted in an interview for

4563-607: The 2010 season including Columbus 151 Speedway, Dells Raceway Park , and Madison International Speedway with former NASCAR Busch Series driver Jason Schuler as his crew chief. Majeski joined the Big 8 Late Model Series tour in 2011. He won three races including the Big 8 race at the National Short Track Championship weekend at Rockford Speedway . He progressed to racing Super Late Models in 2012. In 2013, he raced 27 events in four cars for four different owners. In

4680-493: The ARCA Midwest Tour between the NASCAR races and won the 2021 championship with a second-place finish at Oktoberfest. His fifth championship set a new series record. He then repeated his Myrtle Beach 400 win in Florence. Majeski drove the No. 66 full-time in 2022 . He made the playoffs by staying consistent with seven top-fives and ten top-10 finishes. During the playoffs, Majeski won at Bristol and Homestead to lock himself in

4797-529: The Championship 4. He finished 20th at Phoenix after a late spin, resulting in a fourth-place finish in the standings. Majeski started the 2023 season with a sixth place finish at Daytona . He stayed consistent with seven top-fives and 11 top-10 finishes, allowing him to qualify for the playoffs. Majeski won the first round of the playoffs at Indianapolis . On August 29, NASCAR suspended crew chief Joe Shear Jr. for four races and fined him US$ 25,000 after

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Championship Race - Misplaced Pages Continue

4914-605: The Fox Sports Net series Beyond the Glory in 2001, Waltrip gained his release by purposely breaking one of Johnson's cardinal rules: asking for a raise (Johnson forbade his drivers from discussing money matters, including raises, with him). After signing, Hendrick formed a third team for Waltrip, carrying the No. 17 and sponsored by Tide . In 1987, his first year with Hendrick Motorsports, Waltrip had limited success, compared to his previous years with Johnson. He won only one race (at

5031-658: The JMcK 63 Big 8 Series race on Saturday night. With 10 laps to go, he was leading the ARCA Midwest Tour race on Sunday when a vapor lock caused his car to temporarily lose power on a restart; he finished third. Majeski traveled across the United States to Florida for the Governor's Cup at New Smyrna Speedway in November. He started 27th. After passing up through the entire field, Majeski held off Steven Wallace on numerous restarts to take

5148-559: The NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national points in August despite not intentionally racing for any track's points championship. The driver's top 18 finishes determine their standings. He made a late season decision to try for the national title. He started double features at Elko Speedway and climbed to tenth in the standings. On the following weekend he won another feature at Madison for his 13th NASCAR weekly win of

5265-450: The No. 60 car with Chase Briscoe and Austin Cindric in 2018. Majeski had his first Top 10 result with a seventh-place finish at Iowa. In July 2018, he dominated to win his first Slinger Nationals . On December 2, 2018, Majeski announced a return to Super Late Model racing after it was revealed that Roush Fenway Racing was in the process of closing its Xfinity program. He was announced as

5382-493: The No. 98 Ford F-150 for ThorSport Racing , as well as in late model racing . He has also competed in the NASCAR Xfinity Series , ARCA Menards Series , and ARCA Menards Series West in the past. He is the 2024 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion. Majeski is a member of the 2016 NASCAR Next class and was previously a development driver for Roush Fenway Racing . He raced in three NASCAR Xfinity Series races for

5499-504: The Petty car in the fourth turn on the final lap due to the reduction in horsepower. Still, Waltrip finished runner-up in perhaps the most famous race in NASCAR history, and was an early turning point in Waltrip's career. The 1979 Daytona 500 would be an early season precursor for the remaining nine months of the racing season. Waltrip and Petty would engage in a bitter battle, race after race, for

5616-546: The Winston Cup championship over nemesis Bobby Allison, rallying from a nearly 300-point deficit in midsummer and taking the points lead for keeps with a second-place finish at Dover in September. Waltrip then strung together four consecutive victories and ran well in the final two races of the season to win by 53 points. In 1982, Waltrip again won 12 races and basically repeated his 1981 season. He claimed his second championship in

5733-625: The Year " (1979, 1981, 1982), and " NASCAR 's Driver of the Decade" for the 1980s, as well as three for "National Motorsports Press Association Driver of the Year" (1977, 1981, and 1982), two for "Auto Racing Digest Driver of the Year" (1981 and 1982), the first "Tennessee Professional Athlete of the Year" (1979), one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers in 1998, and the Bill France "Award of Excellence" in 2000. He has been inducted into numerous halls of fame, including

5850-485: The area to race at the Fairgrounds Speedway , at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds in Nashville , where he would win two track championships, in 1970, and 1973. Waltrip drove the No. 48 P. B. Crowell owned Ford sponsored by American Home, in Nashville , where he aggressively promoted the week's race when he appeared on a local television program promoting the speedway's races, and was not afraid to embrace

5967-440: The beginning of his NASCAR career until the middle of the 1975 NASCAR Winston Cup Series (Winston Cup) season, when he was signed to a multi-year contract and replaced driver Donnie Allison to drive the No. 88 DiGard Chevrolet , Waltrip's long-awaited jump into the big leagues of United States stock car auto racing. The DiGard racing team was founded in part by Mike DiProspero and Bill Gardner, who were brothers-in-law, with

SECTION 50

#1732855796274

6084-494: The car and made a rare mid-race engine change in a record 11 minutes. Waltrip lost 29 laps in the pits but was able to finish 11th, as Petty finished 2nd. At the start of the final race of the season, the Los Angeles Times 500 , at Ontario Motor Speedway , Ontario , California, Waltrip led Richard Petty by a scant 2 points in the year-long championship battle after finishing the race 5th ahead of Petty's 6th-place finish in

6201-500: The car, a spare engine and some spare parts and drove it in 5 cup series events until mid-1973. The car was converted from the Ford Fairlane Andretti drove, to a 1969 Mercury Cyclone as driven by Waltrip, and later converted to a 1971 Mercury Cyclone. The car was sponsored by Terminal Transport of Owensboro , Kentucky, Waltrip's first major sponsor. Waltrip still owns the car today as part of a collection of cars he has raced and

6318-452: The car, he was posting lap times quicker that the car's normal driver; Waltrip wanted Majeski to move to North Carolina for the 2009 racing season but his family did not want to move. Majeski ended up remaining in Wisconsin and started racing limited late models in Wisconsin at Pathfinder Racing Chassis / JJ Motorsports Racing as a teammate to Ross Kenseth . He raced a various tracks for

6435-430: The car.  After his fourth season as a driver for Hendrick Motorsports , Waltrip formed his own team to field cars in the 1991 NASCAR Winston Cup Series (Winston Cup) season. Driving his own cars had been his passion since he successfully drove his own cars in his early NASCAR career in the early and mid-1970s. He would continue his relationship with Chevrolet and drive a Chevrolet Lumina with Western Auto as

6552-439: The caution on the second-place car, it kept Bodine in the lead. He slipped into the pits and came out without losing the lead because the pace car was keeping the second-place car back. We messed up by picking up the wrong car. It was a judgment call." Waltrip filed a protest post-race, only to be denied on the grounds that judgment calls were not subject to protest/appeal. 1990 was the first year since 1974, that Waltrip did not win

6669-416: The driver for five ARCA races in the No. 22 Chad Bryant Racing car in 2019. In his second start for the team, Majeski took advantage of a late-race mistake by Michael Self to take the lead and held off Sheldon Creed for an overtime win at Charlotte Motor Speedway . He would also win the following race at Pocono Raceway . Going for three in a row at Michigan International Speedway the following week,

6786-408: The edge of an access road causing it to become airborne and tumbling end over end several times before coming to a stop, upside-down, in a grassy area near turn 3. Waltrip was extricated and only suffered minor injuries but many feared that he could have re-injured his shattered leg from the crash at the same track the previous year. (Slow-motion video and still photography showed that Waltrip's left arm

6903-497: The end of the 1980 season, opening the position for Waltrip, but only if Waltrip could successfully negotiate an early termination of his contract with DiGard. Waltrip successfully negotiated his exit from DiGard, and would take over the No. 11 for 1981. Waltrip's success driving the Junior Johnson prepared cars came immediately and even surpassed the highly successful years he had with DiGard . In his first two years as driver for

7020-481: The eventual winner of the race, barely avoided hitting the demolished Pepsi Challenger. Waltrip and was taken by ambulance to the Halifax Medical Center for observation and medical treatment. The crash was a wake-up call and a life-changing event for Waltrip. When he heard drivers and fans joking that the crash would "knock him conscious" or "finally shut him up", he realized for the first time how unpopular he

7137-507: The final laps. The race would end up finishing around 11 PM MST , one of the latest that a NASCAR race has finished. With a race time of 2 hours, 27 minutes, and 32 seconds, it is also one of the longest Truck Series races in history. Ty Majeski Tyler Brad Majeski (born August 18, 1994) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series , driving

SECTION 60

#1732855796274

7254-566: The following race, the summer race at the Pocono Raceway , in Long Pond, Pennsylvania , but was crashed again when driver Ernie Irvan spun driver Hut Stricklin , in front of almost the entire field. Waltrip won the year's spring race at the track just 5 weeks before. Waltrip finished the first year of his second stint as owner-driver 8th in the overall Winston Cup points championship, after being as high as 3rd place after 14 races. His first year

7371-503: The growing interest of new family oriented sponsors never before associated with motorsports. NASCAR was becoming a multi-regional sport enjoyed by men, women and children alike. In addition to the huge influx of money from new sponsors and television, the more astute NASCAR team owners immediately embraced new resources such as computers, telemetry, research and development, multi-car teams for information sharing, wind-tunnel testing, and engineering. Waltrip, now one of two drivers for Johnson,

7488-405: The inaugural All-Star race, The Winston , in 1985, and compiling 43 total wins with the team. Waltrip was quick to recognize the new and rapid expansion of the sport's popularity among teens and young adults and others never before considered NASCAR fans. The growth was primarily due to increasing national network and cable subscription television which televised almost every NASCAR event live, and

7605-402: The last 53 laps, he was able to avoid making the additional pit stop for fuel that the other cars had to make. The strategy provided Waltrip with the track position needed to win the race. His post-race interview with CBS pit reporter Mike Joy , became famous, with Waltrip shouting "I won the Daytona 500! I won the Daytona 500! Wait, this is the Daytona 500 ain't it? ...Thank God!", accompanied by

7722-493: The lead. Bouchard beat Waltrip by a foot in a 3-wide drag race in what has been called the biggest upset in NASCAR history. Waltrip reportedly said " Where the hell did he come from?" in an interview. Waltrip also stated in a post-race conference that part of the reason he lost the race was because he thought Bouchard was a lap down and therefore did not block Bouchard. He ended 1981 with 11 poles, 12 wins, 21 top fives, and 25 top tens. Not only did Waltrip win 12 races, he also won

7839-409: The legendary Robert Yates as engine builder. Waltrip's first race with DiGard came on August 17, 1975, at the Talladega 500 , Talladega Superspeedway , in Talladega , Alabama, finishing 42nd after experiencing engine failure. Waltrip would compete in ten more races in the 1975 season for DiGard , sponsored by Terminal Transport, and get his second career Winston Cup victory October 12, 1975, in

7956-589: The local media when other competitors were reluctant to do so. Some of the notorious "on air" trash-talking included making fun of some of the other local drivers such as Coo Coo Marlin (whose son Sterling later raced at the circuit and is a two-time Daytona 500 winner) and James "Flookie" Buford, whose nickname he would mock on air. It pleased track management that he was helping sell tickets, leading to packed grandstands and extra paychecks from track operators for his promotional skills. He became friends with WSM radio host Ralph Emery in his early years, forming

8073-671: The main driver to watch in the future in an off-season article as it described him accepting the KDDP trophy. He started the 2016 season in February in the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing at New Smyrna, a week-long series of racing over Speedweeks . Majeski won the second night and the final night to capture three total wins and the Speedweeks title. He finished first or second in all six series events with an average finish of 1.5. He followed

8190-416: The most successful owner/driver partnerships in all of motorsports history. Waltrip and Johnson remained close friends and respected each other as pioneers and champions of the sport. Waltrip's partnership with car owner Junior Johnson led to huge success with three NASCAR Winston Cup Series (Winston Cup) championships and 43 Winston Cup wins. The connection between fast cars and alcohol consumption became

8307-728: The most wins in NASCAR's modern era. He is ranked fifth for all-time pole positions with 59, including all-time modern era highs with 35 on short tracks and eight on road courses. Competing in 809 Cup starts over four decades and 29 years (1972–2000), he has scored 271 Top 5s and 390 Top 10s. Winning nearly $ 19.9 million in posted earnings, he became the first NASCAR driver to be awarded over $ 10 million in career race winnings. Waltrip has additionally won 13 NASCAR Busch Grand National Series races, seven American Speed Association (ASA) races, three IROC races, two Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) races, two NASCAR All-American Challenge Series events, two All Pro Racing Association races, and

8424-486: The new Chevrolet Lumina in 1989, and delivered its first victory by winning a historic and unprecedented fifth Coca-Cola 600 that May. Besides establishing a race record for victories, the win prepared him for a chance to win the one remaining "major race" which had eluded him since his first race at the Heinz Southern 500 at Darlington . A Darlington victory would award him a one million dollar bonus for winning three of

8541-413: The new leaders, Richard Petty running third, and Waltrip, running closely behind in fourth, as a fist fight ensued between Yarborough, Donnie Allison , and his brother and racer, Bobby Allison , in the turn three grass. Earlier in the race, Waltrip's DiGard Gatorade Oldsmobile , dropped a cylinder and while able to hang onto the slipstream of the Petty car on the final lap, was not able to draft past

8658-576: The now defunct MWR team owner Michael Waltrip . Waltrip retired from the commentary box at the conclusion of Fox's broadcast schedule for the 2019 NASCAR season in June 2019. Waltrip was born on February 4, 1947, in Owensboro, Kentucky . Starting his driving career in Go-karts at age 12, Waltrip entered his first stock car race just four years later. Waltrip and his father built a 1936 Chevrolet coupe and headed to

8775-533: The playoffs, he stayed consistent enough to make the Championship 4. On November 5, NASCAR fined Majeski US$ 12,500 for skipping championship media day to vote in the 2024 United States presidential election . He scored his third win at Phoenix ; as the highest-finishing Championship 4 driver in the race, he clinched his first Truck Series championship. Majeski graduated from Seymour Community High School in 2013. In February 2017, Majeski moved from his home state of Wisconsin to North Carolina to be closer to

8892-420: The power steering just after half-way through the 200 lap event. He won his second consecutive Dixieland 250 ARCA Midwest Tour race at Wisconsin International Raceway in August. On September 8, 2020, the entry list for the truck race at Richmond Raceway listed Trevor Bayne as the driver for the No. 45 instead of Majeski, who was nowhere to be found on the entry list. No statement was made as to why Majeski

9009-524: The previous race, the Dixie 500 , Atlanta Motor Speedway , November 4, 1979. However, Petty won an unprecedented seventh, and his final, NASCAR Cup Series championship by finishing the final race of the season in 5th position, as Waltrip finished 8th. The final margin of Petty's championship victory over Waltrip was only 11 points, the third-closest points race in NASCAR Cup Series history. Waltrip closed out

9126-449: The previous year into 1990 . Waltrip failed to visit victory lane all season although he finished 2nd in a controversial finish in the season's 7th race, the First Union 400 , at North Wilkesboro Speedway . Brett Bodine had led 63 laps in the middle of the race and then re-took the lead on lap 318 after short pitting on a round of green flag pit stops. When the caution came out on lap 321, the pace car mistakenly picked up Dale Earnhardt as

9243-440: The primary team sponsor. Waltrip purchased team assets, including the racing facilities, from his former owner Rick Hendrick in Charlotte, North Carolina , and hired long-time friend and crew chief, Jeff Hammond, to oversee the building of race cars and to continue as crew chief. Waltrip and Hammond enjoyed much success together as Hammond had been with Waltrip during the championship-winning years with Junior Johnson , and most of

9360-679: The race and came back to win for the second consecutive year. Majeski moved to Charlotte, North Carolina in early 2017 to work in the Roush organization as an engineer. He reportedly was close to securing a Ford development contract but ARCA champion Chase Briscoe received the contract since he had more large track experience. He began the season racing in the World Series of Asphalt at New Smyrna. Majeski won his second consecutive Rattler 250 over Harrison Burton and Steven Wallace . In March 2017, Majeski announced he would be making his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at Iowa Speedway in June, followed by

9477-505: The race leader, putting Brett almost a full lap in front of the entire field. During the ensuing confusion of a 17 lap caution flag (NASCAR did not have electronic scoring at the time) Bodine was able to make a pit stop for fresh tires without losing any positions. When NASCAR reset the lineup with Bodine as the leader, he led the final 83 laps of the race (a race-high 146 laps overall) to take the victory.   "We messed up," said Chip Williams, NASCAR's public relations director. "By throwing

9594-438: The race. Because Labonte was a more recent Cup champion (in fact, he was the defending Cup champion that season), he was able to take the past champion's provisional. Waltrip, who was 20th in owner points, was too low in the owner points position to make the race (only the top four in owner points of cars not in the field, excluding the most recent former champion not in the field, were added after qualifying under 1997 rules). After

9711-585: The racing community. He reportedly took off a semester at UW-Madison as a senior majoring in mechanical engineering. He was the number one ranked oval player in the world for the online racing simulator iRacing from December 2016 until December 2021, which sponsors him in his racing. In early August 2018, Majeski announced his engagement to Ali VanderLoop on Twitter. When Majeski began working at ThorSport Racing in 2021, he moved from North Carolina to Ohio (although he still kept owning his North Carolina home), since unlike most NASCAR teams, ThorSport's shop

9828-443: The reason that he failed as a driver-owner team was because he thought like a driver, not as an owner. Beverly chose not to race the team immediately, instead choosing to rebuild the team (now part of Tyler Jet Motorsports after two sales and a merger). During this time, Waltrip signed with Dale Earnhardt, Inc. to drive the No. 1 Pennzoil Chevy, filling in for injured rookie Steve Park . During his tenure with DEI, Waltrip posted

9945-469: The season to climb to third in the standings. He raced more at Elko and Rockford Speedway but finished third in the final points standings. Majeski ended the season by winning the Oktoberfest main event at LaCrosse to earn his third consecutive ARCA Midwest Tour championship. He returned to New Smyrna Speedway and qualified on the pole position for the Governor's Cup. He fell nearly two laps down during

10062-485: The season was highlighted by his final career pole position at the NAPA 500 . In 1996, Waltrip posted two top-ten finishes. Western Auto remained the sponsor as part of Waltrip's 25th-anniversary celebration. While the year was one of Waltrip's most profitable, his results continued to fall off. At the 1997 UAW-GM Quality 500 , Waltrip failed to qualify for the first time in over 20 years as Terry Labonte also failed to make

10179-727: The season, Majeski recorded his first ARCA Midwest Tour pole position at Marshfield Motor Speedway. He won three races at the Oktoberfest race weekend at the LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway . Majeski raced for the ARCA Midwest Tour Rookie of the Year title in 2014. He achieved his first tour victory at Illiana Motor Speedway in May 2014. That season, he also ran occasional selected weekly races at State Park Speedway on Thursdays, and LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway on Saturday nights, TUNDRA Super Late Model Series events, and

10296-527: The season, Waltrip and his team were struggling to find sponsors but were able to put together a last-minute deal with the Ohio-based company Speedblock for 1998. Speedblock only paid portions of what was promised, and the deal was canceled. Waltrip's team at this point was nearly insolvent, and he sold the team to Tim Beverly . Waltrip's final race as an owner-driver was at the TranSouth Financial 400, and

10413-484: The season, after which he landed at ThorSport in 2021, running a part-time schedule that season, and would then run full time from the 2022 season, winning two races in that season. He won four consecutive championships in the ARCA Midwest Tour in 2014 (that year, he was also the series' Rookie of the Year), 2015, 2016, and 2017. He returned to win the 2021 championship. Majeski was born on August 18, 1994, and began racing as

10530-581: The series by racing in another southern race; he quickly went from a seventh place start to the lead as he dominated to win the Rattler 250 race at South Alabama Speedway . Speed51.com rated Majeski as its No. 1 Short Track Draft pick in May 2016. That month he won the first race of the ARCA Midwest Tour, the Joe Shear Memorial at Madison International Speedway , over Johnny Sauter . In May, he joined Roush Fenway Racing 's driver development program . He

10647-541: The sport's four majors in the same season, the Daytona 500, the Winston 500 , Coca-Cola 600, and the Mountain Dew Southern 500 . The pressure of both the million dollar bonus and Career Grand Slam adversely affected Waltrip. He made contact with the wall early in the 1989 Southern 500 and was never a contender for winning the race, and the million dollar bonus. For many reasons, Waltrip was unable to carry his success of

10764-660: The sport. Waltrip and Hammond work together, even today, as broadcaster and analyst at Fox Sports , and Speed TV . Waltrip's first season with Junior Johnson was a huge success. He won 12 races including big races such as the Rebel 500, the Food City 500, and the Riverside 400 event. He almost swept Talladega for his 1981 season by nearly winning the Talladega 500. On the final lap rookie Ron Bouchard dove under Waltrip and Terry Labonte to take

10881-407: The team in 2017 and twelve in 2018, all of which came in their No. 60 car. Majeski was left without a ride when Roush closed down their Xfinity team after the season. He then returned to ARCA in 2019 to drive part-time for Chad Bryant Racing , winning three races in six starts, which landed him a full-time ride in the Truck Series with Niece Motorsports in 2020, which he would be released from during

10998-463: The team's No. 45 truck for the 2020 NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series season, replacing Ross Chastain . In his first race of the season, he was involved in a crash and slid on his roof in Turn 1 at Daytona. On February 16, he won his 100th Super Late Model race during the World Series of Asphalt race at New Smyrna Speedway . In July, Majeski won his second Slinger Nationals after losing some of

11115-554: The three Red, White, and Blue series races at Wisconsin International Raceway . Majeski also won at Hawkeye Downs Speedway in July 2014. He was awarded the series' the Rookie of the Year title along with the ARCA Midwest Tour championship in 2014, becoming the series' youngest champion. At the 2014 Snowball Derby , Majeski started 32nd and moved his way up to a 19th-place finish. He had a total of five victories in 35 races that year. Majeski

11232-708: The time he turned 15, he had won a national championship in the Mid-American National Series. In karting, he had won six national championships, three state championships, and five track titles. In 2009, Majeski took second overall in the National Indoor Championship at Batesville, Mississippi ; he won three of five events which caught the attention of Bobby Waltrip, the brother of Darrell and Michael Waltrip . In 2009, Waltrip arranged for Majeski to test an asphalt late model race car at Hickory Motor Speedway . After Majeski got used to driving

11349-399: The top ten in championship points by finishing 9th. He had a then-unprecedented streak over two seasons, of 40 races, without a DNF, all with in-house engines. His only engine failure in the season was after the car crossed the finish line. Waltrip finished 19th in points in 1995 when he crashed at The Winston and was forced to let relief drivers take over for several weeks. His second half of

11466-510: The track defeating more established drivers with large fan followings, but also because of his open criticism of NASCAR, his admitting to condoning cheating, and his aggressive "take no prisoners", "win at all costs" approach to driving. Doing him no favors was his widely publicized falling-out with DiGard leadership, where he publicly admitted that he would not have won a championship as long as he drove for them. He attempted several times to be released from his driving contract with DiGard in 1980,

11583-751: The track record at Bristol International Speedway , for wins with 12 victories, and for pole positions at Martinsville Speedway , with 8 pole position awards. In 1976, Gatorade became Waltrip's primary sponsor as he started his first full race season at age 29, driving the DiGard Gatorade Chevrolet . Waltrip won only one Winston Cup race in 1976, the Virginia 500 , at Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway , Virginia, but in 1977 and 1978, working with legendary NASCAR crew chief Buddy Parrott, he won six times each year, including his first of four career victories at

11700-575: The truck was discovered to have an illegal right rear wheel and tire during the inspection prior to the Milwaukee race . In addition, the No. 98 team was docked 75 owner and driver points and 5 playoff points. Majeski made it all the way to the Round of 8 before he was eliminated at Homestead . Majeski started the 2024 season with a 15th place finish at Daytona . Throughout the regular season, he won at Indianapolis and Richmond . Despite not winning during

11817-730: The win. Dale Earnhardt Jr. tweeted about Majeski's win calling him "the Deal". At the Snowball Derby , Majeski qualified second quickest and was awarded the pole position after Christopher Bell 's Kyle Busch Motorsports entry was disqualified. The Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) named him their inaugural winner. In 56 events, he had 18 wins, 19 pole positions, and 48 Top 10 finishes. Speed51 ranked him No. 3 on their final short track season rankings behind Whelen Modified Tour winner Doug Coby and Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series champion Jonathan Davenport. ESPN featured Majeski as

11934-676: The year came in the 13th race of the season on June 16, 1991, in the Champion Spark Plug 500, at Pocono Raceway , in Long Pond, Pennsylvania . Just two races after celebrating his second win of 1991, Waltrip would again be involved in another serious crash, again at the Daytona International Speedway , in Daytona Beach , Florida . It came after completing the 119th of 160 laps on the 2.5-mile superspeedway. Waltrip and driver Alan Kulwicki were racing side by side, leading

12051-642: Was an early racer at the Kentucky Motor Speedway (an asphalt track in Whitesville ) and Ellis Raceway, a dirt track on US Highway 60 west in Daviess County (Ellis Raceway is now closed), driving a car called "Big 100" built by Harry Pedley, owner of Pedley's Garage, on West Second Street, in Owensboro and sponsored by R.C. Bratcher Radiator and Welding Co. His success gained the attention of Nashville owner/driver P. B. Crowell, who urged Waltrip to move to

12168-483: Was and resolved to clean up his image. The years following that crash would see a different Darrell Waltrip, one who worked hard to repair and rebuild his relationship with fans and fellow drivers. Years later, Waltrip would be voted (by NASCAR fans) "Most Popular Driver", two years in a row, (1989, 1990). Waltrip would continue his unprecedented success driving for Junior Johnson through the 1986 season, winning his third and final Winston Cup championship, in 1985, winning

12285-756: Was generally viewed as a successful first year outing. However, Waltrip was now 44 years old, had children, and had many pressures as owner/driver that he did not concern himself with driving for multimillion-dollar, highly financed race teams, such as Hendrick Motorsports . In 1992, Waltrip collected three more wins, including the Mountain Dew Southern 500 , a race held at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina , United States, September 6, 1992, (the last major race which had eluded his 20-year career), and finished 9th in points, after being as high as 6th after 22 races. That would be Waltrip's 84th, and final NASCAR career victory, tying him with Bobby Allison for what

12402-505: Was held in February. Since 2020, it has been part of the NASCAR Championship Weekend replacing Homestead–Miami . In 2023 , when Craftsman returned to become the title sponsor of the Truck Series, they took over the title sponsorship of the race, replacing Lucas Oil . The 2023 race was controversial. Fans had noted that drivers had no respect on the track, which contributed to the amount of wrecks and overtime restarts in

12519-546: Was involved in an accident with Kyle Benjamin on lap 114; he finished 34th. Majeski clinched his fourth consecutive ARCA Midwest Tour at Elko Speedway with one race remaining for the season. Majeski won his third consecutive Governor's Cup in a Super Late Model at New Smyrna Speedway in November over Bubba Pollard, Wallace, and Burton. He returned to the Xfinity Series at Iowa and the season finale at Homestead-Miami . Roush Fenway Racing announced that Majeski would share

12636-407: Was leading the race and poised to win when Rusty Wallace hit his car exiting the 4th turn, sending him into the infield and costing him the victory and the $ 200,000 purse. Not only was Waltrip and his crew upset at being knocked out of the victory, the 150,000 fans watching the race issued boos to Wallace, the winner. The two crews scuffled in the pits and harsh words were said after the race. Waltrip

12753-460: Was making an evasive maneuver to avoid rear-ending a much slower car ahead of him. Waltrip locked his brakes but the car slid for several hundred feet, then struck an earthen embankment near the entrance to pit road. The force of the impact was so violent that Waltrip's car was thrown back onto the track, in front of oncoming traffic. Waltrip then made hard contact with the outside concrete retaining wall once again into oncoming traffic. Cale Yarborough,

12870-512: Was named one of the seven finalists for the inaugural Alan Kulwicki Driver Development Program in 2015. Participants were awarded $ 7777 to help develop their careers. He raced a similar schedule in 2015, starting with a seven-night series at New Smyrna Speedway for the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing. Majeski won the second program on Tuesday night and led the series points for two nights. In July 2015, Speed51.com ranked him No. 4 on their short track power ranking with seven victories. At

12987-479: Was not entered. Three races later, following a second-place finish at Talladega, Bayne told reporters that he would finish the season in the No. 45, effectively ending Majeski's rookie season without explanation. After qualifying on pole position at the Oktoberfest Super Late Model event at LaCrosse in October 2020, he elected to start in the back of the field for a chance to win an extra $ 6,300 with

13104-463: Was one of eleven drivers named to the NASCAR Next 2016–2017 class on the following day. In June 2016, Majeski made his first ARCA start in the No. 17 Roulo Brothers Racing car. He had the fastest time in practice, started seventh, raced up to second, and finished fourth. For the season, Majeski won 9 of 10 races at LaCrosse plus had several high finishes at Madison. Majeski noticed that he was high in

13221-423: Was originally post-drive a sponsorless car, but instead decided to drive a "Tim Flock Special" as the former 2-time Grand National Series champion was fighting liver and throat cancer and was without medical insurance, and Waltrip wanted to help raise money for Flock and his family by having a trust fund with NASCAR's 50th Anniversary. Flock died at age 73 just nine days after the race. In 2008, Waltrip admitted

13338-669: Was outside the car as the car tumbled, and came to rest.) Waltrip still had a plate in his left leg from the compound fractures he suffered in the earlier crash at the Pepsi 400, at the Daytona International Speedway, (Waltrip commented on January 10, 2013, SPEED Television broadcast of the Daytona NASCAR winter testing, that he had spent more time in the hospital from injuries suffered at the Daytona Speedway, than at any other track he had raced). Waltrip would compete in

13455-438: Was quick to envision the future of NASCAR and sought to take advantage of the coming changes something his car owner, Junior Johnson a pioneer of the sport, was somewhat reluctant to embrace. Johnson and his team had enjoyed success for decades and won numerous races and championships spanning decades using his own formulas for success. Well aware of Junior Johnson's long-standing steadfast rule of never discussing an adjustment to

13572-510: Was quoted after the race as saying "I hope he chokes on it", referring to the $ 200,000 that Wallace collected for the victory. Waltrip's car was clearly superior to that of Wallace and, had it not been for the contact initiated by Wallace on the final lap, Waltrip would have won the all-star event. During the 1989, and 1990 seasons, Waltrip was voted NASCAR's Most Popular Driver by fans. Waltrip would win six races in 1989, his best year with Hendrick Motorsports, and helped develop NASCAR's version of

13689-523: Was then third on the all-time list, behind Richard Petty , with 200 wins, and David Pearson , with 105 wins. Both he and Allison have since been passed by Jeff Gordon , who has 93 wins by the time he retired at the end of the 2015 season. In 1993, Waltrip signed former Richard Childress Racing engine builder Lou LaRosa, to build engines, and Barry Dodson , a former championship-winning crew chief. He posted four top-ten finishes but did not finish higher than third. 1994 saw him make his final appearance in

#273726