Chat Transcript: Darrell Waltrip
Posted: Monday November 16, 1998 10:37 AM
Darrell Waltrip, a three-time Winston Cup Champion, visited the CNN/SI chat channel on Thursday Nov. 12. He took questions from users. Here are some of the highlights:
HB_in_Kent : DW, greetings from your
home state. We love you very much and are pulling for you to Win One
Soon! My question is, have you ever given any thought to moving back to
Kentucky and running for public office after you retire? You'd be a
great asset to our body of elected officials.
Darrell Waltrip : I have considered it, to some degree. I believe I could be an effective leader, but the political arena is difficult, I am a
conservative, Christian Republican...
Guest44397 : Will you be at the Brickyard
next year
DW : That is without one of my favorite races... If
I could pick one race, it would be the Brickyard! And I plan to be there
in style.
edab : Have you tested in the 88 car yet? How are they gonna get you out of it?
DW (laughing) : No, I haven't tested it, but I watch it. It's
gonna be a great opportunity for me. I don't mind going halfway around
the world to drive it. They will have to ship me back with it! It's a great Christmas gift!
CNN/SI : If you could win one race next which one
would it be?
DW : If you're a purist, The Daytona, our Super
Bowl. The happiest day of your life is practice day at the Daytona 500.
The anticipation is so thick. Daytona is a very special race, but it's a
toss-up between the Daytona 500, and the Brickyard, but I seem to do a
little better at Daytona than the Brickyard!
KyWildcats : DW, I know you're a
Kentucky basketball fan. Have you enjoyed watching the team? What's it
like being among all those North Carolinians? And are you following the
football team any this year?
DW : I've followed the Cats ever since I was a
little DW. It's a part of your heritage as a Kentuckian. I have a
great deal of pride in them, but living in North Carolina, it's tough. People in NC love their basketball too.
Coach Hal Mumme is doing a great job at UK! They
are doing great! I am very proud. I never thought we would have a football
program of this caliber! Kentucky may jump up and get Tennessee.
CNN/SI : Have you been proud of the success of
Tennessee as far as supplying drivers to the cup level?
DW : Yes. I have been. The reason I think is the
great Saturday Night program they have down there. Growing up, my goal was to race at the Fairgrounds in Nashville. If you can conquer Nashville, you can conquer
anything!
DGrove : How different is it to
race at Bristol now with the changes in seating to accommodate 130,000 +
fans? The heat reflection in August must be something else...
DW : I love the Bristol race. It is so exciting, BUT the problem is they start 43 cars on a half-mile racetrack is ridiculous! You're down in the bowl, some fans and drivers are worried about the Carbon Monoxide poisoning.
CNN/SI : Do you feel added pressure in the 88
Ford Quality Care Car now that you are a "free agent" to show other
owners and teams what good 'ole DW can do with the right type of
equipment?
DW : I don't know about added pressure. I had a lot
of success in the Pennzoil car. If I have a good race car, I am very
competitive. If I don't, I am more conservative on the track. I live on
the risk/reward factor. What's the use in taking a risk to finish 23rd if
that's all you can get? For a top five finish, maybe. I don't feel pressure at all.
CNN/SI : Next Question from Chris: How did you like racing at
Atlanta under the lights?
DW : I was apprehensive about it, but until you
drive on a track like Atlanta -190-plus miles per hour-- it's really difficult. It turned out fine, but when it's wet like that, it's tough to see.
edab : Darrell, are you
considering a career in broadcasting after you retire from racing?
DW : The one thing I think that bothers me the most
is I am constantly being pressured to stop driving and get in the
booth. I need to prove to myself that I can still be a wining racecar
driver first and foremost. In my heart I know I can. But yes,
afterwards, it is a great possibility
CNN/SI : Hi, Darrell, Who is the best competitor
on the circuit?
DW : Every driver has strengths and weaknesses. I
am a Jeff Gordon fan. I am fascinated by his team's success. It is fun
for me to watch.
Rhaurc : DW what is your opinion on the
restrictor plate?
DW : Oh boy. It's the lesser of all evils, I
guess. It's the worst, most frustrating racing you do. It's no fun to
start a race knowing that there's gonna be a big wreck, thinking
someone's gonna get hurt, and that's what you face in these races. It's an ingredient for disaster
CNN/SI Is there any truth to the rumor that you
will be taking the Tabasco Sponsorship with you to whichever team you
drive for next year?
DW : The Tabasco people and I ended on great terms.
They were really sorry about what had taken place as far as the
team, but it had nothing to with me, but I do have a feeling we will work
together again, maybe not as a sponsor, but I like those people, and
I like their product.
JulieLoves : If you had it
to do all over, would you become a car owner?
DW : Yeah, I would've just sold out quicker! When I
started the team in 1991, it was really something I wanted to do, mainly
because I could.
D Kruse : If you could pick any of
the open rides right now, which one would you like to drive for?
DW : I don't know about "open" rides, but I am trying to work
out a deal to be a member of a multi-car team, with the resources,
people and technology to be successful.
Roland-Va : Can super
speedway racing become more competitive again?
DW : The follow the leader stuff is certainly not
fun to watch. The cars are too fast. They ARE! it makes it difficult to
do any side-by-side racing. There is too much horsepower. We have
engines kicking out 750 HP, and sticky tires. There is no margin for
error.
racereddge : I hear Tabasco may go with the 91 and Joe Falk has you on the top of his driver list. The car seems to be strong, especially for a small operation. Are you going there?
DW : I have absolutely been fascinated by Joe Falk.
On his budget, that car has been very competitive. He is not on the top
of my list, but he is on my list!
CNN/SI : What kind of car do you drive on the street?
DW : I am a Honda and Volvo dealer in Franklin,
Tennessee. I drive a Honda, A Volvo, a Chevy Suburban, and a Passport.
Guest : I think you still have a lot more years
of racing left and me and my husband hope to see you out there for a
long time. Did you like Texas motor speedway and what do you think they
should do to make it better?
DW : The track has been worked on since our race,
and according to the truck racers, the changes they made on the speedway
fixed all the problems. I hope it is a much different track than before.
Currently we are building a $150-million Speedway in Kentucky, I have
been hired as a consultant to make sure these problems do not occur.
Ken : Good Afternoon. DW, what is
your most cherished memory in your racing career?
DW : People ask me that a lot. I have had so many
things happen, I like to think about my career as a whole, rather than one
event.
CountryBum : Do you think the Japanese
car manufacturers should be allowed in Winston Cup?
DW : No foreign car maker currently builds a car to
meet our rules (size, engine, etc.). I don't have a problem with that.
If you build it, and it meets our rules, so be it. But for fifty
years, it's been a "made-in-Detroit" series, and I don't expect that to
change.
HBElkins : Can you compare the
different car owners you've driven for? Specifically, Rick Hendrick,
Junior Johnson, and Dale Earnhardt. What was it like driving for each of
those legends?
DW : I learned a lot from all of them. Junior is
what this sports needs today. He was an innovator. He argued, was cagey,
and I learned how to be a champion from him. He was a no holds barred
car owner, and built a great car.
Rick Hendrick is the McDonald's of WC racing.
He learned through his car business how to set up the franchise of
multi-car ownership. He built his program around people. I loved driving
form him. I learned a lot about business. Junior taught me the
mechanics, but Rick taught me the business.
Dale has taught me that what you see is what
you get. I am proud of his accomplishments. He has parlayed nothing into
a vast empire. We are good friends, and I appreciated a chance to drive
for him. It was the most fun I had in a long time. Besides, it was about time he did something nice for me!
Rick : I'm a huge fan, and I want to
know whether it is out of the question for you to remain until your 30th year?
DW : In my mind, it isn't. This has been
emotionally one of the toughest years of my life. Selling my team was
tough. It started my year off badly, but driving with Pennzoil, it felt good. It
was competitive. I had a chance. When I came back to the 17 team, we
ended on a down note. It was tough. It was tough on me and my family. I
am 51, but I am not settled. Hopefully over the winter I will be able to
rebuild and go out the way I want to. Could I? Yes. Will I? Probably
not.
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