Darrell Waltrip
I officailly started my pre-Brickyard 400 regiment a week or 2 ago, as you do normally for a big NASCAR event. I headed south, at least back across the Ohio River into Kentucky. Just to soak in some of the humid southern air and eat some Western Kentucky barbeque. Even though some folks in Central Indiana think that civilization ends just past the far side of Bloomington. Maybe they are right to an extent. While heading down I-65, several Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series haulers passed me going the other way for the Chicagoland races. Working on the Northwest side of Indy, I occasionally spy an IndyCar hauler returning to town late at night, but these are Nascar haulers, just a little different to a native Southerner.
Growing up in Owensboro,KY during the 1980's there was no bigger home-grown sports star than Darrell Waltrip. It is weird to me that an entire generation knows him more for "Boogity, Boogity, Boogity" than anything he did on the track, which was a lot. 84 career wins, 3 Cup titles, and finally after 17 tries, a Daytona 500 victory in 1989. He influenced a couple of generations there in Daviess County to get involved in racing. I include myself in that group.
See: Pictures of Past Winners of Brickyard 400
Waltrip's little brother, Mikey, got a Cup ride in the mid 80's, the Green Brothers (Mark, David, Jeff) took their act to Nashville then on to Busch Series. Jeremy Mayfield was a part of the movement. Donnie Richeson went on to become a Cup level crew chief. I am leaving out others who worked and continue to work on the cars in varoius capacities.
In the younger days, we collected Nascar Hot Wheels. It wasn't enough to have a Cup car, we had to have our Busch cars and even ARCA cars. We were hardcore.
Read: More Blogs from IndySportsNation
Truthfully, Nascar became boring in the late 80's early 90's. Earnhardt's dominance made the racing each Sunday very predictable. Dale even named his boat "Sunday Money." I drifted away slighty from the sport.
In 1992-93ish, my friend Jason Shuler took every chance to tell me about the next "Big Thing" in Nascar... Jeff Gordon. Shuler was the first person I can recall ever sporting number 24 gear, and this is 1992-93 mind you.
Read more HERE
Growing up in Owensboro,KY during the 1980's there was no bigger home-grown sports star than Darrell Waltrip. It is weird to me that an entire generation knows him more for "Boogity, Boogity, Boogity" than anything he did on the track, which was a lot. 84 career wins, 3 Cup titles, and finally after 17 tries, a Daytona 500 victory in 1989. He influenced a couple of generations there in Daviess County to get involved in racing. I include myself in that group.
See: Pictures of Past Winners of Brickyard 400
Waltrip's little brother, Mikey, got a Cup ride in the mid 80's, the Green Brothers (Mark, David, Jeff) took their act to Nashville then on to Busch Series. Jeremy Mayfield was a part of the movement. Donnie Richeson went on to become a Cup level crew chief. I am leaving out others who worked and continue to work on the cars in varoius capacities.
In the younger days, we collected Nascar Hot Wheels. It wasn't enough to have a Cup car, we had to have our Busch cars and even ARCA cars. We were hardcore.
Read: More Blogs from IndySportsNation
Truthfully, Nascar became boring in the late 80's early 90's. Earnhardt's dominance made the racing each Sunday very predictable. Dale even named his boat "Sunday Money." I drifted away slighty from the sport.
In 1992-93ish, my friend Jason Shuler took every chance to tell me about the next "Big Thing" in Nascar... Jeff Gordon. Shuler was the first person I can recall ever sporting number 24 gear, and this is 1992-93 mind you.
Read more HERE
