"I'm the worst driver to ever win 2 Daytona 500's and an All-Star race" Michael Waltrip's response to Clint Bowyer's comment. Before hiring him as a driver years later
@@marycornett3165 I think Larry did that at the Talladega pre race in 2013, I wanna say it was the one where Tony Stewart blocked Mikey's run on the last corner and Matt Kenseth was the only one to get through and win the race.
@@kevincouture9779 Dang man you don't need to be rude. BFM video was about Michael being a better than we think and Waltrip won the All Star Race in 1996 and I was trying to support BFM by reminding him that Waltrip is also an All Star winner. While Waltrip was in his prime during 2001-2003, Waltrip had some success before hand.
Not everybody can be Petty, Earnhardt or Johnson. He had a solid career and some amazing wins. I will never understand where the idea of him being a bad driver even comes from.
Good video. 👍🏻 Michael Waltrip should have finished top 10 in points in 2003. He ran into a stretch of bad luck in the latter part of that year that would kill anyone’s season. - Crashed out at Bristol (squeezed into the apron by Jeff Green) - Crashed out Darlington (wreck not caused by him) - Sway bar issues at Richmond (had a top 10 car) - Leading Loudon with less than 25 laps to go (pit crews botch final gas & go pit stop) - Blown engine at Dover - Blows an engine at Atlanta while running 7th at halfway - Blows an engine at Rockingham while running top 15 - Blows a tire at Homestead while running top 10 Without this atrocious luck, Michael easily finishes top 10 in points & easily scores over 15 top 10 finishes that season. He definitely performed well in good equipment. The same could be said about the bad luck he encountered in the 2004 season.
Peter Brownless Yup... Michael Waltrip ran well enough in 2003 & 2004 to contend for a top 10 points finish, but the bad luck & mechanical issues plagued him badly. Dale Jr. saw that manifest in 2007 for him as well.
I am just as big of a Michael Waltrip fan as Erich Keplinger And I truly believe that if he was in better equipment prior to DEI He would have had a lot more than 4 wins in his career
Mikey was great! 2003 was a really fun season. I really like Michael as a personality. I think a lot of people forget how likeable he was after the whole MWR scandal.
Greg Sova seen it, and he still wasn’t very good. Four wins in the span of three seasons, at the same type of races, doesn’t make up for 3 decades of being a mid pack driver at best
@@coltoncranmore2166 with exception to the Wood Brothers, he had inept people and cars around him, and even with the Wood Brothers, they were vastly underfunded. Michael Waltrip showed he could win if you gave him tier 1 cars and support.
Kingman Highborn *he could win at superspeedways. Aric Almirolla is also really good at speedway tracks, but I wouldn’t consider him to be anywhere near great. Also, if he wasn’t at DEI with Jr, he would definitely have been forgotten about by most of the population. Most of his fame comes from driving sales car rather mediocrely
He was in the group of mid-tier talents in Cup, much like Elliott Sadler and Casey Mears. They were all good enough to have streaks of good finishes at times but not able to carry it into every week.
Met Michael one night at one of his favorite barbeque's when I was in for dinner. Spent sometime with the man. One of the coolest, radest, down to earth dude's I've ever met.
Met him when I was maybe 10 at a signing/appearance. Wasn't too busy and he kinda showed me around the display car. I was pretty shy at the time and meeting a driver you like at that age is like meeting a larger than life figure. Very cool guy though, so Im glad your experience backs that up.
@@HirokaAkita I'd be salty too! MWR definitely deserved punishment for spingate but it damn well shouldn't have cost him his entire racing team! That's just ridiculous. We've all seen and heard of worse cheating than that in racing. I mean, how many times was Chad Knaus and the 48 team fined and punished for "infractions", aka - cheating? And they have 7 cup championships!
Waltrip-ception at the start and end of this vid! After Michigan in August, Michael was 5th in points and 208 (for new fans, that's the payout for a 4th place and leading a lap, and a 40th place) ahead of 11th place Tony Stewart. In the final 13 races, he only had 3 results better than 26th: the Talladega win, 14th at Charlotte, and 5th at Phoenix. He would drop out of the NASCAR Top 10 with an engine failure at Dover, and finished the season 228 points behind 10th place Terry Labonte. Ouch. As far as Michael's ability was concerned, Dale said he could win. He sadly lost his life mere seconds before he was proved right.
Mikey always had potential, and put on lots of good runs during the course of lots of races... He just never had luck when he needed it. Example, I believe it was the 04 coke 600 where he had a totally dominant car, leading the most laps and by far outrunning everyone up to I believe around 100 to go, and cut a tire on the front stretch a lap before he was going to pit while having like a 4 second lead
A friend of mines dad raced several years in the sixties at Indianapolis, I don’t think he ever finished a race , but he was one of 33 guys that could qualify
I’m glad I’m not the only ones who notices the little things in nascar. I checked this not too long ago and remember how well he was running. It’s just really sad how it all fell apart after Bristol.
Yes sir Michael Waltrip is way better than you think he was. Starts his career 1985 in the Coca-Cola World 600, gets his first win 2001 Daytona 500. He is the first man in NASCAR history to lose 500 races in a row and still keep his job!!!!
Sorta makes me wonder if and how much more Michael and Jr. would have done with DEI if Dale Sr. didn't pass away. Personally, at the very least, I think Jr. would have gotten a championship or two and Michael would have consistently been a contender if that was the case.
The 2001 Daytona 500 was the first race I watched on TV, and that’s why I’ve had a soft spot for him since. Also, I think Labbe was Eggleston’s replacement at the #15 team as of September 2001.
I'd gladly trade in all of the lifeless goofballs on the track today for one big personality like Michael Waltrip, driving skills be damned. But that's a topic for another discussion. It was fun watching DEI in its prime dominate the superspeedway tracks in the early-mid 2000s. Those cars were almost unbeatable and Waltrip was a damn good superspeedway driver and held his own against prime Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, and an ascending Jimmie Johnson on numerous occasions.
Michael Waltrip may be at the Wrong Track, but he is the Undiscovered 🐐. I know S1apSh0es said Corey LaJoie is the 🐐 and we haven't realized that but Mikey is really in that spot
I honestly feel bad for Michael waltrip, a great driver, older driver one of the best drivers to get his hand on a stock car, but poor Michael wasn't given a chance till his best friend dale sr gave him a chance after the 2000 season, poor guy never given a chance till late in his career, overall a great driver never given a chance
super speedways maybe but other than that not in the slightest lol those V8 NASCAR engines sound worlds away from the turbo V6 and the later V10’s of F1....you must be new to motorsport lol
Due to the exhaust systems at the time. Dr. Gas Boom Tubes were what was run and it equalized the exhaust pulses and gave the cars the signature, crisp exhaust notes we got to enjoy back then. With the restrictor plates mandatory, any small improvement made a world of difference.
@@travis11111111 I believe G Men didn't meant it to be similar as the turbo hybrid F1 car. BTW I find it really similar, if not identical, to the Australian V8 Supercars
People don’t give Mikey the credit he deserves. He proved he was capable of running up front in one of the most competitive eras of the sport. He just never had the equipment to do it. Unfortunately it was too little too late in his career.
I got to be In a Napa hospitality tent before a race in Phoenix one year and it might have even been that season. He was such a cool guy and no was proud to have met him
Michael Waltrip has always been my fav NASCAR driver. His personality, skill at superspeedway tracks and unique story fighting adversity in his brother's shadow made me feel he obviously wasn't the best driver, but got through a lot with some good moments in his career. However I feel like most people don't give him any similar interest (granted my first season watching NASCAR was 2006 when MW fell off the map a bit). So I'm really glad you looked at his 2003 season when he would've made a chase and done well if not for his horrid late season collapse. But I'm curious why you even chose to highlight him - is he a fav of yours? Do people even care about MW's career? Haha
In my old NR2003 offline league, Michael had a lot more success. His first win was the 1988 Mello Yello 500. His second win was the same race in 1989, and in 1990, he beat Rusty Wallace in a photo finish at Martinsville.
Growing up he was my favourite driver. I picked him as my fave (for some strange reason in like, 99/2000 when he was in the 7 car. He had so many good runs, with a lot of bad luck.
It's like people don't even remember he was in that #30 Pennzoil car for about ten years. Like his whole career started when he went to DEI. With the Pennzoil car, it was a mid-pack team and he was a mid-pack driver, which means he wasn't the best, but certainly not the worst. He drove the car up to its level, which is as much as you can expect. I also don't remember him crashing all that much in those days. So he was better than you think if you think he was the worst. He surely wasn't that. Also, I think he won the Busch series race at Bristol the weekend Alan Kulwicki was killed. I may be wrong about that, but I seem to remember that's how it turned out.
Michael Waltrip is also one of 38 drivers in NASCAR History to score wins in all 3 NASCAR Touring Divisions Which IMO is one of the best achievements ever in NASCAR
A lot of Allan Bestwick in there which is a little Ironic given their history on the inside nascar cup show. Also a reminder how easy it would be to replace the bad play by play we have covering the sport now.
The bad luck after Bristol might have been concussion related. I hate to assume, but with the crazy impact he had along with terrible finishes it could be why.
Excuse me, *FOUR WINS IN THE CUP SERIES, ALL OF THEM ON PLATE TRACKS,* and you want ME to believe that he was BETTER than I THINK he is?!? STAY OFF THE WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEED-UH!
Don't care about Mikey's stats, he's entertaining as hell and makes NASCAR hysterical. Can't wait until the season resumes, can't take not having racing on.
In addition to the races he did win, Michael Waltrip could have also won several others, including the 2004 Coca-Cola 600 and the 2005 UAW GM-Quality 500, and actually was generally quite strong at Charlotte in the early 2000s. It's just that by the time he got competitive equipment, his career was already starting to come to an end, and he left said team after just 5 years.
U know If ur talking about spingate, don't blame me blame ty Norris for setting my team up. If we kept truex we could have won a championship. We nearly won the 2012 race so anything was possible. Now 2009, I just decided to retire
BFM. go watch the second NH race from 03. Waltrip nearly had the race won but he carried the gas can out of his pit stall and had to serve a pass through under green. Finished 26th and was as destructive as anything to his points situation.
What I could not stand, was the fact that the Owner whose name we do not speak of (A.K.A. The Wicked witch of the South, Theresa Earnhardt) swapped crew chiefs between Dale Jr and Michael Waltrip... So why did you feel like fixing something that wasn't broken? (Oh and did I mention that you showed up at the track once in a blue moon? Unlike Rick Hendrick, Joe Gibbs, Jack Roush, Roger Penske, Chip Ganassi, Richard Childress?) Come back when you have a good answer
He was a decent driver, but this video only further convinced me that he was just as "okay" of a driver as I always thought. I mean, you might as well try to make this same argument for Jamie McMurray as well, since he's basically a slightly better version of Mikey if you look at the tracks he won at.
Nobody:
Michael Waltrip: I ' M A T T H E W R O N G T R A C K
The best Napa commercial ever.
w h a t
"I'm the worst driver to ever win 2 Daytona 500's and an All-Star race" Michael Waltrip's response to Clint Bowyer's comment. Before hiring him as a driver years later
Larry Mac reminds him of that on I think it was the first race Clint ran for Michael
@@marycornett3165 oh Mikey brought it up in the 2011 media conference where he announced Clint would drive for him in 2012
@@marycornett3165 I think Larry did that at the Talladega pre race in 2013, I wanna say it was the one where Tony Stewart blocked Mikey's run on the last corner and Matt Kenseth was the only one to get through and win the race.
Mary Cornett is there footage of this?
@@randyphillips1029 just type clint bowyer michael waltrip in your search, theres videos of it
Michael Waltrip was a better driver than even HE himself thinks.
I can't believe you left out his 1996 All Star victory. He's an All Star man.
Joshua Burns he wasn't talking about 96 he was talking about 03. Idiot!!!
@@kevincouture9779 Dang man you don't need to be rude. BFM video was about Michael being a better than we think and Waltrip won the All Star Race in 1996 and I was trying to support BFM by reminding him that Waltrip is also an All Star winner. While Waltrip was in his prime during 2001-2003, Waltrip had some success before hand.
Kevin Couture Shut up boomer
Kevin Couture OK CHOOCH
Kevin Couture no need to be an asshole
Not everybody can be Petty, Earnhardt or Johnson. He had a solid career and some amazing wins.
I will never understand where the idea of him being a bad driver even comes from.
Yea. A guy makes a career in the top series of his sport.
Internet: He's terrible at it.
@@extragoogleaccount6061
Have my upvote
I wonder if Good Old' Mikey knows about his online praise...
Somewhere, Erich Keplinger is cheering
And so am I
He won every race and you can't tell me otherwise
Woah Mikey-> Come on AHHH!!!!
-Darrell Waltrip, 2016 GEICO 500
Come on man! AHHH!! OHHH!!!
That 2003 EA Sports 500 is absolutely nuts (and available here on UA-cam).
The craziest moment? Buckshot Jones leading 19 laps.
Those Aarons commercials with Michael and Darrell were classic.
Back when NASCAR drivers were in mainstream commercials.
Heck with his DEI run...he was always solid in that #30 Penzoil car and the #21 for the Wood Brothers.
He ran as good as Johnny Benson did with the #30. That says something considering Benson is highly thought of.
Imagine in some alternate timeline where Mikey and Dale Sr both celebrating the Daytona 500 in 2001
*Mikey, Darrell, Sr and Jr.
And now I’m gonna cry
Not impossible
He wouldve won more races and dale jr wouldve had a championship
If only, if only. At least Big E went out in a Big E way.
Gotta love the ea sports nascar 2001 music
_"Dale Sr was my best friend, The 2001 Daytona 500"_ - Micheal "Mrucz" Waltrip
Oml I love micheal mrucz
Meanwhile Ryan Newman was 27th heading into the 600 that year and finished 6th in points.
Good video. 👍🏻
Michael Waltrip should have finished top 10 in points in 2003.
He ran into a stretch of bad luck in the latter part of that year that would kill anyone’s season.
- Crashed out at Bristol (squeezed into the apron by Jeff Green)
- Crashed out Darlington (wreck not caused by him)
- Sway bar issues at Richmond (had a top 10 car)
- Leading Loudon with less than 25 laps to go (pit crews botch final gas & go pit stop)
- Blown engine at Dover
- Blows an engine at Atlanta while running 7th at halfway
- Blows an engine at Rockingham while running top 15
- Blows a tire at Homestead while running top 10
Without this atrocious luck, Michael easily finishes top 10 in points & easily scores over 15 top 10 finishes that season.
He definitely performed well in good equipment.
The same could be said about the bad luck he encountered in the 2004 season.
Yup, DEI 's darned engines were the big problem here. Plenty of engine issues affected Jr too over his DEI years sadly.
Peter Brownless Yup... Michael Waltrip ran well enough in 2003 & 2004 to contend for a top 10 points finish, but the bad luck & mechanical issues plagued him badly.
Dale Jr. saw that manifest in 2007 for him as well.
"Unfortunately for him his stats won't see it that way."
I am just as big of a Michael Waltrip fan as Erich Keplinger
And I truly believe that if he was in better equipment prior to DEI He would have had a lot more than 4 wins in his career
I always get a good laugh when I hear Clint bowyer say Michael Waltrip is the dumbest racer and then Michael hires him lol
Mikey was great! 2003 was a really fun season. I really like Michael as a personality. I think a lot of people forget how likeable he was after the whole MWR scandal.
He's that kind of drivers that are nice and cool guys but horrible driver
@@metaldrivermd2333 he was a good driver, bad car owner
Can we just take a moment to appreciate the beginning and the end of the video?
The intro is funny XD
That intro and "michael waltrip in the 55!" are among some of the best NASCAR videos on this site
Also I appreciate the blink-182 instrumental
some drivers never win a cup race let alone win the daytona 500 twice. waltrip accomplished what most drivers would be envious of.
MICHAEL WALTRIP GANG RISE UP
MIKEYYYYYYY
You commented this two minutes ago and you already have eleven likes.
MIKEY
MIKEY
Mikeyyyyyyyyy, you did it
If anyone thinks Michael Waltrip was a bad driver, they should watch his documentary Blink Of An Eye
Greg Sova seen it, and he still wasn’t very good. Four wins in the span of three seasons, at the same type of races, doesn’t make up for 3 decades of being a mid pack driver at best
@@coltoncranmore2166 with exception to the Wood Brothers, he had inept people and cars around him, and even with the Wood Brothers, they were vastly underfunded. Michael Waltrip showed he could win if you gave him tier 1 cars and support.
Kingman Highborn *he could win at superspeedways. Aric Almirolla is also really good at speedway tracks, but I wouldn’t consider him to be anywhere near great. Also, if he wasn’t at DEI with Jr, he would definitely have been forgotten about by most of the population. Most of his fame comes from driving sales car rather mediocrely
ohhh yeah, he was great in that movie. A real drama queen, cried every 10 min,,lol.
He was in the group of mid-tier talents in Cup, much like Elliott Sadler and Casey Mears. They were all good enough to have streaks of good finishes at times but not able to carry it into every week.
Fate fell short this time, your smile fades in the summer.
Place your hand in mine, I'll leave when I wanna
That intro had me laughing hard, like for Halloween all the Cup Drivers dress as Mikey and try iRacing at Talladega
Michael Waltrip: gets daytona 500 wins 2 times
Me: that's not a lot
BFM: he's better more than you think
Me: oh
2 Daytona 500 Championships*
I can’t wait for the Derrick cope is better than you also video
Met Michael one night at one of his favorite barbeque's when I was in for dinner. Spent sometime with the man. One of the coolest, radest, down to earth dude's I've ever met.
Met him when I was maybe 10 at a signing/appearance. Wasn't too busy and he kinda showed me around the display car. I was pretty shy at the time and meeting a driver you like at that age is like meeting a larger than life figure. Very cool guy though, so Im glad your experience backs that up.
after 2001 he did really good until he opened up his own team and everyone knows the aftermath of that team
Folded in 2015 after crashgate for those out of the loop.
spingate
He also had some success as an owner. Not a total failure.
He GOT success.
Only... he was WAY TOO SALTY.
@@HirokaAkita I'd be salty too! MWR definitely deserved punishment for spingate but it damn well shouldn't have cost him his entire racing team! That's just ridiculous. We've all seen and heard of worse cheating than that in racing. I mean, how many times was Chad Knaus and the 48 team fined and punished for "infractions", aka - cheating? And they have 7 cup championships!
I'm glad since he went to DEI, he won at least one race on a yearly basis from 2001-2003
John Vandeventer the MLB baseball fan 2020 lmao three seasons of getting a restrictor plate win 😂 some wheelman 🤣
Waltrip-ception at the start and end of this vid!
After Michigan in August, Michael was 5th in points and 208 (for new fans, that's the payout for a 4th place and leading a lap, and a 40th place) ahead of 11th place Tony Stewart. In the final 13 races, he only had 3 results better than 26th: the Talladega win, 14th at Charlotte, and 5th at Phoenix. He would drop out of the NASCAR Top 10 with an engine failure at Dover, and finished the season 228 points behind 10th place Terry Labonte. Ouch.
As far as Michael's ability was concerned, Dale said he could win. He sadly lost his life mere seconds before he was proved right.
Mikey always had potential, and put on lots of good runs during the course of lots of races... He just never had luck when he needed it. Example, I believe it was the 04 coke 600 where he had a totally dominant car, leading the most laps and by far outrunning everyone up to I believe around 100 to go, and cut a tire on the front stretch a lap before he was going to pit while having like a 4 second lead
At least he got a chance to celebrate a Daytona 500 victory properly, and not have it overshadowed by the death of his boss and best friend
A friend of mines dad raced several years in the sixties at Indianapolis, I don’t think he ever finished a race , but he was one of 33 guys that could qualify
He was my favorite driver when I was little. Not too crazy about his TV personality though
I was 14 yes old, when i started watching NASCAR in 1990. Michael became my favorite driver .💜
Imagine if Stewart didn’t block and Mikey won the 2012 talladega fall race
...
3:58 Black Flag(ged)
I still can't just go about that race not thinking of that now and I was the guy who pointed it out on Twitter to begin with.
AutoRockinRacing94 who cares
#66 Nadeau
Race car driver, hype man for sponsors, team owner, tv guy, WWE ref...Mikey can do it all
So in other words (something I've known since I remember that season to a tee) Season Collapses: Michael Waltrip (2003)?
He had some good years in the 90s that were not mentioned. 1996 and 1997 point standing finishes of 12th.. A decent driver.
I’m glad I’m not the only ones who notices the little things in nascar. I checked this not too long ago and remember how well he was running. It’s just really sad how it all fell apart after Bristol.
Yes sir Michael Waltrip is way better than you think he was. Starts his career 1985 in the Coca-Cola World 600, gets his first win 2001 Daytona 500. He is the first man in NASCAR history to lose 500 races in a row and still keep his job!!!!
Finally, someone else realizing that he wasn’t as bad as people say
Sorta makes me wonder if and how much more Michael and Jr. would have done with DEI if Dale Sr. didn't pass away. Personally, at the very least, I think Jr. would have gotten a championship or two and Michael would have consistently been a contender if that was the case.
The 2001 Daytona 500 was the first race I watched on TV, and that’s why I’ve had a soft spot for him since.
Also, I think Labbe was Eggleston’s replacement at the #15 team as of September 2001.
He made Kentucky proud!! I miss Micheal Waltrip
I'd gladly trade in all of the lifeless goofballs on the track today for one big personality like Michael Waltrip, driving skills be damned. But that's a topic for another discussion. It was fun watching DEI in its prime dominate the superspeedway tracks in the early-mid 2000s. Those cars were almost unbeatable and Waltrip was a damn good superspeedway driver and held his own against prime Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, and an ascending Jimmie Johnson on numerous occasions.
I remember the first half of 2003 that 15 car was fast on a weekly basis but that second half the team just fell apart.
Michael Waltrip may be at the Wrong Track, but he is the Undiscovered 🐐.
I know S1apSh0es said Corey LaJoie is the 🐐 and we haven't realized that but Mikey is really in that spot
I like dominos
Based God BFM with Feelin’ This in the background
Love your videos man, keep em coming
Best parts were the all Michael Waltrip IRacing shots with him wrecking. Actually lmao
I honestly feel bad for Michael waltrip, a great driver, older driver one of the best drivers to get his hand on a stock car, but poor Michael wasn't given a chance till his best friend dale sr gave him a chance after the 2000 season, poor guy never given a chance till late in his career, overall a great driver never given a chance
Mikey is probably the best bad driver ever
Michael Waltrip is very nice in person. I got a pic with him and Darrell in 2018 at Sonoma.
The cars in 2000-2004 sound like F1 cars
super speedways maybe but other than that not in the slightest lol those V8 NASCAR engines sound worlds away from the turbo V6 and the later V10’s of F1....you must be new to motorsport lol
@@Gordontrek The Ferrari 412 T2 just entered the chat
Due to the exhaust systems at the time. Dr. Gas Boom Tubes were what was run and it equalized the exhaust pulses and gave the cars the signature, crisp exhaust notes we got to enjoy back then. With the restrictor plates mandatory, any small improvement made a world of difference.
@@travis11111111 I believe G Men didn't meant it to be similar as the turbo hybrid F1 car. BTW I find it really similar, if not identical, to the Australian V8 Supercars
Future uploads: Gone Too Soon: Ricky Hendrick Bad Seasons: Rusty Wallace 2004 and Good Seasons: Denny Hamlin 2010.
Yeah didn't Denny nearly win the title from Jimmy that year?
People don’t give Mikey the credit he deserves. He proved he was capable of running up front in one of the most competitive eras of the sport. He just never had the equipment to do it. Unfortunately it was too little too late in his career.
I got to be In a Napa hospitality tent before a race in Phoenix one year and it might have even been that season. He was such a cool guy and no was proud to have met him
Michael Waltrip: Voted most likely to crash on Sunday.
Like Michael Waltrip on a Sunday afternoon: All wadded up....
10/10 for that intro, was not ready
Of course Mikey was better than we think! He has 17 Winston Cup Series Championships with 254 wins and counting!
Michael Waltrip has always been my fav NASCAR driver. His personality, skill at superspeedway tracks and unique story fighting adversity in his brother's shadow made me feel he obviously wasn't the best driver, but got through a lot with some good moments in his career. However I feel like most people don't give him any similar interest (granted my first season watching NASCAR was 2006 when MW fell off the map a bit). So I'm really glad you looked at his 2003 season when he would've made a chase and done well if not for his horrid late season collapse. But I'm curious why you even chose to highlight him - is he a fav of yours? Do people even care about MW's career? Haha
Still not as good as me at the super speedways let’s be real
Chris Fontaine pfft what's Glenden enterprises?
In my old NR2003 offline league, Michael had a lot more success. His first win was the 1988 Mello Yello 500. His second win was the same race in 1989, and in 1990, he beat Rusty Wallace in a photo finish at Martinsville.
He finished in the top-20 in points 12 out of 13 years before the #7 car. Probably the second most underrated driver next to Kyle Petty.
And he still didn’t even perform the worst in the #7. He never DNQ’d in the two years he drove it while Mike Wallace did in 2001.
Growing up he was my favourite driver. I picked him as my fave (for some strange reason in like, 99/2000 when he was in the 7 car. He had so many good runs, with a lot of bad luck.
Michael Waltrip might not have been the greatest race car driver ever but he is one of the greatest ambassadors to the sport
I think we can all agree, Micheal Waltrip was pretty fun to watch on and off the track. It was especially fun to watch his grid walks.
It's like people don't even remember he was in that #30 Pennzoil car for about ten years. Like his whole career started when he went to DEI. With the Pennzoil car, it was a mid-pack team and he was a mid-pack driver, which means he wasn't the best, but certainly not the worst. He drove the car up to its level, which is as much as you can expect. I also don't remember him crashing all that much in those days. So he was better than you think if you think he was the worst. He surely wasn't that. Also, I think he won the Busch series race at Bristol the weekend Alan Kulwicki was killed. I may be wrong about that, but I seem to remember that's how it turned out.
The beginning and end of this video is amazing
i audibly said "holy shit" when i saw Sadler flip.. miss those moments, glad we're safe now but damn there were some crazy wrecks back then
Mikey is a real NASCAR BUST
He's one of my favorite drivers. Seems like a genuinely good person.
Remember at Kentucky when he was running 30th without damage in the same car that Mark Martin was challenging for wins most weeks
Michael Waltrip is also one of 38 drivers in NASCAR History to score wins in all 3 NASCAR Touring Divisions
Which IMO is one of the best achievements ever in NASCAR
A lot of Allan Bestwick in there which is a little Ironic given their history on the inside nascar cup show. Also a reminder how easy it would be to replace the bad play by play we have covering the sport now.
Waltrip was the 1983 Darlington Dash Series champion. That's about equal to my friend Kevin being Inlet View Go-Kart track champion in 1989.
The bad luck after Bristol might have been concussion related. I hate to assume, but with the crazy impact he had along with terrible finishes it could be why.
Excuse me, *FOUR WINS IN THE CUP SERIES, ALL OF THEM ON PLATE TRACKS,* and you want ME to believe that he was BETTER than I THINK he is?!? STAY OFF THE WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEED-UH!
Alan Muccioli iMa NeEd WhAtEvEr dRuGs YoU’rE oN
Bad drivers don't win 4 races in cup you are an idiot
2003 - 2005 were Michaels's most competitive seasons.
That block job at the end 😍😍🤤
Don't care about Mikey's stats, he's entertaining as hell and makes NASCAR hysterical. Can't wait until the season resumes, can't take not having racing on.
Michael had the worst wreck I've ever seen in 1990 at Bristol. Totally destroyed the car and people thought he was dead inside the car.
It's weird, i remember that Bristol wreck with rusty but I had forgotten about all those top 5s beforehand
In addition to the races he did win, Michael Waltrip could have also won several others, including the 2004 Coca-Cola 600 and the 2005 UAW GM-Quality 500, and actually was generally quite strong at Charlotte in the early 2000s. It's just that by the time he got competitive equipment, his career was already starting to come to an end, and he left said team after just 5 years.
That 2012 recreation at the end gave me flashbacks
Summed it up nicely. "2003 was a good season, in terms of Michael Waltrip." Which sounds like something Mikey himself would come up with.
I really wish he would have won Daytona and not be from rain or dealing with a tragedy.
¡Best damn intro ever my friend!
Michael Waltrip is the BEST driver in nascar period. Cannot believe napa didnt sign back on with him
U know
If ur talking about spingate, don't blame me blame ty Norris for setting my team up. If we kept truex we could have won a championship. We nearly won the 2012 race so anything was possible. Now 2009, I just decided to retire
Thank you for doing him justice!
BFM. go watch the second NH race from 03. Waltrip nearly had the race won but he carried the gas can out of his pit stall and had to serve a pass through under green. Finished 26th and was as destructive as anything to his points situation.
What I could not stand, was the fact that the Owner whose name we do not speak of (A.K.A. The Wicked witch of the South, Theresa Earnhardt) swapped crew chiefs between Dale Jr and Michael Waltrip... So why did you feel like fixing something that wasn't broken? (Oh and did I mention that you showed up at the track once in a blue moon? Unlike Rick Hendrick, Joe Gibbs, Jack Roush, Roger Penske, Chip Ganassi, Richard Childress?) Come back when you have a good answer
Also... maybe do one of these for Newman?? I think it’d be worth a look-see
9:47 wooow, bravo Mikey. God bless you and Jr and dei
He was a decent driver, but this video only further convinced me that he was just as "okay" of a driver as I always thought. I mean, you might as well try to make this same argument for Jamie McMurray as well, since he's basically a slightly better version of Mikey if you look at the tracks he won at.
7:12 Isn't that music from Nascar 01? I haven't heard that in 20 years.