Waltrip resiliency remains 25-year career calling card

resilient re·sil·ient [ri-zil-yuhnt, -zil-ee-uhnt] adjective
1. springing back; rebounding.
2. returning to the original form or position after being bent, compressed, or stretched.
3. recovering readily from illness, depression, adversity, or the like; buoyant.

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Fast facts

What	Pep Boys Auto 500
When	2:20 p.m. ET Sunday
TV	ABC, 1 p.m. ET
Radio	PRN (Sirius Ch. 128), 1:15 ET

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Maybe better than any other word, "resilient" describes Michael Waltrip's career. On Sunday, he will make his 1,000th start in NASCAR's touring series, becoming only the second driver in the sport's history to reach the plateau.

Why "resilient?" Consider: In the Cup Series, Waltrip was 0-for-462 from his debut on May 26, 1985, at Charlotte, through Nov. 20, 2000, at Atlanta. The he won four of 101 races between Feb. 18, 2001, at Daytona, and Sept. 28, 2003, at Talladega. And now he is 0-for-158 entering Atlanta on Sunday.

During that time, Waltrip -- like many others -- has experienced the highs and lows of NASCAR. However, what has separated Waltrip is that he has transcended the sport. He's a commercial pitchman the the nth degree. He also is a well-regarded talking head for SPEED.

NASCAR.COM spotlights Waltrip's 1,000th start with a two-part series on his career, including words from those who know him as well as Waltrip's own reflections during a 25-year career.

Michael Waltrip retrospective

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Michael Waltrip will join Richard Petty as the only drivers with 1,000 NASCAR starts.

After Waltrip won the 1983 Goody's Dash Series championship, he honestly thought he'd next set the NASCAR world on its ear. "You go back to that point," Waltrip said, "and if you had told me then that I wasn't going to be the next Richard Petty, I would've told you that you were crazy. But it's been a long, steady march and I've appreciated every step of the way."
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Waltrip has created a variety of impressions on millions of people; from the racetrack to Victory Lane, the infield care center to the TV set and the boardroom to the broadcast booth. When 10 people closely familiar with Waltrip were asked what the first word out of their mouths would be when they heard his name, here's what they said ...
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