Waltrip loses race, gains friends in '89 The Winston

What happened on the next-to-last lap of the 1989 The Winston at Charlotte Motor Speedway served a two-fold purpose. It added yet another controversial but fascinating chapter to a race that quickly was growing in stature and cachet, as well as worth. And it was a key moment in the evolution of Darrell Waltrip from brash villian to beloved hero.

A native of Owensboro, Ky., Waltrip first found success racing close to home. But he soon realized that in order to advance his career, he needed a bigger stage. And that turned out to be the Nashville Fairgrounds. Waltrip certainly had the talent, winning two track championships, but he also had the temerity to say exactly what was on his mind, a trait that didn't always sit well with fans of other drivers he openly mocked. And his aggressive driving style ruffled more than a few feathers among the competition.

Waltrip

Both the aggressiveness and outspokenness followed Waltrip into NASCAR when he made his Cup debut at Talladega in the 1972 Winston 500. Not surprisingly, Waltrip's first win came three years later at Nashville and, by 1977, he was consistently winning races but not necessarily winning the hearts of fans.

Later that season, Waltrip was involved in an accident with D.K. Ulrich and eventual champion Cale Yarborough at Darlington, prompting Yarborough to give Waltrip the nickname of "Jaws" for his constant bombastic barrage. Yarborough said, "That guy just never shuts up." Waltrip showed up shortly thereafter with a plastic blow-up shark in his pits, and Charlotte track promoter Humpy Wheeler later played off the controversy by buying a dead shark, placing a dead chicken in its mouth -- Yarborough was sponsored by Holly Farms at the time -- and driving it around the track on a flat-bed truck.

Four years later, Waltrip replaced Yarborough as driver of Junior Johnson's Buick. Waltrip also verbally skewered Dale Earnhardt on several occasions, culminating in an on-track confrontation at Richmond in 1986 when Earnhardt turned Waltrip hard into the wall while racing for the lead. But by the mid-'80s, Waltrip's winning ways -- and his personality -- began to slowly turn fans over to his side, and there were fewer boos and catcalls from the grandstands.

Waltrip scored his first World 600 victory in 1978, outlasting Donnie Allison over the closing laps. He returned the next season and dominated the final 100 laps for his second consecutive victory in NASCAR's longest race. He just missed making it three in a row when Benny Parsons passed him with two laps to go in conditions almost too dark to see.

He added a win in the fall race to his resume in 1981, then scored his third World 600 triumph in 1985 -- in brother Michael's Cup debut -- passing Harry Gant for the final time with 10 laps to go. That came the day after Waltrip won the inaugural The Winston, blowing the engine of the car just as he took the checkered flag.

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Waltrip won the 600-miler for the fourth time in 1988, and came into the 1989 The Winston having won three races including the Daytona 500. His main rival in the All-Star event was expected to be Rusty Wallace, and the two didn't disappoint. Wallace dominated the first segment, only to have Waltrip pass him early in the second and pull away for an easy victory.

That set up a best two-out-of-three situation for the final 10-lap trophy dash, and to this day it remains one of the most memorable finishes in NASCAR history. With less than two laps remaining, Wallace tried to pass Waltrip on the inside heading into Turn 3. The two cars touched in Turn 4, with Waltrip spinning off into the infield grass.

Wallace went on to win and Waltrip was livid about what he felt was intentional contact. The two crews wrestled with each other in the garage area, the crowd booed the winner, and Waltrip fired off one parting shot: "I hope he chokes on the $200,000, that's all I can tell him."

It was a galvanizing moment, as some of the same fans who had displayed their ire against Waltrip for more than a decade suddenly found themselves on his side. And some of Waltrip's anger was alleviated when he won the 600 and Wallace wound up in the garage after a blown engine. During that stretch, Waltrip recorded nine consecutive top-10 finishes at Charlotte, finishing his career with six wins, 19 top-fives and 29 top-10s in 55 starts. In all, Waltrip won more money at Charlotte than any other track on the circuit except Daytona.

GREAT MOMENTS IN CHARLOTTE HISTORY
Monday, May 11: Financial gamble pays off for 'greatest driver alive'
Tuesday, May 12: Pearson career soars after Dieringer contract dispute
Wednesday, May 13: NASCAR loses one of its stars in 1964 World 600
Thursday, May 14: Earnhardt's LMS debut a modest 22nd-place finish
Friday, May 15: Wheeler's legacy created in three decades at Lowe's
Monday, May 18: Guthrie opens NASCAR to a whole new World in 1976
Tuesday, May 19: Petty scores controversial win at Charlotte in 1983