Browse > Home / Dale Earnhardt, Dale Earnhardt, Inc., Darrell Waltrip, Daytona 500, Daytona International Speedway, Jeff Gordon, NASCAR, NASCAR 64 Greatest Driver Tourney, Nascar Legends, The Waltrips / Darrell Waltrip vs Dale Earnhardt: 4 Wide in the 64 Greatest of NASCAR

Darrell Waltrip vs Dale Earnhardt: 4 Wide in the 64 Greatest of NASCAR

User Avatar

by Charlie Turner

Thanks for stopping by OnPitRow.com and the Bench Racing with Steve and Charlie blog. The best NASCAR and IndyCar news and opinion, exclusive pictures and video. I'm Charlie Turner. Follow me on Twitter @onpitrow

May 7, 2009 8:47 am UTC 19 Comments

One of two seven-time Winston Cup Series champions against a driver with three titles and even more wins. Both of these guys were known for doing whatever it took to win. They wrecked each other a few notable times and have been on a collision course to this confrontation from the very beginning of the NASCAR 64 Greatest Drivers Tournament at Bench Racing with Steve and Charlie.

Darrell Waltrip is a three-time Winston Cup Series champion – ’81, ’82 and ’85. In the 61 races run during ’81 and ’82, he won 24 times. Waltrip finished with 84 Cup victories ( tied for 3rd all-time) in 809 starts and qualified on the pole 59 times. With 390 top ten finishes, DW was top ten in nearly half of the races he started.   And he made boogity, boogity, boogity - and lately a race rat named Digger –  famous. Or infamous.

 

 

 

 

Dale Earnhardt won 76 times in 676 Cup Series starts and was one of only two seven time series champions. His win total is seventh best all-time. He won consecutive titles three different times and was a series runner-up three times. Earnhardt only won the Daytona 500 once – in ’98 – but is the all-time leader in wins at Daytona International Speedway with 34. It was said that Earnhardt could “see the air” when he raced at the restrictor plate tracks at Daytona and Talladega. I don’t know about all that. But he sure saw the checkered flag plain enough at those two tracks.

 

 

 

Waltrip edged Tim Flock in the One and Done bracket to get to the Four Wide Final. Earnhardt easily beat Junior Johnson to come out of the Bench Racing region. We’ve asked a bunch of our radio guests On Pit Row to give us their picks throughout this little tournament. Inevitably, they ask what criteria they’re supposed to use. We always tell them to use whatever basis they wish, for deciding who should win. We’d like you to do the same in the comment section.

Filed under: Dale Earnhardt, Dale Earnhardt, Inc., Darrell Waltrip, Daytona 500, Daytona International Speedway, Jeff Gordon, NASCAR, NASCAR 64 Greatest Driver Tourney, Nascar Legends, The Waltrips 

Tagged with: , , , , , ,

Digg This | Save to del.icio.us

Comments

19 Responses to “Darrell Waltrip vs Dale Earnhardt: 4 Wide in the 64 Greatest of NASCAR”

  1. Michael Midlick on May 8th, 2009 3:52 pm

    Dale Earnhardt is my choice. Not Darrell Waltrip . Darrell Waltrip won a clear majority of his races in the 1980s and did not win a race in his last 251 starts. Darrell is also the poster for provisional starting positions with 20 provisional starts in one season. Dale is the only driver who has won a race in four decades, all consecutively, and had his wins spread out from 1979 to 2000. Darrell Waltrip had many more provisional starts in one season than Dale had in his career. Dale also owns many more records that Darrell, including the best career finish percentage in the modern era, 11.06. All other drivers ahead of Dale for career average finish were in nascar’s pioneer days when most races
    had between 15 to 23 drivers compete, not 37 to 43 starters when Dale raced.

  2. Robert Redd on May 8th, 2009 3:53 pm

    Dale Earnhardt over Darrell Waltrip.

  3. Gary Redd on May 8th, 2009 3:59 pm

    Darrell Waltrip all the way. Dale is the only driver who went from rookie of the year to champion in consecutive seasons. In his second season Dale led the point standings all year long, except the first race when he finished second.
    His percentage of 1.02 average finish in one season (1980) is the best ever.

  4. Ben Shirley on May 8th, 2009 4:01 pm

    My vote is for Dale Earnhardt over Darrell Waltip. Richard Petty once said that
    Dale would have won 300 races if he started racing when Richard did.

  5. Luanna McMeans on May 8th, 2009 4:03 pm

    Dale is the man. Darrell was good for only part of his career, Dale was good
    his entire career. Dale is my pick.

  6. User Avatar Matt Mercer on May 8th, 2009 10:55 pm

    Dale Earnhardt by a nose.

  7. Buddy Clay on May 9th, 2009 7:06 am

    Dale

  8. User Avatar Marc on May 9th, 2009 2:40 pm

    Sr.

  9. Spaceman on May 10th, 2009 6:46 am

    DW.

  10. User Avatar Steve Wronkowicz on May 10th, 2009 7:13 pm

    You can’t figure in Darrell’s last couple of “hanging on” years as they aren’t indicative of his heyday. DW dominated the sport for years. Senior’s seven championships win this one though.

  11. Gary Redd on May 11th, 2009 5:42 pm

    Made mistake above my choice is Dale Earnhardt and not Darrell Waltrip.
    Disgegard my previous input which incorrectly said Darrell Waltrip. Dale
    Earnhardt all the way.

  12. User Avatar Steve Wronkowicz on May 12th, 2009 1:58 pm

    We knew what you meant.

  13. Gayle on May 13th, 2009 8:29 pm

    Can’t believe DW is in the final 4. That goes against all logic. DW isn’t a top 10 driver. But Dale SR. isn’t top 3 material either. But I’ll go with Dale in this match-up

  14. User Avatar Charlie Turner on May 30th, 2009 10:50 pm

    I know it’s late but my pick here is Earnhardt. Had the match ups been different, I think there are a few drivers who could have given him a better run than DW. Waltrip’s greatness as a driver may be lessened by his TV exposure. I don’t think boogity-boogity helps him with the masses.

  15. User Avatar Charlie Turner on May 30th, 2009 10:56 pm

    I almost forgot. My pick is Richard Petty. Pearson was great – no argument. In fact, if I had to pick one driver for one race for all the marbles, I’d take Pearson. And Petty’s wins weren’t all of the same quality. But I’ll say this again: take away 30 percent of Richard Petty’s wins and he STILL WON 140 times in the Cup Series. Even that’s 39 more than Pearson. He is the King in my book.

  16. Dale Earnhardt vs David Pearson: Who Wins NASCAR’s 64 Greatest Final Lap? : Bench Racing With Steve and Charlie on May 31st, 2009 10:45 am

    [...] Charlie Turner on Darrell Waltrip vs Dale Earnhardt: 4 Wide in the 64 Greatest of NASCARCharlie Turner on Darrell Waltrip vs Dale Earnhardt: 4 Wide in the 64 Greatest of NASCARCharlie [...]

  17. Dale Earnhardt Edges David Pearson: NASCAR’s 64 Greatest Drivers Tourney : Bench Racing With Steve and Charlie on June 24th, 2009 1:13 pm

    [...] The Intimidator’s fans voted him over Darrell Waltrip and finally, David Pearson to win the [...]

  18. Demetrius From Chicago on February 18th, 2011 5:10 pm

    No one was better than Darrell Waltrip when he drove the #11 Moountain Dew Car. I grew up in Urban Chicago and being Black I wanted and got the Mountain Dew car for Christmas. Waltrip had swagger and had me watching the Winston Cup. Waltrip all the way!!!

  19. Demetrius From Chicago on February 18th, 2011 5:12 pm

    Disregard 1st Blog,

    No one was better than Darrell Waltrip when he drove the #11 Mountain Dew Car. I grew up in Urban Chicago and being Black I wanted and got the Mountain Dew car for Christmas. Waltrip had swagger and had me watching the Winston Cup. Waltrip all the way!!!

Got something to say?

Did you know you can log in with your Thunder Lounge account, and have your personal avatar and site link available when you comment at On Pit Row?

Don't have an account yet? Sign-up for free.





March Madness

Play the Rattles from the Catch Can contest

ON PIT ROW at RaceTalkRadio
Backstretch Boys: 30% Off New CD!
Jayski's: See what the buzz is about.

We've got your game.

Advertisement