Darrell Waltrip - books

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Describing a life spent in a NASCAR driver's seat, Waltrip steers a straightforward course from his life as a grade-school go-cart champion through a gifted yet crash-prone upstart driver to 84 NASCAR victories. Full of the same bravado and confidence that made him a natural driver and NASCAR's biggest villain, Waltrip tells his story just as he raced: all out. Though his need to prove his worth still leads him to put his foot in his mouth now and again, more often than not he is candid enough to acknowledge when he was good, bad, scared or dumb. NASCAR fans will have flashbacks when he conjures up his memories of his highs (the 1989 Daytona 500) and lows (crashing three times at Daytona). He does take the time to open up the world of NASCAR to nonfans; he gives an informative overview of NASCAR's growth from some good ol' boys in the South to a sporting and cultural phenomenon that has put down roots in the entire nation. Having been through the sport's formative years, Waltrip (who is now a commentator for Fox NASCAR coverage) also shares stories of some of NASCAR's greats from Petty to Gordon. His feelings about the fans embracing him later in his career and his honesty about his lack of success in his last years behind the wheel spotlights the bittersweet retirement of an athlete who continued past his prime. Appropriately, this strong finish is representative of Waltrip, whose book, like his career, has its ups and down and will end up being embraced by racing fans.
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"I would have loved to race against guys like David Pearson and Bobby Allison, but I really wish I could have raced against Darrell in that green Mountain Dew car. "
"I decided I couldn't really rely on him to make my way. I loved him, and he was still my idol, but he had his own deal going. I was never angry or had a problem with that. I was just happy that he was out there dominating and making my last name mean something special. I have really enjoyed the last few years with Darrell. We've come along way as brothers. "