Waltrip to Hall of Fame... before his full impact is recognized.

Yeah, we've all seen the Iggy (icky?) Shuffle for years on the clips. 'Ole 'Dee Dubya' dancing around... yelling, "I won the Daytona 500... I WON THE DAYTONA 500... this is the Daytona 500, isn't it?"

Mike Joy trying desperately to hold his composure as Darrel Waltrip basked in his day. It brings a smile to the faces of many NASCAR fans, certainly.

And, truth be told, we may just see him do it again at the induction. Perhaps he'll get all that out of his system before the actual induction ceremonies. But again, who knows... this is DW after all.


However, I have to wonder... maybe this is too soon. I am not arguing the wisdom behind Waltrip being qualified for the NASCAR Hall of Fame. NOT AT ALL. I think his qualifications in just racing alone should have qualified him for the 2nd class induction actually. That's an argument many have had. And I for one could have easily accepted his induction in the second class.

But... there are a whole slew of new NASCAR fans whose images of Waltrip are so much more solidified in his role as a FOX Sports Television commentator / analyst. And, let's be honest here, rightfully so.

For my money (which is little, as I don't pay to watch NASCAR races... I just put up with the commercials) The team assembled by FOX Sports for NASCAR is far superior than any other previous or present NASCAR broadcast team. They simple exceed anything anyone else does. From the first fateful day this crew stepped into the spotlight for the 2001 Daytona 500 they have been magical. And Darrell Waltrip is and has always been a KEY FACTOR in that magic.

On that day in February 2001 DW uttered three phrases that will live on forever in the hearts of most NASCAR fans.


1. Boogity, Boogity, Boogity... Let's go Racin' Boys!

This catch phrase has BECOME a part of NASCAR and a part of FOX Sports. Not one single other Sports Commentator has any phrase more closely tied to them. Perhaps Marv Albert has a couple tied him. I know the "Let's get ready to rumble" is Michael Buffers from now until the end of time. But Buffer isn't exactly anything other than a ring side announcer. Had Waltrip not succeeded in the booth this phrase would not have survived. But Waltrip is (as I already said) a key ingredient in the magic that is the FOX NASCAR team. He, along with that entire crew, has not only survived.. they have thrived. And "Boogity, Boogity, Boogity... let's go racin' boys" is a sprinkling of the salt that brings the flavor.


2. "Go Mikey.... you got it... YOU GOT IIIIIIIIT!!!!!"

It's just not that often in our sport that things line up the way they did for the Waltrips on this day. (An understatement if ever one was stated... but we'll get to that.) Darrell's brother Michael racing for the win in the Daytona 500 while his brother was in the broadcaster's booth. We were given Ned Jarrett urging on his son for the Daytona 500 win several years prior. But there were some real differences between the careers of the drivers in these two instances. And Michael's struggles in the NASCAR world were well known and recognized. And here is his brother, a former Champion... Legend actually, in the Booth calling on his brother as he ran to his FIRST EVER points win in the series. The joy heard in Darrell's voice was about his love for his brother... for KNOWING the impact his life had always had on his little brother... and seeing his brother accomplish the ultimate win in their shared sport. Darrell knew the pain and frustration of all the years of Michael's struggles. Darrell knew those pains were compounded by the fact that he had been ever so successful while his brother faced his struggles. Darrell and Michael each know and share these things, because after all... they are brothers. Brothers simply know... they know even what they do not speak.

Darrell calling his brother to the line... that all came out in that moment. So many unspoken words.


3. "I hope Dale's O.K."

But as well all know, he wasn't. I simply do not want to go into the depths of this or I won't be able to finish writing this post.

We all hoped he was O.K., Darrel. We prayed for him to be O.K. But he wasn't. And I dare say that for perhaps 10 full years, neither was NASCAR. Yeah... seeing the success that JR. & Mikey went on to have in those DEI cars sure healed some of the wounds. But the very visible scars remained.



The point of all of this is to say... that simply in one single day... one day... DW had a huge impact on this sport. Not as a driver, but as a Commentator. On his first day on the job.

Darrell Waltrip WAS a Racing Legend. Fine. Darrell Waltrip IS a Sport Broadcasting legend... NOW. He still is. Every time he steps behind the mic with Mike Joy and Larry McReynolds the three of them make magic. The key ingredients are there to make fire happen... fuel, heat & oxygen. The three of them could produce the magic at ANY instant. And knowing that exists makes their impact on this sport a continuous factor every time they call a race.

I congratulate Darrell Waltrip on his induction to the NASCAR Hall of Fame. He deserves it.

But it's simply too soon.

Because if you induct the man now, you will not give him a proper induction for the contributions he will have made to this sport. Because he has not stopped. He is STILL making contributions. His words and the reactions of this broadcast crew have no end to their potential. They react as we the fans react, and voice it so well.

20 years from now, a guy in his mid-40's will wonder the halls at the NASCAR Hall of Fame. He will gaze with wonder at the statues, the pictures, the cars. He'll remember his childhood... his love for this sport. He'll remember the moments that had the GREATEST impact on his life while watching this sport. The echoes of the words of Waltrip will still hang in his heart... something Darrell said in the midst of some key moment in NASCAR.

And that moment will not be a single part of Darrell's induction into the Hall of Fame. Because he is being inducted BEFORE it has happened.

Waltrip is not done establishing himself and his impact on this sport. His induction to the Hall of Fame is too soon. Simply too soon.

-Named withheld, no kitchen pass issued.

This just in.... 65yr old Man kicks Kyle Busch's Ass!

OK... so this isn't "exactly" new news. It's been a week ago. But, sometimes it takes us a few days to process things, especially if work interferes.

Been awhile since I started this blog and had ideas that I would come on here on a regular basis and throw out my insanity on the world of NASCAR. Well, obviously things didn't work out quite as I had anticipated.

However, the one bit of prolific commentary I threw out there last year pretty much came to pass just as I had expected. Denny Hamlin did not (much to the chagrin of the sports media as a whole) overcome the powerhouse that is Jimmy Johnson and Chad Knauss. Denny won some races. Good for yooooou. Jimmy won the championship.

That's why all you do is win... races, Denny. lol... except maybe this year, huh Denny-boy?


Now... about recent events. There has been in my lifetime many moments when my perspective of "things" was changed by the direct result of the actions of others. The love of my wife, the birth of my children, the death of a family member... and then there's always the times when I was PUNCHED IN THE FACE!

Certainly, there's really no need to discuss the first few events, we all understand their significance. I want to discuss the last... getting punched in the face. There are really not many more defining moments in the course of a man's life than this one pivotal moment. The actual receiving of the punch... you don't have much control over that. But the way in which you respond (both short & long term) may very well define the punchee for a LOOOOOONG time through the course of his life.

Take for example... oh, I don't know, hmmm.... ahh, Kyle Busch. Here's a guy that aside from his obviously profound skills in a race car is pretty much just a mark above 'douchebag' on the social skills metering stick of life. It must be a family inherited trait, as evidenced in the Older Brother Kurt / Jimmy Spencer interactions of the early 2000's NASCAR Seasons.

Oddly enough (or perhaps not so surprisingly) the Kurt / Jimmy scenario played itself out similarly to the end result of Kyle's situation this past week.


So basically, here's a guy racing TWO DIVISIONS down (Camping World Truck Series) from his primary ride. He gets passed on the last lap by an up and coming driver, cleanly passed no less. And as an 'Ambassador to the Sport' (lol.. what a joke) Kyle repays the pass by attempting to damage the equipment, owned by Richard Childress, by slamming into it on the COOL DOWN lap. Let's be clear, this was not a racing incident... this was a Smartass Kyle Busch post race incident.

Well... as we have all come to find out in the last week, as it turns out, Richard Childress and Kyle Busch have had past discussions about this type of excessive damage to equipment in post race incidents. See, it's not just as simple as Busch paying the guy a rub after the race as an initiation... it's damage to equipment... that someone has to pay for.

So, the man who pays the bills decided he has had enough of the man who costs him money. So he went to discuss this with him yet again.


Here's where this all gets a little bit fuzzy... because Kyle won't admit what he said, Richard was told by NASCAR that he COULD NOT discuss the event with the media and Kyle (the day following the event) was very elusive when he spoke to the media, basically claiming "something happened unfortunately".


Yeah, Kyle. "Something" happened. Your got your ass handed to you by an old man.

Words were exchanged (that we may never be privy to) and then Richard Childress grabbed Kyle Busch, placed him in a headlock, then proceeded to punch Kyle Busch in the face repeatedly until Kyle Busch fell to the ground.

OMG.... WHY DID NO ONE GET FILM OF THIS?!?!?!?

Look, going to a movie these days could run you an easy $25 by the time you buy a ticket, popcorn, drink, etc.

I'll go $15 for film of this. Ok, ok.... $20. Final offer.


Kyle got a message I don't think anyone previously in his young 20-something years has ever delivered to him in such a fashion. Good! It couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.

The question is, though... how does this effect him moving forward? His immediate reaction to this was to lay on the ground (in a fetal position in my mind's glorified vision of this scenario) and not move as Richard Childress walked away. Now I don't now about any of you... but some guy hits me in the face repeatedly there's gonna be a 65yr old man who's gonna take an ass-whippin' right there. I'm not laying on the ground. I'm getting up primed to fight. I would not just LAY THERE!

But Kyle did. That was the immediate reaction. He layed down. Period.


Yeah, he tried to look all cool the NEXT day in the media... acting like the sun was blinding him when he pulled the sun glasses down over his eyes.... oh aren't you just so clever, Kyle?

But you punked out, dude. We all know it. You know it, NASCAR knows it... and even more satisfyingly, Richard Childress knows it. You punked out... you worm.


So now Kyle has to think about long term. I don't think he's man enough to stand up and say, "I got my ass whipped and learned something." No, that won't happen. I also don't think he's smart enough to look at himself honestly... take a real honest inward look and ask why this happened. No, if he had that level of insight things about him might have changed after he was FIRED from Hendrick Motorsports.

No, I guess now he'll either continue his path of completely being unaware of the douchebag that others see him for, being the smart aleck little kid in school that keeps running his mouth, asking for a beating even after having received many... or he'll simply cower away having gotten the beating he deserved.

Lol... as much as I'd personally like to see him fade away as the coward... I think he's too F-ing stupid to do so.


So... run your mouth, Kyle. We all know you're going to, until the next time someone slams a fist into it... I for one will anxiously count the days.


-Name withheld, no kitchen pass issued.