NASCAR fans will get a treat as Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip will be coming out of retirement to call the Food City Dirt Race in Bristol. That’s right. You just might get lucky to hear one more “Boogity, boogity, boogity” from Darrell Waltrip on April 17 at Bristol Motor Speedway.
NASCAR Legend Darrell Waltrip Comes Back To FOX Broadcast Booth For Bristol Race
Waltrip, 75, who lives in Franklin, Tenn., retired in 2019 after 19 years as one of NASCAR’s most popular broadcasters. He’ll be back as a guest analyst on FOX alongside former colleague Mike Joy and analyst Clint Bowyer for the Food City Dirt Race.
“I’m thrilled to have the chance to drop in and call the Bristol Dirt Race,” said Waltrip, who has 12 victories at Bristol. “When FOX first asked me, I was super excited because Bristol is, by far, my favorite track. If I could pick just one race to call, it would be Bristol. The track is honoring Easter with a special celebration service, and we’ll top it off with a great race that evening.”
He’s looking forward to call this dirt race. “I won a few dirt races early in my career before they did away with the dirt track near me at the time, and I called Prelude to the Dream races at Tony Stewart’s Eldora Speedway,” he said. We get more from the Tennesseean.
Network Has Used Rotation Of Different Analysts On Telecasts This Year
“That was a ton of fun. I’m really excited to see how the new car reacts to the dirt,” he said. “Teams learn a little more about this car every week, and the racing seems to get better and better. I’m sure Bristol Dirt will throw a few monkey wrenches at them and hopefully make for a great race.”
FOX hasn’t announced a permanent replacement for Jeff Gordon. Gordon left after five years in 2021 to become vice chairman at Hendrick Motorsports. But FOX has used a rotation of different analysts on telecasts this year. They include Tony Stewart, Danica Patrick, and Matt Kenseth. Could Darrell Waltrip come back on a regular basis? We don’t know but he’s been off the broadcasts since his retirement. Still, fans do love and remember his calls and many probably grew up listening to him on the racing calls.
Waltrip would bring his personality from the driver’s seat to his career as a broadcaster. He retired after the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway in 2019 from broadcasting. The three-time series champion’s life in NASCAR began in 1972 at age 25. His Hall of Fame career spanned 47 years as a driver and broadcaster. We learn more from NASCAR.com.
