Darrell Waltrip reflects on a career in broadcasting and life in NASCAR

The NASCAR Hall of Famer and Fox Sports analyst reflects on what he has seen change the most in NASCAR over the past 19 seasons as a broadcaster (2:30); whether he thought NASCAR’s popularity ever would wane from its high-water mark and the reasons why he believes some longtime fans “felt abandoned” (5:00); the encouraging signs he sees for attracting the next generation of fans (6:45); on the impact of the playoffs and stage racing (9:00); what he has seen change in how races are broadcast over the past two decades (12:15); how DW believes NASCAR might be overexposed … but by necessity (14:00); why the term “industry” drives him crazy, along with the many “councils” in NASCAR (15:30); DW’s best and most memorable races to broadcast (16:30); answering his critics who say he is disconnected from the garage and its major players (19:00); on how he relates to the new wave of youthful drivers and what remains constant about driver attitudes (21:30); “I was the best driver I could possibly be, but I was a damn crew member. I had to work on the car.” (23:45); how his relationship with NASCAR brass has changed as he’s “mellowed” (25:15); Mike Helton’s respect and thinking about the bigger picture (27:30); what blowback was like from the drivers and teams who disagreed with his on-air analysis (29:15); a regret he has about a recent description of Jimmie Johnson (30:15); his response to those who say Fox has too much fun (31:30); whether he knows who might replace him at Fox and why he thinks a two-man booth might make sense (32:30); becoming good buddies with boothmate Jeff Gordon (33:30); the active drivers who might make good broadcasters (34:30); his relatively perfect attendance record in TV and why the job is much harder than it seems (35:30); the legacy of fan education and relativity that he wanted to leave in NASCAR TV and his defense of “Boogity Boogity Boogity” as an appealing concept (37:00); why it’s harder to retire from broadcasting than driving … and why he might not be at the racetrack nearly as much in the future (39:45).

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