Darrell Waltrip spent nearly three decades building a name for himself behind the wheel before becoming one of the most recognizable voices to ever enter the NASCAR broadcast booth. Now, at 79, the three-time Cup Series champion is facing a very different chapter after his family announced that he has been diagnosed with Frontotemporal Degeneration, or FTD, complicated by possible Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, known as CTE. His family said the possible CTE is likely connected to injuries Waltrip sustained during his racing career.
The announcement came on September 23, when Waltrip and his family shared the health update with the fans who have supported him throughout his career. While the condition is progressive, his family said it is currently producing only minor noticeable symptoms. They also made it clear that Waltrip remains happy and otherwise healthy, spending his time with his wife, Stevie, their two daughters, and three grandchildren.
However, the news arrives after a career that left an unmistakable mark on NASCAR. Waltrip competed in the sport’s top series from 1972 through 2000, making 809 starts and collecting 84 victories, 59 poles, 276 top-five finishes, and 390 top-10 results. He captured three championships in 1981, 1982, and 1985, all while driving for legendary team owner Junior Johnson.
He also achieved one of NASCAR’s biggest goals when he won the Daytona 500 in 1989 with Hendrick Motorsports. The numbers only tell part of the story, though. Waltrip became known throughout NASCAR as “Jaws,” a nickname that reflected the outspoken personality he brought to the garage and eventually into the broadcast booth. His five victories in the Coca-Cola 600 remain a record, while his 12 wins at Bristol Motor Speedway helped make the Tennessee short track one of the defining stops of his career. During his championship seasons in 1981 and 1982, he won 12 races each year, establishing himself as one of the era’s dominant drivers.
Yet, retirement from driving did not take Waltrip away from NASCAR. Instead, it gave him another way to remain part of the sport he had spent years helping define. He joined Fox Sports when the network began televising NASCAR races in 2001 and remained a prominent part of its coverage through 2019. His energy, opinions, humor, and familiar “Boogity! Boogity! Boogity!” became a familiar voice to generations of fans young and old.
Now, Waltrip is stepping further away from that public spotlight as he and his family navigate this new reality. Even so, the career he built remains firmly written into NASCAR history, from three championships and 84 victories to the Daytona 500 trophy that had eluded him for so long. For the fans who watched Waltrip race, listened to him call the action, or simply grew up hearing his unmistakable voice on a Sunday afternoon, this latest announcement is about more than a diagnosis.
It is another moment in the life of a man who gave NASCAR nearly 50 years of his career. His family says he is surrounded by the people closest to him and is continuing to enjoy his time with them. And while Waltrip may be stepping away from the cameras, the impact of what he gave the sport remains impossible to overlook.
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