Waltrip relives glory of long ago

Dick Brinster

Friday, Aug. 1, 1997 | 10:44 a.m.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Darrell Waltrip, who for so long has worn the look of a punch-drunk fighter about to hit the canvas for the last time, delivered an unexpected left hook.

A crowd of 100,000 cheered the way it had when he wore the crown. A magnificent driver tainted in recent years by noncombativeness enjoyed a rare shining moment in the autumn of his career.

His Chevrolet was faster than that of Jeff Gordon, a handful of the super Fords and any number of young drivers who long ago moved past Waltrip on the track with no hope of ever approaching him in the record book.

"I haven't been this happy in a long, long time," Waltrip said Thursday.

He had good reason, posting the fourth-fastest speed for the Brickyard 400. His run of 176.866 broke Gordon's year-old qualifying record of 176.419 mph.

The new standard lasted about five minutes, while a stock-car crowd that booed him for years was ecstatic.

Below them, he hugged his wife, and danced for the audience with considerably more aplomb than after the greatest victory of his career -- the 1989 Daytona 500.

"I think I've got a couple more in me," he said. "If things fall into place, we can give them a run for their money."

But the winner's share -- albeit more than a half-million dollars from a record $4.8 million -- pales by comparison to his thirst for victory. Although he has prevailed 84 times while winning three Winston Cup titles, Waltrip hasn't been to the winner's circle in nearly five years.

Without some racing luck, he doesn't figure to be there Saturday, either. That would extend his losing streak to 150 races.

"I don't know if we can beat that 88 and that 28," he said referring to defending Brickyard champion Dale Jarrett and polesitter Ernie Irvan.

Irvan was the fastest qualifier with a lap of 177.736 mph. His teammate, Jarrett, toured the 2 1/2 -mile oval at 177.494 to lock up the third spot on the 42-car grid. "Front Row Joe" Nemechek landed there for the fourth time in six races by going 177.550.

The 50-year-old Waltrip said he has a special feeling for racing in Indiana, recalling the days when he towed his own cars over the line from Kentucky to short tracks in Winchester and Salem. He said security guards at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway have been kidding him about his slump, urging him to "race like you did back at Salem."

But that's unlikely, Waltrip explained.

"I was bold and brave, and I didn't know you could go through those guard rails," he said. "I guess that made me dumb, too."

Waltrip harbors a passion for Indy, although he never strayed from stock cars to race in the Indianapolis 500.

"I always wanted to run here, but I was never brave enough to go in an Indy-car," he said. "So, doing this in a stock car is the best of both worlds.

"I've seen a lot of great racing here; great triumphs and great tragedies. I get cold chills -- literally get chills -- when I walk around the garage area here."

The third row has the Richard Childress Chevys of seven-time series champion Dale Earnhardt and top rookie Mike Skinner. Earnhardt went 176.536 as he launched his bid to end a career-worst drought of 45 straight defeats. Skinner's speed was 176.415.

Points leader Gordon barely avoided the need to qualify today, when positions 26-38 will be set. After winning the pole the last two years, his Chevy was 24th-fastest at 175.056.

The biggest surprise was Rich Bickle. He was 10th in a second Waltrip-owned car.

"I'm tickled to death," his boss said, then gave Bickle much of the credit for his own lap by supplying information on his setup.