It will be “One and Done” for Darrell Waltrip at Martinsville Speedway, October 22, when he takes the steering wheel of the #12 Darrell Waltrip Motorsports Toyota Tundra for his final appearance as a NASCAR driver in the Craftsman Truck Series race at the Virginia short-track. “I love racing at Martinsville — always have,” says Waltrip. “I’ve won there 11 times in the past, but knowing this is definitely the last time racing there does make me sad. I love the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series because it’s a great place for these young drivers to get their feet wet, and it gives old guys like me the chance to go out and have some fun. But we’re definitely “One and Done’ this time at Martinsville.” During his stellar racing career, Waltrip has made 16 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts since 1995, including six races at Martinsville Speedway. In 1996, Waltrip recorded the best career result of his Craftsman Truck Series career when he had a fifth-place finish at Martinsville. In that same race, Waltrip started on the outside of row one, his best starting spot in an NCTS race. Overall, the Owensboro, Ky.-native has eight top-10 finishes in his 16 NCTS starts — which includes a pair of 2004 starts in the #11 Toyota Tundra at Martinsville and Indianapolis. After Darrell Waltrip competed in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 1995, his vision to become a truck owner came to fruition in 1996 and 1997 when Waltrip-owned truck teams participated in the series. In 1997, the #17 Darrell Waltrip Motorsports truck finished second in the points standings with three wins, four pole awards, 15 top-fives and 17 top-10s. Reopening an operation in Concord (N.C.), Darrell Waltrip Motorsports returned to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series arena in 2004 with driver David Reutimann and the #17 NTN Bearings Toyota Tundra team. At the beginning of the 2005 season, the #12 Toyota Tundra team was added to the organization’s roster. This season Darrell Waltrip Motorsports celebrated their first victory at Nashville Superspeedway in the Toyota Tundra 200 as Reutimann became a first-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series winner in front of 6,000 Toyota employees.(DWM PR)(8-24-2005)
