By Steve Waid
When Darrell Waltrip escaped the clutches of DiGard Racing Co. to join Junior Johnson and Associates in time for the 1981 NASCAR Winston Cup season, naturally he anticipated good things.
And why not? Junior loved his driving style. Darrell knew that Junior’s team was arguably the best in NASCAR, one that had won three consecutive championships with Cale Yarborough from 1976-78,
If Darrell was ever going to win a title, he felt sure it was going to be with Junior.
But when the new association first started, Darrell felt like a raccoon treed by a bunch of barking, snarling dog.
Nobody – repeat, nobody – liked him or wanted to have much to do with him. Junior had hired the enemy, for heaven’s sake. He hired the guy that they had fought on the track year in and year out and who was Cale’s hated rival. On top of that they had endured his seemingly constant verbal jabs.
Darrell knew he had to gain the team’s friendship and trust if he was going to win anything.
He won his first race with the team at Riverside. That erased some of the hostility.
He worked alongside team members as they toiled to build cars in accordance with NASCAR’s new “downsized” models.
“We worked day and night and I was there,” Darrell said. “I’ve never asked anyone to do anything I wouldn’t do.”
It reached the point where Darrell had gained acceptance from everyone except one, old, grizzled team leader. Junior encouraged the two to meet.
When they did, it was decided they share a drink of moonshine. Darrell emptied the coffee out of his Styrofoam cup and moonshine was poured.
Before he could take a sip, the “likker” had eaten through the bottom of the cup and emptied on to the floor.
No matter. It led to Darrell’s full acceptance as Junior’s driver and a team member.
Great things were to come.
For more than 32 years, Grand National/Winston Cup/NASCAR Scene writers and photographers were there to record NASCAR history as it was being made. Join hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid each week on The Scene Vault Podcast Presented by Q Ware as they take a look back at the extraordinary people, places and events woven into the rich tapestry that is our sport.
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