Friends' first thoughts with "Waltrip" word association

In more than 25 years in NASCAR racing, Michael Waltrip has created a variety of impressions on millions of people; from the racetrack to Victory Lane, the infield care center to the TV set and the boardroom to the broadcast booth.

When 10 people closely familiar with Waltrip were asked what the first word out of their mouths would be when they heard his name, here's what they said:

Bodine

Brett Bodine, NASCAR Director of Cost Research: "Uplifting"
No matter what or no matter how bad a day, he'll always find you and put a smile on your face. I've had more fun with him. I think Michael always took the sport for what it was, for Michael. Let's face it, you never thought he took it a whole lot serious and I don't think he ever thought he was going to make a living at doing this, for this long in particular. But he's always had a good time doing this. These last couple years, the fun meter's going down for him as an owner, and I warned him about that. But besides Phil Parsons, Michael Waltrip is probably the driver in this garage area that I've had the most fun with, by far.

Tony Eury Jr., Sprint Cup Crew Chief: "Confidence"
I mean, I think Michael Waltrip is probably the most confident person I've ever seen to drive a racecar. What was really intriguing when me and the guys got to be with him was just his enthusiasm and his confidence at every race. He could walk into any racetrack and think that he could win that race and that was a pleasure to be around. He taught me to think outside the box. Good was never good enough for Michael, he always wanted us to keep trying new things, trying to be better. We weren't able to win that season [2005], but I wouldn't trade the time I spent with him for the world. He was really excited just to be around new people, so that's probably the biggest thing I remember about Michael.

Jarrett

Dale Jarrett, ESPN Racing Analyst: "Entertaining"
It's two separate things with Michael, I believe. He's obviously proven to friends, colleagues and the fans he can be very entertaining on stage, the TV or as a commentator. He can literally keep your attention for quite a while because you're sitting there waiting to see what he's going to say next. But unfortunately for Michael, probably too many people look at that and not that he got in this position by being a good race driver. I think Michael's done more with less than a lot of people give him credit for. He obviously knows how to win. He's an excellent race driver and I think we sometimes forget just how good of a competitor and how good a driver he's been over the years, competing lots of times in less-than-adequate equipment.

Matt Kenseth, Sprint Cup Driver: "Goofy"
Michael's someone that has a good time, always laughing and joking around in all his interviews and stuff. That's the first thing I think of. I mean, you've got to take it serious, but you've got to have fun at the same time. He's been an amazing spokesperson for all the sponsors that he's had and he's kept them happy for a long time, which is a big reason for his success and what enabled him to become a car owner. So he's accomplished a lot of stuff. To be able to be here and to run that many races is pretty amazing.

Parsons

Phil Parsons, SPEED Racing Analyst: "Friend"
People say 'well, he's only won four Cup races.' They have no idea how difficult it is to win four Cup races. I won one and I know how fortunate I feel about that, because I know how hard it was to try to win. He won two Daytona 500s. He's run well. He could have won a lot of races. He's won a lot of [Busch] races. He's one of the best promoters the sport's ever had. I don't mean self-promoter, either; although he's very good at that, and not in a negative connotation. He's a sponsor's dream because he makes sure they get what they're paying for. And he's very good at what he does with us in the broadcast booth. We have a great time and our broadcast is better when he's there.

Andy Petree, ESPN Racing Analyst: "Entertaining"
I think the perception is the reality when it comes to Michael Waltrip. He is very entertaining. But he has been around racing a long time, and the fact he's been around for a long time says that he has a certain amount of talent, because there's somebody always wanting to put him in a car or a sponsor hiring him to drive. So he's had longevity and he's still very competitive when his car's right. We saw this just a few weeks ago, where he was very competitive.

Petty

Richard Petty, NASCAR Team Owner: "Big deal"
All these football and baseball players played Little League ball, but they don't say nothing about it when they look at their major-league scores. Don't even bring [Nationwide and Trucks] in as far as I'm concerned. That's [1,000] just 'cause he's been here a long time. Like Kyle Busch [winning 20 races]. He's won eight major-league races. Not throwing off on those other guys, but they're going backwards. They've come through that stage. You don't see an [NFL] quarterback going back to college. Michael lived with me for a year, and you knew when he was in the house because you could open the door and follow him all the way to the bedroom. Here's a shoe and there's a sock and then a coat. That's what I remember more than anything else.

Morgan Shepherd, Nationwide Series Driver/Owner: "Craziness"
He never runs out of words, never gets caught without something to say. Every now and then, the fact that he's a serious racer kinda gets lost a little bit in all the joking around he's doing. But making 1,000 starts? Man, that's amazing.

Wallace

Rusty Wallace, ESPN Racing Analyst: "Entertainer"
When I think of Michael, I mostly think of how much he likes to have fun and likes to laugh. Whether it's in the drivers' meeting, back in the garage or away from the racetrack with a few other people, he's just a funny guy. It's hard to look at Michael and not smile. Michael does a bunch of TV commercials -- more than anyone -- and they're mostly based on laughter or comedy routines. He's a two-time Daytona 500 champion and I wish I could say that. Everybody knows his overall performance on the racetrack hasn't been what he's wanted, but Michael has shined at times, though he's struggled with consistency. If I could give him a Christmas wish, it would be for him to find that consistency, because he's running out of time.

Eddie Wood, NASCAR Team Owner: "Funny"
He's a lot of fun. I remember at either Rockingham or Atlanta, going back to 1996, 1997 or somewhere around there, where he had 300 or 400 Cup starts. But that's a lot of starts. Winning The Winston [in 1996] with Michael was a big deal for us, too. It was our biggest payday to that point, too -- and it was his first win in a Cup car. It was neat he was the last one to get in out of the [Winston] Open, and the car wasn't very good at first, but we kept making it better and Michael did a good job. But he can get it done behind the wheel. That's not even a question in my book.

• Waltrip reminisces through 25 years of race highlights