Darrell Waltrip’s history of success at Bristol Motor Speedway

Darrell Waltrip's brilliance at Bristol Motor Speedway has stood the test of time, with his 12 Cup Series victories there topping the all-time list. He was recognized as the honorary starter in 2019 as an appreciation for his sustained success, which included an amazing run of seven straight Bristol wins from 1981-84.

"There is no place like Bristol," Waltrip told Athlon Sports in 2019. "Literally no place on this earth, not another track like it and not another experience like it. I haven't changed my mind. I felt that way in 1973, the first time I raced here. It's a challenge, and every athlete that's worth his salt loves a challenge. They love to tackle something that, if successful, they did something that nobody else had ever done. You conquered something that was almost unconquerable. That's the way Bristol is."

Go inside Waltrip's long ledger of winning ways at the Tennessee short track with his greatest triumphs through the years.

1978

Darrell Waltrip enjoys the spoils of his first Bristol win in the Southeastern 500. He led 208 of the 500 laps and was one lap ahead of runner-up Benny Parsons at the finish. Pictured with the winner is Bristol president and GM Lanny Hester (left), Darrell's wife Stevie, and track VP Gary Baker.

1979

Darrell Waltrip's No. 88 Chevrolet races to the low side of Harry Gant's No. 47 in Bristol's Volunteer 500.

1979

Crew chief Buddy Parrott shares in the celebration after the Volunteer 500, which produced Waltrip's second Bristol victory and the 22nd of his Cup Series career.

1981

Waltrip was shut out of the win column at Bristol in 1980 with finishes of second and third but returned in a big way the next year, switching from DiGard Racing to the Junior Johnson-owned team. Waltrip and Johnson opened with a season sweep of Bristol in 1981, with the No. 11 Buick leading a remarkable 574 of the 1,000 laps and starting from the pole both times. The two tallies were the first in an unprecedented seven-race win streak for Waltrip at the 0.533-mile oval.

1982

Darrell Waltrip's March victory at Bristol marked a milestone in his Cup Series career -- his 40th win.

1982

Waltrip made it a half-dozen Bristol wins in 1982, surging late and leading the final 20 laps to edge Bobby Allison by seven-tenths of a second.

1983-84

Darrell Waltrip rolled to three consecutive victories as the decade neared its midpoint. In each instance, he led more than 200 laps -- even in a rain-shortened victory in August 1983.

1986

Darrell Waltrip helped to close out his final season with Junior Johnson in style with yet another Bristol win, this time by a comfortable margin of 8-plus seconds over Terry Labonte. One of his 1986 No. 11 racers was once featured at the NASCAR Hall of Fame's "Glory Road" exhibit.

1989

The '89 season was a banner one for Waltrip, who kicked off the year with his lone Daytona 500 win. That campaign, though, featured a return to form at Bristol, where he drove Rick Hendrick's No. 17 Chevrolet to victory in the Busch 500 over fellow Hall of Famer Alan Kulwicki.

1992

Waltrip made it an even dozen with his final Bristol Motor Speedway win and his only one as a driver-owner, sharing Victory Lane with legendary crew chief Jake Elder. Waltrip won the next week at Darlington Raceway, clinching the last of his 84 Cup Series victories.