DW races for three different teams in 1998
Join me throughout this year as I take a look at when some of the sport’s biggest stars drove some unusual cars! (Presented in no particular order).
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| Darrell Waltrip talking to Ken Schrader |
Why? The departure of longtime sponsor Western Auto Parts America left Darrell Waltrip Motorsports in the lurch going into the 1998 season. After replacement Speedblock didn’t pay its sponsorship bills, Waltrip sold the team to Tim Beverly. Beverly then shut down operations to regroup, allowing Waltrip to race as a substitute for rival Dale Earnhardt in The Intimidator’s #1 car. Once regular driver Steve Park recovered from his injuries, Waltrip returned to the newly-rechristened Tyler Jet Motorsports, now sponsored by Tabasco.
How successful were they? After a slow start to the season Waltrip came into his own racing for Dale Earnhardt Inc., posting a fifth-place finish at California and contending for a win at Pocono. Upon returning to his former race team, however, he returned to struggling, leaving the operation at the end of the year.
What was the aftermath? Tabasco’s anger at Beverly running Chevys instead of Pontiacs led to what became known as the “Tabasco fiasco”, an embarrassing sponsor conflict still remembered by NASCAR insiders. While Tyler Jet Motorsports would struggle before a brief resurgence with driver Johnny Benson, Waltrip would struggle in his final two seasons with Haas-Carter Motorsports.
Ranking on the Strange-O-Meter? 8 bad racing puns out of 10—yes, he probably hung on too long in the driver’s seat, but seeing a legend like Darrell freaking Waltrip knocking around the sport like a journeyman was jarring.
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