'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Former NASCAR driver Darrell Waltrip, who retired from racing in the Cup Series at the end of the 2000 season, has invested in a venture outside the world of stock car racing: car dealerships. From 1986 onward, the Cup Series champion opened four dealerships - Honda, Volvo, Subaru, and Buick-GMC. However, as of 2024, his Volvo dealership has closed down, and he now has only three, all in the Franklin, Tennessee area. Together, the three locations form the Darrell Waltrip Automotive Group.
The former driver has been able to open all of these sites in partnership with Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports and Hendrick Automotive Group. Waltrip's background in the car-selling business comes from starting work in dealerships in Owensboro, where the driver was born. He told the Williamson Herald in 2014:
“I’m a car guy, and I’d worked in dealerships in Owensboro when I was a kid. But I always wanted to drive them, not sell them. I’ve always loved cars.”
Trending
Waltrip's first showroom opened in 1986, the Darrell Waltrip Honda, located at 1430 Murfreesboro Rd, Franklin, TN. His Volvo and Subaru dealerships would open a few years later in 1994 in the same area. However, in 2021, the Darrell Waltrip Volvo would be sold to another automotive group and was renamed Carlock Automotive Volvo. Lastly, Waltrip and Hendrick would open the Buick-GMC site in 2012.
Speaking about the decision to open the fourth showroom at the time, Waltrip said it was because of his customers:
“We’ve had the Honda, Subaru and Volvo stores for a long time, but so many people say, ‘I’d buy something from you, if you had a truck.’ So, now we have the GMC line and the Buicks. Man, they are not your father’s Buick.”
Apart from their business relationship, Waltrip drove for Rick Hendrick as a part of his driver lineup from 1987 to 1990, achieving nine wins, 30 Top-5s, and 48 Top-10 finishes.
What did Darrell Waltrip do after he retired from racing?
Starting from the 2001 season, Darrell Waltrip began his career in broadcasting. He joined the FOX Broadcasting booth for his first race on February 18, 2001, the 43rd edition of the Daytona 500. The race saw highs and lows for the former driver, as his brother Michael Waltrip crossed the chequered flag to secure victory, but his friend and former rival, Dale Earnhardt Sr., passed away after a crash in the last lap of the race.
Waltrip would stay in the broadcasting booth for almost 20 years, retiring from his analyst and announcer position at the age of 72, in 2019. He said in a release by the broadcaster:
“My family and I have been talking this over the past several months, and I’ve decided to call 2019 my last year in the FOX Sports booth. I have been blessed to work with the best team in the sport for the past 19 years, but I’m 72 and have been racing in some form for more than 50 years. I’m still healthy, happy and now a granddad, so it’s time to spend more time at home with my family, although I will greatly miss my FOX family.”
During his career racing in the Cup Series, Waltrip secured three Cup Series titles, 84 wins, 276 top-five finishes, and 390 Top 10s.
