"I knew what I was getting into": When Darrell Waltrip defied critics after leaving Rick Hendrick to launch his NASCAR team

It was a shocking move in the NASCAR world when three-time Cup Series champion Darrell Waltrip left the powerhouse Hendrick Motorsports organization ahead of the 1991 season. The eventual 84-time Cup Series winner ventured off into driving for his team, Darrell Waltrip Motorsports.

Many doubted whether the Tennessee native could succeed on his own without the equipment HMS had provided him the previous four seasons and that saw him win nine races, including the 1989 Daytona 500. However, midway through the 1991 campaign, Waltrip had already logged two victories amid his first season driving for his own team.

Waltrip was quoted in an article by the New York Times believing people thought he didn't know what to expect by starting his own race team. The champion driver explained that was the exact opposite as he said:

"I think the thing that a lot of people failed to give me credit for when I started this deal was that I knew what I was getting into."

Waltrip was partnered with Jeff Hammond as his crew chief, who was also his crew chief when he drove at HMS. After being with great teams like HMS, Waltrip said he had a better understanding of what it was like to build a competitive organization, adding:

"And I had been with winning teams, so I knew what it takes to put together a winning program."

Waltrip finished eighth in the points standings in 1991 after winning two races. He topped that a year later by winning three races, including at Darlington, which would be his 84th and final career victory. Waltrip continued to drive for his own team until it ceased operations midway through 1998. He then drove part-time for Dale Earnhardt Incorporated as a relief driver for Steve Park. Waltrip raced for two more seasons until retiring at the end of 2000.

In 2001, Waltrip joined the FOX Sports broadcast team. The network's debut race was the Daytona 500 that year, a race that saw Waltrip's younger brother, Michael, win his first career race. However, the race was marred by the tragic death of Dale Earnhardt after he was killed in a last-lap crash. Waltrip continued to be a color commentator for FOX Sports until his retirement in 2019.

Darrell Waltrip was a three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion

While his final years behind the wheel were muddied with poor performance, Darrell Waltrip was still one of NASCAR's elite drivers in his prime. His most notable achievements came throughout the 1980s, including three Cup Series titles in 1981, 1982, and 1985.

Waltrip was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2012. His 84 career victories are fifth on the all-time wins list in the Cup Series.