Darrell Waltrip’s family announced Wednesday that the NASCAR Hall of Famer had been diagnosed with a progressive brain disease and would be “stepping further away from the public limelight.”
Waltrip, 79, is one of the most successful NASCAR drivers ever and was a longtime analyst for Fox’s NASCAR coverage after he retired from driving. Waltrip won 84 races over his 29-year career, along with the 1981, 1982 and 1985 NASCAR Cup Series championships.
“We wanted to share a health update with all of Darrell’s friends and fans who have supported him throughout his racing career,” the family’s statement said. “Recently, Darrell has been diagnosed with Frontotemporal Degeneration (FTD) complicated by possible Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) — likely from injuries incurred during his racing career. While this disease will inevitably progress, thankfully it is currently limited to some minor noticeable symptoms. As a result, he will be stepping further away from the public limelight. Be assured, Darrell is happy and otherwise healthy — spending time with his wife Stevie, two daughters and his three young grandchildren. We are all grateful for your continued prayer, love and support!”
According to the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration, the disease “brings an inevitable decline in functioning” and its progression length can vary from two to 20 years.
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“As the disease progresses, the person affected may experience increasing difficult in planning or organizing activities,” per the association. “They may behave inappropriately in social or work settings, and have trouble communicating with others, or relating to loved ones.
“Over time, FTD predisposes an individual to physical complications such as pneumonia, infection or injury from a fall. Average life expectancy is 7 to 13 years after the start of symptoms.”
CTE can only officially be diagnosed after death. Research into that degenerative brain disease has increased dramatically in recent years as former football players have been diagnosed posthumously.
Waltrip ranks only behind Richard Petty, David Pearson, Jeff Gordon and Bobby Allison on NASCAR’s career Cup Series wins list. Denny Hamlin, the winningest active Cup Series driver, is 20 wins behind Waltrip.
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Waltrip’s final win came in 1992, but he continued to compete in the Cup Series until he retired at the end of the 2000 season. After he left the cockpit, he was hired by Fox as the network began broadcasting NASCAR in 2001.
He worked for Fox for 19 seasons and retired when Fox’s early-season coverage ended during the 2019 season. The Kentucky native was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2012 as part of the hall’s third induction class.
