NASCAR Cup Series

Young driver likes old track

Published Dec. 13, 2008 6:36 p.m. ET

Darrell Waltrip

You know folks, every time I have been to Darlington Raceway for the last 30 years, I think about who was going to win the race or who had a shot at winning, who could handle that tough old track or who would be around at the end — I think about people like David Pearson, the track's winningest driver. He was always crafty and always cautious. You might not hear a lot out of him early in the race, but there at the end of the race David would show up there at the front of the field.

Other names that quickly come to mind are Richard Petty, Bobby Allison and Dale Earnhardt Sr. It was guys like this that had so much success there and they all did it the same way. They raced the race track and stayed out of trouble. They let the race come to them, which is usually what you do at Darlington.