On his birthday, NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip gave the keynote address at the National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday morning in Washington, DC, addressing a crowd that included President Barack Obama, the Dalai Lama and 4,000 attendees from 170 countries.
As Waltrip prepares to broadcast his 15th Daytona 500 on FOX (Feb. 22, 1 p.m. ET), he paused to reflect on the path that brought him to 84 wins, tied for fourth on the all-time list with fellow Hall of Fame member Bobby Allison and behind Hall of Famers Richard Petty and David Pearson, as well as future member of the club Jeff Gordon.
Waltrip recalled a conversation with Petty that made him think about changing his ways.
"Richard Petty once told me, 'I don't know how you keep a sponsor. You're so unpopular with the fans. I don't know how you keep a sponsor.' This is Richard Petty. He's the icon of our sport. He's the king of our sport. I wanted to be king, but I went at it all the wrong ways," Waltrip said.
"This is what people said about me. They said I was brash, ruthless, pushy, cocky, conceited, aloof, boastful, arrogant and just downright annoying," Waltrip said. "And I've got to tell you, those were people that liked me so you can imagine what people that didn't like me had to say about me."
After dominating the sport and winning 24 races, 18 poles and two consecutive championships in 1981 and 1982, Waltrip suffered a crash in the 1983 Daytona 500 that changed his life.
"When I finally came to or woke up, I realized that that wreck had knocked me unconscious," Waltrip said. "It scared the hell out of me, and I mean that literally. I realized that I could have been killed that day. What if I'd lost my life right there that day at Daytona? What would I have done? Would I have gone to heaven?
"I thought I was a pretty good guy, but folks, let me tell you something. Good guys go to hell."
The Waltrips started going to church together, and he said his life changed for the better.
"I got down off my high horse and got down on my knees ... and that was the greatest day of my life," Waltrip said. "That changed everything."
Waltrip recalled the birth of his daughters in 1987 and 1992 and how he prayed that he would win the next races on the schedule for his new children. At Martinsville in 1987, he remembered taking the win when Dale Earnhardt and Terry Labonte got into each other to allow him to move from third place to Victory Lane. In 1992, he won easily at Bristol.
President Obama followed Waltrip to the podium and acknowledged the Dalai Lama.
"There aren't that many occasions that bring His Holiness under the same roof as NASCAR," President Obama said. "This may be the first, but God works in mysterious ways."
The president thanked the three-time champion for his message and acknowledged the power of faith in racing.
"Darrell knows that when you're going 200 miles an hour, a little prayer cannot hurt," President Obama said. "I suspect that more than once, Darrell has had the same thought as many of us have in our own lives: Jesus, take the wheel. Although I hope that you kept your hands on the wheel when you were thinking that."
In addition to wishing Waltrip a happy birthday, President Obama noted that both he and the driver "married up," and he thanked Waltrip's wife of 45 years, Stevie, for her efforts. The NASCAR on FOX analyst and his wife helped found Motor Racing Outreach in 1987.
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"We are so grateful to Stevie for the incredible work that they've done together to build a ministry where the fastest drivers can slow down a little bit and spend some time in prayer and reflection and thanks," President Obama said.
As far as the list of names Waltrip said he was called, President Obama said they were tame compared to what he's used to.
"Darrell when you were reading that list about things people were saying about you," President Obama said. "I was thinking well, you're a piker. If you really want a list, come talk to me because that ain't nothing. That's the best they can do in NASCAR?"
The National Prayer Breakfast has been held annually since 1953, when the United States Senate and House of Representatives met with President Eisenhower to discuss privately his experience with the "Almighty" on D-Day. Every U.S. president since Eisenhower has participated.
Watch the entire speech below.
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