Michael Waltrip has never made it into the spotlight in a big way despite having a career many would envy. One of the reasons for that could be his brother. Darrell Waltrip is a three-time Cup Series champion and is considered to be one of the all-time greats of NASCAR. While he might have overshadowed his brother, it does not take away from what Michael achieved in his career. Racing fans recently paid their respects to the former Cup Series driver on Reddit, acknowledging his achievements.

Michael Waltrip is a 2-time winner of the Daytona 500 (2001 and 2003) driving for Dale Earnhardt Inc. The now 60-year-old started 784 races in the Cup over his 33-year career and won 4 races. As a team owner, he came mighty close to winning the title in 2012 with Clint Bowyer.

Michael Waltrip’s first Daytona win was tragically his boss’ last ever race

Race wins were hard to come by for Michael Waltrip when he started his career full-time in the Cup Series. At the time, the late great Dale Earnhardt was at the peak of his power and there wasn’t anyone close to his level. The Intimidator’s winning run was then halted by Jeff Gordon, who went on to create a legacy of his own. Therefore the other competitors at the time had to overcome quite a few formidable opponents for winning the championship.

Waltrip caught the public eye in the 2000s when he moved to Dale Earnhardt Inc. The 60-year-old won his first ever Cup Series race in 2001 and it was the Daytona 500. Unfortunately, his victory was marred by the tragic news of his boss’ passing due to that infamous last-lap accident.

In 2002, Waltrip was the victor of the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona, but perhaps the best year of his Cup career was 2003. The legend won two races that year – the Daytona 500 and the EA Sports 500 in Talladega. By this point, he had become a 2-time winner of The Great American Race.

He did not win any more races in the Cup Series but has 11 race wins in the Nationwide/Xfinity Series. He almost tasted success as a team owner when Michael Waltrip Racing used to run in the Cup. In 2012, Clint Bowyer finished the season in second place with the team, just falling short of Brad Keselowski in the championship.

He might not have been the most popular of drivers during his racing days but it turns out that Michael Waltrip has a good number of fans. Love and respect for the former Cup Series driver saw an outpour on Reddit recently as fans hailed the 2-time Daytona 500 champion.

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One user admitted to Michael Waltrip being one of their favorite drivers, which wasn’t the trend when the 60-year-old raced full-time. But then again, everyone loved a good underdog story and Waltrip won the Daytona 500 twice.

“Mikey you are and still one of my faves. Never change,” they wrote on Reddit.

“Mikey was so fun and quirky, he won an All-Star Race before he ever won a regular-season race,” another user opined.

Some fans commended Michael Waltrip’s relationship with the sponsors. Despite not winning very often, the 60-year-old always had a positive relationship with his partners and a smart business mind.

“Pretty wild that Mikey was able to ride his NAPA sponsorship all the way from DEI, to forming his own team, nearly winning a cup championship as an owner,” one fan wrote.

“Mikey is proof that on track success isn’t always needed to be popular with sponsors. Dude knew how to get his sponsors on TV no matter what,” quipped another.

Another fan thanked the former Cup Series racer providing them with some entertaining times as they supported the underdog who won the biggest of races more than once.

“Mikey, you big goofball, I had so much fun pulling for you in the 15 car back then. Thank you for some happy times,” they wrote.

Michael Waltrip truly is an underdog in the truest sense of the word. However, he was a good race car driver who has garnered fans’ love and respect over the years. What is your opinion of him? Let us know in the comments.

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