Darrell Waltrip won 12 times at Bristol Motor Speedway — and here's his secret for success

Before "Boogity, boogity, boogity" there was Bristol for NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Darrell Waltrip.

Bristol Motor Speedway is the place where Waltrip set what many believe to be an unbreakable record winning there seven consecutive times and a total of 12. It's where Waltrip, 77, laid the foundation for his remarkable career.

The Franklin, Tennessee, resident and Owensboro, Kentucky native, who transitioned from driving to broadcasting in 2001, had many other incredible moments in his career, including three NASCAR Cup championships, a Daytona 500 victory and five wins in the Coca-Cola 600.

It was all a part of his 84 career victories, but nothing compared to what Waltrip did at Bristol.

How Darrell Waltrip won 12 Bristol Motor Speedway races

It begs the question with the 2024 Food City 500 revving up Sunday (2:30 p.m. CT, Fox): Why was Darrell Waltrip so successful at the iconic track?

It turns out, as a young driver Waltrip fell in love with the most hated race on the circuit, paving a way toward dominance.

"I was going to Bristol in the '70s and I was listening to the radio and Cale Yarborough, Richard Petty, Bobby Allison all were talking about how much they hated Bristol," Waltrip said. "They said, 'It's too many laps, it's too long of a race, it's too grueling. Not many drivers can drive that many laps and be competitive.'"

They disliked it so much, according to Waltrip, that many of the drivers wanted Bristol removed from Cup schedule. Instead, NASCAR added a second annual race.

ALLY 400 SUCCESS CAN HELP FAIRGROUNDS: Darrell Waltrip believes Ally 400 success would boost NASCAR's return to Nashville Fairgrounds

LAST WEEK: Who won NASCAR Cup race in Phoenix? Winner is Christopher Bell, plus full results

Aggressive driving is the way to go at Bristol Motor Speedway

Instead of falling in behind the pack, which never was Waltrip's style, and griping and complaining about the hardships that came with driving a Bristol, Waltrip decided to take a different approach.

"I said, 'You know what? I'm going to embrace that track,'" Waltrip said. "I'd had great success at Nashville (Fairgrounds Speedway). Bristol and Nashville were very similar racetracks − a high bank half mile. I just took to it. I liked it. I knew what to do. I knew how to handle the track. I knew about the banking. It was just like home to me."

Along with liking the layout of the track, Waltrip tried to understand more about what his fellow drivers disliked about Bristol. What he learned was that being in better physical condition gave him an edge.

"I think one of the advantages I had was that I was a little bit younger; I was about 10 years younger than a lot of the guys," Waltrip said. "I was in better shape and I worked out. That really helped because that track really beats you up. Everybody's in shape today, but back then that wasn't the case."

Fans love wrecks at Bristol Motor Speedway

Waltrip's aggressive style of driving also made him a good fit for the short track and congestion that often builds on the concrete surface at Bristol.

"We used to start 43 cars there for heaven's sake, so when we took the green flag the rest of the field was still on the back straight away," Waltrip said.

"People were lapping cars at about 20 laps. It was a track where you had to bump a guy to get him out of the way. It was an action track with something going on all the time whether it was for the lead or in the back of the pack. There were always wrecks and that's what race fans like."

Who has most NASCAR wins at Bristol Motor Speedway?

After the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway lost its NASCAR Cup sanction, Waltrip said he considered Bristol his home track. His first win at Bristol, which opened in 1961, came in the Southeastern 500 in 1978. He was second in the Volunteer 500 in 1979 before he claimed seven consecutive wins from 1981-83.

With all of his success at Bristol, Waltrip came up with the slogan: "Follow me in Tennessee."

Waltrip won again at Bristol in 1986, 1989 and 1992.

Drivers with the next most wins at Bristol include Yarborough, Dale Earnhardt and Rusty Wallace with nine each.

Active NASCAR drivers with the most wins at Bristol are Kyle Busch with eight, then Brad Keselowski with three. Kevin Harvick, who retired after the 2023 season and is now in the Fox booth, also won three times at Bristol.

Busch won three straight races at Bristol from 2017-19 but hasn't won there since. Busch hinted recently that his career may be nearing its end, meaning Waltrip's record at Bristol is safe.

"When you have a record there's always somebody out to break it," Waltrip said. "Kyle Busch is good there and there are a lot of guys that are really good at that racetrack. I don't think anybody will ever win seven in a row. I don't know if anybody can ever win 12 races there or not. I would rather think that they couldn't."

Reach Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 or on X @MikeOrganWriter.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Darrell Waltrip most wins at Bristol: NASCAR legend won 12 times at BMS