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By SHARON GINN
© St. Petersburg Times, published February 19, 2001
DAYTONA BEACH -- Alternately charming and informative in his first turn as a Fox analyst, Darrell Waltrip only got better when the Daytona 500 turned personal.
As Waltrip's younger brother Michael circled the track on his way to his first Winston Cup victory, Waltrip made no attempt to hide his emotions, openly rooting for Michael as tears ran down his face. Great journalism? No. Great television? Undoubtedly.
But what Waltrip did next was even more remarkable.
In the middle of one of his family's finest hours, while Fox seemed content to play the Waltrips' story to the hilt while almost overlooking the crash that occurred moments before the exciting finish, Darrell was the first to convey to the viewer how bad Dale Earnhardt's situation might be.
After an emotional on-air exchange with his brother, Waltrip quickly made his concern about Earnhardt clear. Then, after a commercial break, Fox finally delved into the issue. It replayed the crash as Waltrip explained its seriousness.
The earlier 19-car crash was far more spectacular, Waltrip pointed out, but less dangerous because cars that flip and skid lose energy. A head-on collision like Earnhardt's, in contrast, "is a driver's worst nightmare."
"TV does not do that justice," Waltrip said. "That is an incredible impact, head-on."
It was a telling insight but a rough way to earn a reputation as an emerging star.
After the race, Waltrip went to Halifax Medical Center to be with the Earnhardts rather than bask in his brother's -- or his own -- Daytona success. How he did on air is unlikely to be what he thinks of when he remembers Sunday's race.
But it's safe to say Waltrip soon will be as popular a broadcaster as he was a driver. To Winston Cup fans who love him, he was his engaging self. To the inexperienced NASCAR viewer -- this one included -- his insights and humor made for an interesting broadcast even before the action on the track escalated.
As promised, drivers were referred to by number and name, not by sponsor, a welcome, if temporary, respite from NASCAR's overpowering hard sell. And the broadcast team was at its best after the 19-car crash with 26 laps to go. Fox was in a commercial when it happened but within seconds was on air with multiple replays and reaction from the drivers.
But because it coincided with Waltrip's victory, the network could spend nowhere near that amount of time on Earnhardt's fatal crash, an omission that likely will incite anger from fans who already were suspicious of the network's foray into Winston Cup racing. Fox deserves some criticism for underplaying the crash initially and for telling viewers at the end of the broadcast to watch the 9 p.m. NASCAR Primetime on Fox Sports Net for news on Earnhardt -- a tacky self-promotion considering the urgency of the situation.
That was no way to treat the Intimidator, who in a prerace interview gave the network a boost by telling viewers that "You're going to see something you haven't ever seen on Fox." Unfortunately, he was all too right.