NASCAR Hall of Famer diagnosed with frontotemporal degeneration, possible CTE from racing
NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip has been diagnosed with frontotemporal degeneration (FTD), complicated by possible chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), according to a statement his family put out Wednesday.
Waltrip, now 79, won 84 races over a nearly 30-year NASCAR Cup Series career, including three championships.
His family said the possible CTE stems from "injuries incurred during his racing career." NASCAR HALL OF FAMER NED JARRETT, LEGENDARY DRIVER AND BROADCASTER, DIES AT 93 "While this disease will inevitably progress, thankfully it is currently limited to some minor noticeable symptoms," the statement, put out by Darrell and his wife, Stevie, said.
"As a result, he will be stepping further away from the public limelight.
Be assured, Darrell is happy and otherwise healthy — spending his time with his wife, Stevie, two daughters and his three young grandchildren.
We are all grateful for your continued prayer, love and support! "Boogity! Boogity! Boogity!" Stunning news out of the NASCAR world.
You won't find a more universally loved racer in the series than Darrell Waltrip.
He's a three-time champ, a Daytona 500 winner, and his 84 wins are fifth-most in NASCAR Cup Series history.
Of course, to a large portion of the fanbase, he's better known as the NASCAR on FOX analyst who coined the term "Boogity Boogity Boogity" at the start of every race.
Waltrip spent 19 years in the FOX booth before retiring in 2019.
His first race was the infamous 2001 Daytona 500, where Dale Earnhardt died on the final lap, and Waltrip's brother, Michael, won his first race.
"I sure hope Dale's OK," Waltrip famously said from the booth while Michael was doing his victory lap.
NASCAR fans haven't seen nearly as much of Waltrip since he retired in 2019, but he has occasionally rejoined the broadcast booth for brief cameos.
His most recent surprise visit came earlier this year, when he gave another "Boogity Boogity Boogity" from the booth at Darlington in March.
5News aggregated this summary from the outlet’s public feed. The full article, with all the context, is on www.foxnews.com — the content belongs to Fox News.
