DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — They were their usual goofy selves for the most part, even as they helped tear up hallowed asphalt.
NASCAR President Mike Helton watched Darrell Waltrip shriek, “Boogity, boogity, boogity! Let’s tear the hell out of this place!” before Helton trotted off in the distance away from Daytona International Speedway’s ceremonial groundbreaking.
Darrell Waltrip and Michael Waltrip took part in the asphalt groundbreaking, discussing what the place meant to them before helping rip it up. Both got pieces of the track
Ceremonial is all it was and Daytona plans several more like it before the repaving process is over.
Lane Construction, the company undertaking this $20 million repaving project, already had torn up the pavement on the flat portion from the start/finish line all the way back to Turn 4. They have taken down the fences, light posts and SAFER barriers in that portion and they will begin doing that on the rest of the track in the coming weeks.
Speedway President Robin Braig made a joke about Helton cringing as Darrell Waltrip drove the crane onto the track.
The Waltrips pushed the notion that the racing wouldn’t suffer — something many people expect — even for the first few years with Darrell Waltrip reminding everyone about the wacky 1979 Daytona 500. It was the initial race after the track was repaved for the first time in 1978.
But the 32-year-old surface held a lot of emotions for the Waltrip brothers. Darrell remembered all the injuries he suffered, the trips to the care center and the races he saw from the TV booth.
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Michael remembered the joy he felt the day he won his first Daytona 500 and the pain he felt shortly thereafter when he learned his team owner and friend, Dale Earnhardt, died after a fatal crash.
“Daytona has been about wins and losses, ups and downs,” Michael Waltrip said. “That always has been the case since I can remember. In my case particularly, I don’t guess anyone ever has had a bigger swing of emotions than I did in ’01.
“… That, pretty much describes this place to me over the years. So much hope and so much passion for racing a car. You come to Daytona and you’re here. You feel all this energy and the success is multiplied by 100 because of where you are, and the losses are, as well.”