Darrell Waltrip, 79, is stepping further away from public life after a frontotemporal degeneration (FTD) diagnosis, his family said. They said possible chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), likely from racing injuries, may also be involved; symptoms are currently minor.
Waltrip’s family said the condition will inevitably progress, while describing him as happy and otherwise healthy. It said he is spending time at home with his wife, Stevie, their two daughters and three grandchildren.
Waltrip won three NASCAR Cup Series championships and 84 races, ranking fifth in all-time Cup victories. After retiring from racing in 2000, he spent 19 seasons as FOX Sports’ lead NASCAR analyst and retired from broadcasting in 2019.
