What is Michael Waltrip’s net worth? Who was Michael Waltrip married to?
Introduction
Michael Waltrip is a professional stock car racing driver, commentator, and author who has competed in NASCAR. Also, he competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
He was the co-owner of Michael Waltrip Racing which closed in 2015.
Biography
He was born on April 30, 1963, in Owensboro, Kentucky, USA, as Michael Curtis Waltrip.
Michael is the younger brother of Darrell Waltrip, a stock car driver, motorsports analyst, and three-time Cup Series champion.
He started his career by racing go-karts.
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He made his debut in the Cup in the Coca-Cola 600 in 1985.
In 1996, Waltrip won the NASCAR All-Star Race.
First Win In Daytona 500
Waltrip’s first Daytona 500 victory came in 2001.
In that race, Dale Earnhardt lost his life after he crashed into a retaining wall after making contact with Ken Schrader and Sterling Marlin.
His official cause of death was a basilar skull fracture.
“The worst day of my life,” Waltrip told Autoweek.
“To see the video of me with that trophy in victory lane in Daytona and think this is the greatest day of my career, but to know the reality now that it was the worst day, exactly at the same time,” Waltrip said in an interview in 2011. “Sometimes ignorance is bliss, and to stand there and be able to hold that trophy and think that everything was perfect when everything was just the opposite of perfect, looking back is just really hard to do.”
In 2003, he won Daytona 500 for the second time.
Founded A Stock Car Racing Team
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In 2002, Waltrip and Robert Kauffman started the team Michael Waltrip Racing, which began racing in the Cup series in the same year.
The team closed down its operations in 2015.
Penalized For Fuel Tampering at Daytona 500
In February 2007, his team director and crew chief were suspended for using a fuel additive that was found during inspection for the season-opening race.
His crew chief was also fined a record $100,000. At the time, it was the largest fine ever handed down by NASCAR.
Waltrip’s team maintains it was oil.
He was so embarrassed he wanted to leave Daytona. “I came real close to not running today,” he said at the time.
Charged With Reckless Driving
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In April 2007, Waltrip was charged with reckless driving and failing to report an accident. The two-time Daytona 500 winner fell asleep at the wheel and hit a telephone pole while driving from Charlotte to his home in Sherrills Ford, N.C.
Alcohol was not mentioned on the ticket. He was not arrested.
“I am really embarrassed about the accident,” he said.
In 2009, he appeared in two episodes of the TV series “My Name Is Earl” as himself.
In 2014, Waltrip appeared on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars.
In 2017, he had his last race in Daytona 500. He drove the No. 15 Toyota. It was his 30th Daytona 500 race.
Book & Movie
Michael Waltrip and Chely Wright during Sprint and SunTrust presents Sound & Speed – Day1 at Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville – @Getty
In 2011, Waltrip wrote the book “In the Blink of an Eye,” in which he describes his relationship with the late Dale Earnhardt — the father of Kelley Earnhardt Miller, Taylor Nicole Earnhardt, Kerry Earnhardt, and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
“Dale was the toughest competitor on the track, the ultimate racing badass,” Waltrip told Daily Beast in 2019. “I admired him for being one of the greatest race car drivers there was,” Michael said in another interview.
In 2019, the documentary film “Blink of an Eye” was released.
It was produced by Paul Taublieb and tells the story of Waltrip’s racing career from its beginning. The film is an adaptation of the book, “In the Blink of an Eye.”
“The movie is my life,” Waltrip said in an interview with Racer in September 2019. “Whether it’s on the big screen or not, it’s just really who I am.”
Created A New Brewing Company
In 2020, Waltrip founded a brewing company in Arizona called The Michael Waltrip Brewing Company. “It just seemed like the perfect place to start our brewery,” he said.
In September 2021, he opened his new brewery in Bristol.
Wife
On November 27, 1993, Michael Waltrip married his wife, Elizabeth “Buffy” Franks. Michael and Elizabeth divorced in 2011.
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Waltrip has two children, Macy and Caitlin.
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Michael Waltrip waits on the grid during practice for the Inaugural Superstar Racing Experience Event at Stafford Motor Speedway on June 12, 2021 – @Getty
Michael Waltrip – Net Worth
So, how much is Michael Waltrip worth? Waltrip has earned his fortune through his successful racing career, as well as his other business ventures. Therefore, Michael Waltrip has an estimated net worth of $40 million.
He started racing go-karts when he was just twelve years old. By the time he was 19, he was racing in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series.
Waltrip has won the Daytona 500 two times.
In addition to his racing career, Waltrip has worked as a television commentator for NASCAR on Fox and NBC. From 2010 to 2012, he was a studio expert analyst for Inside NASCAR on Showtime.
He has appeared on NASCAR on ESPN, Sports Illustrated Night of Champions, WWE Raw, I Am Dale Earnhardt, The 10, Good Morning America, NASCAR on TNT, and NASCAR: Inside Nextel Cup.
Also, he launched a multi-stop Comedy Tour in 2010.
In 2019, Michael bought a house in North Carolina for $700K that features three bedrooms and 2.5 baths.
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