Making the tri-state proud is Owensboro native Darrel Waltrip. It was announced yesterday that D.W will be inducted into the NASCAR Hall Of Fame on May 21, 2012.

Darrel’s credentials are certainly Hall Of Fame worthy.

Waltrip officially won 84 NASCAR races, but one additional uncounted "win" was as relief driver for Donnie Allison, at the 1977 Talladega 500. Allison received credit for the win because he was driving the car when the race started. In that race, Waltrip retired after 106 laps. Allison sought a relief driver for his #1 Hawaiian Tropic car due to the excess heat of the day and Waltrip stepped up to complete the race in Allison's car. The irony was that Waltrip replaced Allison at the DiGard #88 race team just two years previously, which was part of the long lore of the Allisons vs Waltrip battle that lasted more than 16 years.

His 84 wins in the Cup series are tied for third place in NASCAR history, with Bobby Allison and Jeff Gordon; he and Gordon share the record for most wins in the "modern era" of NASCAR, which began in 1972, with rationalization of the schedule and elimination of dirt-track races from the Cup series.

The Class of 2012 was announced on June 14, 2011, and will be inducted on May 21, 2012.

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