The 12 Most Legendary Racing Families in NASCAR History | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors

The Waltrip brothers are one of the most legendary families in NASCAR.  Darrell Waltrip raced against some of the best drivers ever in NASCAR and beat them all.  Michael Waltrip might not have had the success of his older brother, but his racing team has turned out to be a top competitor this year.  Both brothers have great personalities and have helped put more of a spotlight on NASCAR.

Darrell Waltrip has raced against some of the best to ever enter NASCAR.  Starting in the 1970's, Darrell would find himself competing again drivers like Richard Petty, David Pearson, Bobby Allison and Cale Yarborough.

When Waltrip started racing in NASCAR, he was booed by the fans who didn't care for his reckless, aggressive driving.  He had some success in the '70's, but wouldn't really start to dominate the NASCAR scene until the 1980's.

In 1981, Waltrip joined forces with Junior Johnson and his career took off.  He won his first Winston Cup championship that year, beating out Bobby Allison.  Waltrip won 12 races and finished in the top five 21 times that season.

Waltrip would repeat in 1982, again beating Bobby Allison for the championship.  He finished the season with another 12 wins and 17 top-five finishes.

Darrell Waltrip earned his third Winston Cup championship in 1985, beating Bill Elliot.  Waltrip only won three races that season and finished with 18 top-five finishes. 

Waltrip continued to be disliked by fans until the late '80s. 

His last win would be in 1992, and his last race for the Sprint Cup series was in 2000.  Waltrip recorded 84 wins in his massive career and has been recognized as one of NASCAR's 50 greatest drivers.  Waltrip is still involved with the sport, serving as both an announcer and an analyst.

Darrell's younger brother Michael entered NASCAR in 1985.  While Michael Waltrip was not as successful as his brother—his best finish in the standings was 12th in 1994 and 1995—he was still a respected and competitive driver.

Michael Waltrip has been successful in other areas where his brother hasn't.  Recently, his Sprint Cup team has begun to really take shape, with two drivers making the 2012 chase. Michael, like his brother, is also an announcer, and still drives in limited races today.

Both Waltrip brothers played a big role in shaping the future of NASCAR, which is why the Waltrips are such a legendary family.