Another member is scheduled to be placed in the record books for making 700 starts.

Even though Michael Waltrip only has 4 Sprint Cup Series wins - including a Daytona 500 - he has made 699 starts since he debuted in what was then the Winston Cup Series at Charlotte in May 1985.  He drove the Number 23 Mell-Gear car for Dick Bahre.  He went 278 of the 400 laps and had to end the race in the garage with transmission troubles.

“It’s not something I am necessarily going to celebrate,” Waltrip said of his 700th start. “I would have liked to have had more than four Sprint Cup victories by now. At the same time, I am thankful to be able to show up every week and do what I love to do.”

“So I think I have mixed emotions because I will be a little bit sad about not putting up more numbers than I have, but glad that I have the ability to do what I do.”

In fact, Waltrip’s last win was at Talladega in 2003.  He had 2 wins in 2003, 1 in 2002, and the Daytona 500 in 2001.

The Owensboro, Kentucky native will go for his 5th career win this weekend at the Lady in Black.  In an interview, he spoke of the new track surface.

“I think the last time Darlington was paved was in 1995,” Waltrip said. “I remember that because I was in the Pennzoil car. We wrecked almost every other lap. The same thing will basically happen on Saturday night. You are going to see a lot of cautions because of all of the grip. In the past, it was all about self-preservation. Now that’s no longer the case. Guys will be going for it.”

At Darlington, Waltrip is 14th on the All-Time starts list.

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