“Dale was just trying to get third. Maybe he was thinking that he could get a run on everyone coming out of Turn 4. But the race was over. Junior and I had pulled away, so there was no need to block. That always hurt me when people said he was blocking for me, because it almost felt like it was my fault that he died. But I don't think that anymore.”

American former stock car racing driver

Michael Curtis “Mikey” Waltrip is an American former stock car racing driver, commentator, team owner, amateur ballroom dancing competitor, and author. Born in 1963, he is best known for winning the Daytona 500 twice, in 2001 and 2003, and for his long career in NASCAR. Waltrip’s four NASCAR Cup Series victories all came on superspeedways while driving for Dale Earnhardt Inc. He later became a familiar television voice, working as a pre-race analyst for the NASCAR Cup Series and as a color commentator for Fox Sports coverage of the Xfinity Series and Craftsman Truck Series. He is also the younger brother of Darrell Waltrip, a three-time NASCAR champion and commentator.