NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip steps back from public life for serious health concerns‎

Darrell Waltrip, who parlayed a Hall of Fame driving career in NASCAR into a long-time broadcasting stint at Fox Sports, has stepped away from public life due to a progressive brain disease. Waltrip and his family shared a statement on Wednesday that noted the former driver, “has been diagnosed with Frontotemporal Degeneration (FTD) complicated by possible Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) – likely from injuries incurred during his racing career.” The 79-year-old Waltrip was one of NASCAR’s storied characters, one of the first to build a brand around his supersized personality, and he served for decades as one of the sport’s strongest ambassadors.