Waltrip to give command at Sonoma

NASCAR Hall of Famer and FOX analyst Darrell Waltrip has been named the grand marshal for the June race at Sonoma Raceway.

Waltrip will give the command to start engines for the June 23 Sprint Cup race at the track.

In addition, he will be honored  that weekend at the Children's Champions Grand Marshal's Banquet. The gala is a fundraiser for the Sonoma Chapter of Speedway Children's Charities.

Waltrip, who serves as the lead analyst for NASCAR on FOX, is a three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion. He had 84 Cup victories, tying him for fourth with Bobby Allison on the all-time list. He is the winner of the 1989 Daytona 500 and the only five-time winner of the Coca-Cola 600 (1978, '79, '85, '88 and '89) at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

“I am honored to have my name associated with Sonoma Raceway,” Waltrip said. “I’ve always loved road racing, both as an active driver and as a broadcaster. Sonoma is such an historic racetrack that when we got to go there with stock cars 25 years ago, it was magical. It’s a great racetrack in the beautiful Northern California wine country.”

Waltrip has also taken a turn in other venues. He voiced Darrell Cartrip in the Pixar movies "Cars" and "Cars 2", and played himself in the comedy "Talladega Nights." Waltrip also joined the New York Times best sellers list when his autobiography, DW: A Lifetime Going Around in Circles, was released in 2004.

“Darrell is not only one of the greatest drivers in the history of our sport but also one of the most popular personalities. He’ll be a terrific addition as we celebrate the 25th running of NASCAR in Sonoma,” said Steve Page, president and general manager of Sonoma Raceway. “He’s been a welcome guest in America’s living rooms during the NASCAR broadcasts, and we will be honored to have him as our guest and grand marshal in June.”