An original 5x7" vintage photo (NOT a modern reprint) from the Marty Himes estate. This photo is from a collection of press photos used in the production of a racing publication and is quite possibly a one of a kind image.

Provenance: This photograph comes directly from the Marty Himes Racing Museum Collection, assembled over decades by Marty Himes - racer, restorer, and lifelong archivist of American racing. Every piece he preserved tells part of the story of motorsport’s rise from dirt tracks to the spectacle of the Indy 500. We acquired the majority of his photo collection after his passing. Many of his photos are extremely rare or even one of a kind.

Photo Overview

Darrell Waltrip is captured here in a candid pit area moment at Richmond Raceway, leaning against a telephone pole and wearing his iconic Gatorade Chevrolet racing suit, a Busch Beer cap tilted back on his head. The photo was taken during the 1978 Winston Cup Capital City 400 weekend, where Waltrip had just earned his first Busch Pole of the season in qualifying. In the background, a fan wearing a DiGard/Waltrip t-shirt and race haulers are visible, placing us squarely in the pits at Richmond, Virginia.

This is a Bryant McMurray press photo from the Marty Himes Racing Museum Collection - a rare, possibly one-of-a-kind image used in the production of a racing publication.

Historical Notes

The 1978 Capital City 400 at Richmond proved to be a signature moment in Darrell Waltrip's dominant 1978 Winston Cup campaign. After earning the Busch Pole here, Waltrip went on to win the race - his sixth victory of that season - cementing his status as the year's most formidable driver. Driving the DiGard Gatorade Chevrolet, Waltrip finished the 1978 season as Winston Cup runner-up to Bobby Allison, setting the stage for his back-to-back championships in 1981 and 1982. Waltrip would go on to win three Winston Cup titles in total (1981, 1982, 1985), 84 Cup Series victories, and eventually became one of NASCAR's most recognizable broadcasters on Fox Sports. The $10,000 Busch Pole Award he was chasing in 1978 represented one of NASCAR's earliest structured bonus programs for qualifying excellence.

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Text Present

Back of photo (typed caption):
"WALTRIP ON THE POLE AT RICHMOND:

Darrell Waltrip piloted the Gatorade Chevrolet to his first Busch pole of the 1978 Winston Cup season in Capital City 400 qualifying. The Franklin Tenn., driver became the eighth driver to earn a pole position this season and joins in the chase for the $10,000 Busch Pole Award earmarked for the year's top pole winner. Waltrip went on to take his sixth race victory of the season in the 400 lap chase.

# # # (Bryant McMurray photo)"

Front of photo:
- Racing suit patch text: "Gatorade Gatorade Gatorade Gato..."
- Goodyear patch visible on suit
- "CHAMPIO[N]" patch visible on suit
- Hat: Busch [Bavarian Beer] logo

Print analysis

This is a Type 1 original press photograph, almost certainly printed within days or weeks of the 1978 event at Richmond. The black-and-white silver gelatin print shows the characteristics of a period press photo - matte finish, period-appropriate contrast, and the typed caption sheet attached to the back is consistent with 1978 press photo distribution. The Bryant McMurray photo credit confirms this is from a working press photographer. Classified as Type 1 Original Photo.

Condition

Please see scans of the image we have provided for the most accurate and complete state of the photo. Many of the photos in this collection are very old and have age related wear, chips, creases, curling, etc. Others are remarkably well maintained.