Boogity Boogity Boogity: The Return of Darrell Waltrip!

Fox's lead analyst for NASCAR, Darrell Waltrip, told Imus all was right in the world.

"Your show is rolling, I'm back on, we're talking racing," said Waltrip, who won 84 career NASCAR Cup Series races. "This is the single greatest thing that's happened to this sport."

After chastising Warner for knowing nothing about car racing, Waltrip discovered that he and Imus had a mutual favorite song: "Wine Into Water," by T. Graham Brown. Waltrip also likes "Desperado," by the Eagles, and the Gnarls Barkley song "Crazy." He prattled on until finally, Imus asked, "Wanna talk racing?"

Luckily, Waltrip did, commenting that 51 year-old driver Mark Martin, who will race in this Sunday's Daytona 500, is "having the time of his life," despite being much older than his competitors.

"It's amazing what this guy's been able to do at his age," said Waltrip, who counts Martin as one of his "best buds." He's in great shape, Waltrip pointed out, saying, "He told me, 'That car don't know how old I am.'"

As for Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Waltrip thinks he has to step it up this year; he finished just 22nd overall last year, while his teammates were 1, 2, and 3.

"He's got all the same resources, he's got the best people," said Waltrip. He does not think Junior is as good as Jimmie Johnson or Jeff Gordon, "probably two of the all time greatest," in Waltrip's opinion.

Junior is good enough to win races, said Waltrip, "but the verdict is out on how great he is."

The verdict, however, was very much in, at least as far as Waltrip was concerned, on Danica Patrick, the petite female phenom driver who will compete in Saturday's Nationwide Series race.

"I've been hearing about her, people have been talking about her; I thought it was a lot of hype," said Waltrip, who watched Patrick's stock car debut in the Daytona ARCA Series race this past Saturday.

"What a performance!" he gushed, adding, "She's got what it takes, I'm telling ya."

What's more, Patrick brings a level enthusiasm to car racing that is only good for the sport. "No matter where you go, people would say, 'What's that race that that girl's going to be in?'" said Waltrip, whose brother Michael will race this weekend at Daytona.

"He needs to get the accelerators to stick on his Toyota," Imus recommended. "You tell him the I-Man said that!"

-Julie Kanfer