DW will start at Charlotte.

In the final year of his career which has spanned for nearly three decades, Darrell Waltrip faced not qualifying for one of the Winston Cup's longest standing events, the Coca Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. The Route 66/Big K-Mart Ford driver had failed to qualify for Sunday's race and with no provisional's left he was facing watching the race on TV.

However, in an amazing gesture of selflessness, series rookie Carl Long, who bought his car at an auction, gave up his seat in the car and handed it to Waltrip for the race. Long defied the odds by qualifying his self run Ford Taurus on speed alone but gave up his ride in order for Waltrip to make his farewell appearance in the race.

"To do what he did, and what he has had to do just to be here, and then to say 'I'll let DW drive the car instead of me,' I can't tell you.......That's a real human interest story," said a grateful Waltrip.

Long, who runs the car with his brother-in-law and two friends had qualified the ex-Roush machine in 35th position on the 43 car grid, may find himself working with Waltrip as one of the pit-crew. Details were still being discussed late on Friday but Waltrip may keep Long's crew aswell as his own in his bid for victory.

Waltrip has also indicated that Long's gesture will not go unrewarded. "I personally will make it worth his time, I don't mean monetarily, but I'll make it worth his time. If he can run that good every week I may get him to follow me around."