by Darrell Waltrip

Updated: June 1, 2006, 11:21 AM EST

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I drove for 30 years, and everything imaginable has happened to me. It's like that old saying, "the more things change, the more they stay the same." When I see something happen, I can only tell you about my experiences in that situation. Whether it's something that happens on or off the track or it's a decision that NASCAR makes, all my opinions are based on my experiences.

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Stewart should sit out

When Tony Stewart crashes and breaks his right scapula, I know how that feels. In 1995, Dale Earnhardt and I were racing Jeff Gordon in the final segment of all-star race, and Earnhardt and I wrecked. I broke my shoulder blade and three ribs in my back. It was one of the worst injuries that I had ever experienced. It was even worse than when I broke my femur in 1990. When I saw what happened to Stewart and heard the diagnosis, I do know what he's going through.

After my accident, Jimmy Hensley drove in relief for me for four or five weeks. It took that long to heal to a point where I was somewhat back to normal. I don't know if I ever got back to normal that whole year or not. Right after I got back in the car on a weekly basis, I crashed again really hard in Michigan and reinjured my ribs.

When I say that going to Dover this week with a broken shoulder blade is going to be very difficult for Stewart, I know it is because I tried it. Heading into the Dover race in 1995, we were in the top 10 in points, and I didn't want to fall out so I started the race. Fortunately, there was a quick caution right after the start, and I got out of the car. The track had just been concreted so I had no experience. Hensley practiced the car, and I was a race behind on the concrete. Wuite honestly, I don't think I ever caught up. When we got back there the followiong year, I was lost.

Check out Tony Stewart's new POWERade paint scheme for Dover (Chris Stanford / Getty Images)

My advice to Stewart is stay out of the racecar. Don't even start the race because you're going to aggravate your injuries getting in and out and dragging your body through the window and against the seat. You're a good enough driver, and you've got a good enough team to miss a couple of races and get yourself healthy. Just think about the big picture — the final 10 races. You just need to be within 400 points of the leader, and you can do that so stay out of the car. Rest up and get yourself healed up. You're a great driver when you're well, but you're handicapped when you're trying to deal with injuries.

I didn't stay out of the car, but don't do as I've done, do as I suggest. I think you'll be a lot better off. One of my favorite sayings — and it will be on my tombstone — is "Hear me now, and believe me later." So hear me now, Tony, and then you'll believe me later.

Michael makes a deal

My brother striking a deal to get into the Coca-Cola 600 wasn't the first time it's happened in the sport. Last year at Talladega, Cal Wells did the same thing with the Tide car. Plus, I know from firsthand experience because I did it in 2000 with Carl Long. He qualified, and we didn't in our K-Mart deal. What you don't know behind the scenes, folks, is almost every major sponsor has a clause in their contract that says the drivers have to be in every race. If you're not, it's a significant penalty to the team. Spending money to get a sponsor's name on the car and in the race is protection for your sponsor, and you're cutting your losses. If you don't have a car in the race, it's a whole lot more expensive than making a deal with somebody to get a car in the race.

It's a business deal, and it doesn't have anything to do with politics or anything else. You go to a team that doesn't have a major sponsor, and you offer them a deal. It's a win-win because they're going to make money on the deal, and your're in the race so there's no real down side to it. There are no political or ethical concerns. It's racing, and in racing, you make deals.

We gave Carl Long a lot more money for his car than he would have made if he had started five Coca-Cola 600s, and I'm sure that's the same thing Michael did with Derrike Cope's team. They made it well worth their time. As a matter of fact, my car owner, Travis Carter, did a lot of things to help Long in some of the other races that he ran. I'm sure that's what Michael and his crowd will do for Cope. Don't look at it as one race or incident and think it's a rotten deal. Derrike and Michael won, and Derrike will get a lot of help down the road.

Tire talk

In 1989, I won the Coca-Cola 600 on Hoosier Tires, and there was a whale of a tire battle. People were blowing out tires left and right so I know what that's like to race on uncomfortable tires that you're not sure about.

After the 1990 season, I left a very successful Hendrick Motorsports to start my own team with Western Auto. Remember Western Auto, an auto parts company that was owned by Sears? Michael left Dale Earnhardt Inc. to start his own team with Toyota. I'm not a know-it-all, but I humbly submit to you that I've just aobut done it all. When I see rules, caution flags, tracks doing something, teams doing something, rules violations, running out of gas and teams running out of gas, I literally can't think of anything that hasn't happened before.

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It's a new and ever-changing NASCAR, but we had the Car of Tomorrow in 1981. We went from the large, 115-inch wheel base Monte Carlos, Buicks, Pontiacs and all of those big cars to the 110-inch wheel base small cars like we have today. What an undertaking that was! It cost Junior Johnson thousands of dollars at the time. In 1981, Tim Brewer built 12 racecars in one year. We would build a car and race it. If it didn't win, we would build another one because we had the resources to do it. That's the way the Car of Tomorrow will be. The better teams will have the resources to make the Car of Tomorrow better. If you give everybody the same car, it's going to separate the field because the teams with the most talent, the most money and the best people are going to get further ahead.

Indy is a perfect example. Last year, there were Toyotas and Hondas. The teams with the Hondas, including Danica Patrick, had an advantage and finished 4th. No disrespect to Danica. I'm just pointing out the fact that when you give everybody the same thing like they did this year at Indy, Penske rises to the top. Ganassi rises to the top. Michael Andretti's team rises to the top.

I don't ever want someone to think that I'm a know it all, but I sure do appreciate it when people say, "Let's get DW's opinion because he's been there, and he's done that." In some cases, I've even got the scars to prove it.