Daytona 500 2012: Why Michael Waltrip's Career Is a Success Story

So often we hear that it's all about winning in professional sports.

But Michael Waltrip's career is a reminder that it's about so much more than that.

Waltrip, who still shows up at the Daytona 500 and Talladega every year, crashed his car during the Gatorade Duel qualifying race on Thursday, effectively losing a spot in "The Great American Race."

Coming out of a pit stop, Waltrip tried to get up to speed on the apron in Turn 2, but when his car hit the banking, it slid into the wall and was destroyed on impact.

Waltrip said after the race, via SI.com:

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"I just went the wrong way and lost the car. I feel like I let everybody down. I raced my way to the front and then I let them down. It's just really hard. I don't know what to say—it's just sad."

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But if you look at Waltrip's career the right way, it's not sad at all. It's a success story.

Waltrip wrote in his book In The Blink Of An Eye that he was constantly doubted as he gunned for a NASCAR career (and was doubted even by his own father). He was always overshadowed by his Hall-of-Fame brother Darrell. When he did make it into NASCAR, he went on a 0-for-462 skid.

Even when Waltrip finally won at Daytona in 2001, the legendary Dale Earnhardt crashed behind him and was killed. Waltrip went on to win at Talladega twice, but his career was ultimately defined as a failure.

But Waltrip should be defined as a winner, regardless of how many wins he has to his name on the track. He's persevered when many would have quit under his circumstances, and he's done so with dignity and grace.

It's easy to keep on going when you are winning trophies. It's much harder to trudge on when you are constantly hitting a wall, both literally and figuratively.

As the saying goes, "The character of a man is not defined by how he handles his victories but what he does with his failures."

Waltrip has been called a failure from the moment he decided he wanted to become a race car driver.

But he pursued his dream, and that is a victory in itself.