Earlier this offseason, the NASCAR community mourned the loss of legendary broadcaster Ken Squier. The NASCAR community is mourning again as legendary driver Cale Yarborough died on Sunday. He was 84 years old.
“Cale Yarborough was one of the toughest competitors NASCAR has ever seen,” NASCAR Chairman & CEO Jim France said in a statement. “His combination of talent, grit, and determination separated Cale from his peers, both on the track and in the record book. He was respected and admired by competitors and fans alike and was as comfortable behind the wheel of a tractor as he was behind the wheel of a stock car. On behalf of the France family and NASCAR, I offer my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Cale Yarborough.”
In the late 1950s, Yarborough caught the eye of Darlington track president and general manager Bob Colvin at a soap-box derby race. Yarborough made his NASCAR debut at the 1957 Southern 500 at Darlington after Colvin encouraged him to, even though he didn’t meet NASCAR’s age requirements then. In 1968, he signed with the Wood Brothers and won his first Daytona 500 and Southern 500. Overall, he won 13 races with the Wood Brothers.
People might not know that Yarborough also drove in Indycar for a while. After Ford withdrew its factory support in 1970, Yarborough went to IndyCar for several years. His best finish in the Indianapolis 500 was tenth in 1972. He returned to NASCAR in 1973, driving for legendary owner Junior Johnson for eight years. He retired from racing in 1988.
Overall, Yarborough won 83 races and three Cup Series championships. His championships came in three consecutive years, making him the only driver to win three straight championships until Jimmie Johnson won five consecutive championships from 2006 to 2010. He won four Daytona 500s and five Souther 500s at Darlington, which puts him second all-time for each race. He is tied with Johnson for sixth on the Cup Series all-time win list.
Yarborough was indeed a legend. He was well-liked and respected by his competitors and was a fan favorite. In the history of NASCAR, Yarborough has been one of the greatest drivers of all time. He also helped NASCAR grow. At the end of the 1979 Daytona 500, he got into a fight with Donnie and Bobby Allison, which was seen by millions of people as it was NASCAR’s first race to be televised live from flag to flag and put NASCAR on the map. He won the Driver of the Year award three times and was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2012.
Cale Yarborough will be missed a lot. Rest in peace, Cale.
(Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images for NASCAR)