Legendary NASCAR racer Cale Yarborough has passed away. Yarborough made his NASCAR racing debut in 1957 at the Southern 500 in Darlington, South Carolina. He retired from driving following the 1988 season before shifting his attention to being a car owner during the 1990s. Yarborough finished his career with 83 wins and three Cup Series championships.

While often overshadowed by contemporaries like Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt, Yarborough still made his own mark on the NASCAR world. His biggest accomplishment was becoming the first driver to win three straight Cup Series championships between 1976 and 1978. That record stood for three decades until Jimmie Johnson won five in a row between 2006 and 2010. Johnson was one of the many drivers to pay tribute to Yarborough on social media.

Cale Yarborough won the Daytona 500 four times and the Southern 500 five times in his illustrious career. Still, his most famous on track moment may be the crash he and Donnie Allison were involved in while battling for the lead on the final lap of the 1979 Daytona 500. Both crashed out and Richard Petty cruised to his seventh Daytona 500 victory. Meanwhile, Yarborough and Allison’s brother, Bobby Allison, got into a fist fight in the infield in what is one of the most iconic moments in the history of NASCAR and the Daytona 500.

Yarborough also dabbled in open wheel racing. He competed in the Indianapolis 500 four times with a career best finish of tenth in 1972.

Cale Yarborough Backstory

William Caleb “Cale” Yarborough was born in 1939 and grew up in the small town of Sardis, South Carolina. After finding fame in NASCAR, Yarborough also dabbled in television in film. He appeared in the films Speedway, Corky and Stroker Ace, as well as an episode of the television show The Dukes of Hazzard.

He is survived by his wife, Betty Jo, and three daughters.

We at Fantom Sport Industries would like to wish our sincerest condolences to Yarborough’s family. RIP Cale Yarborough.

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