Cale Yarborough facts for kids

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Cale Yarborough

Born

March 27, 1939
Timmonsville, South Carolina, U.S.

Died

December 31, 2023 (aged 84)
Florence, South Carolina, U.S.

Achievements

1976, 1977, 1978 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Champion
1984 IROC Champion
1968, 1977, 1983, 1984 Daytona 500 Winner
1968, 1973, 1974, 1978, 1982 Southern 500 Winner
1978, 1984 Winston 500 Winner
1985 Talladega 500 Winner
Holds Winston Cup Series modern era record for most poles in a season (14 poles in 1980)

Awards

1967 NASCAR Grand National Series Most Popular Driver
International Motorsports Hall of Fame (1993)
National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame (1994)
Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (1994)
Court of Legends at Charlotte Motor Speedway (1996)
3× National Motorsports Press Association Driver of the Year (1977, 1978, 1979)
1977 American Driver of the Year
South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame (1978)
Talladega Walk of Fame (1996)
Named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers (1998)
NASCAR Hall of Fame (2012)
Named one of NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers (2023)

NASCAR Cup Series career

560 races run over 31 years

Best finish

1st (1976, 1977, 1978)

First race

1957 Southern 500 (Darlington)

Last race

1988 Atlanta Journal 500 (Atlanta)

First win

1965 untitled race (Valdosta)

Last win

1985 Miller High Life 500 (Charlotte)

Wins	Top tens	Poles
83	319	69

NASCAR Grand National East Series career

8 races run over 2 years

Best finish

13th (1973)

First race

1972 Sandlapper 200 (Columbia)

Last race

1973 Buddy Shuman 100 (Hickory)

Wins	Top tens	Poles
0	7	0

Statistics current as of December 31, 2023.

William Caleb "Cale" Yarborough (born March 27, 1939 – died December 31, 2023) was a famous American NASCAR driver. He was also a team owner, a businessman, and a farmer. Cale is one of only two drivers in NASCAR history to win three championships in a row. He won these titles in 1976, 1977, and 1978.

He was one of the best stock car drivers from the 1960s to the 1980s. He also raced in IndyCar events. Cale Yarborough won 83 races in his career. This ties him for sixth place on the all-time NASCAR Cup Series winner's list. He won the Daytona 500 race four times. After he stopped racing, he owned a NASCAR team called Cale Yarborough Motorsports. He also ran successful farming businesses.

Early Life and First Races
Racing in the 1960s
Racing in the 1970s
Racing in the 1980s
Life After Racing
Images for kids
See also

Early Life and First Races

Cale Yarborough was born in a small town called Sardis, near Timmonsville, South Carolina. His father was a tobacco farmer and store owner. Sadly, his father died in a plane crash when Cale was only twelve years old.

When he was young, Cale was a great football player in high school. He also played semi-pro football for four years. He was even a Golden Gloves boxer! Cale tried to race in the Southern 500 as a teenager. He lied about his age but was caught by NASCAR.

In 1957, Cale officially started his racing career at the Southern 500. He drove a No. 30 Pontiac car. He finished 42nd in that race. In 1962, he got his first top-ten finish at the Daytona 500 Qualifying Race.

Racing in the 1960s

In 1963, Cale Yarborough joined the No. 19 Ford team. He had two fifth-place finishes that year. The next year, he joined Holman Moody and finished sixth at North Wilkesboro Speedway.

In 1965, Cale won his very first race at Valdosta Speedway. He drove the #06 Ford for Kenny Myler. In 1966, he started driving for the famous Wood Brothers team. He won two races in 1967: the Atlanta 500 and the Firecracker 400.

In 1968, Cale won his first Daytona 500 with the Wood Brothers. He also won the Firecracker 400 again. This made him only the second driver to win both Daytona races in the same year. He also won his first Southern 500. He had six wins that season. In 1969, the Ford Motor Company even made a special car named after him, the Cale Yarborough Special Edition Mercury Cyclone Spoiler II.

Racing in the 1970s

Cale continued racing for the Wood Brothers in 1970. He won the Michigan 400 and the American 500. After Ford stopped supporting NASCAR teams, Cale left the Wood Brothers. In 1971 and 1972, he mostly focused on racing in USAC events.

In 1973, Cale Yarborough returned to NASCAR full-time. He drove the No. 11 Chevrolet for Richard Howard. He won four races, including his second Southern 500. He finished second in the championship points that year.

In 1974, Cale won a career-high ten races! His team was bought by Junior Johnson and got a new sponsor. He won both races at Riverside International Raceway and his third Southern 500. Even with ten wins, he finished second in the championship.

The next three years were amazing for Cale.

In 1976, he won nine races and his first Winston Cup Championship.
The 1977 season was his best year. He won nine races again. He finished every single race and never finished worse than sixth in the last 14 races. He won his second championship by a lot of points. Cale became the first driver in NASCAR history to win the championship without having any "DNFs" (Did Not Finish). He also won his second Daytona 500.
In 1978, his team switched to Oldsmobile cars. He won ten races, matching his record from 1974. He won his fourth Southern 500 and his first Winston 500 at Talladega. He won his third championship in a row, making him the first driver in NASCAR history to do so.

The 1979 season started with a famous moment at the Daytona 500. Cale got into a fight with Donnie and Bobby Allison after they crashed while racing for the lead on the last lap. This race was the first NASCAR 500-mile race shown live on TV. Many people believe this exciting race helped NASCAR become very popular. Cale finished fourth in the standings that year, winning four races.

Racing in the 1980s

In 1980, Cale Yarborough won a record 14 pole positions (starting from the very front of the race). He won six races but just missed winning his fourth championship. He lost to Dale Earnhardt by only 19 points. After this season, Cale decided to race part-time. He left Junior Johnson's team.

In 1981, Cale raced in 18 events. He won his fourth Firecracker 400 and his fifth Coca-Cola 500 at Atlanta. In 1982, he won three races, including his fifth and final Southern 500 in his hometown.

In 1983, Cale joined the No. 28 Hardee's-sponsored Chevrolet team. He won four races, including his third Daytona 500 and his sixth Atlanta Coca-Cola 500. In 1984, he won his fourth Daytona 500, becoming the second driver to win it two years in a row. He also won the Winston 500 at Talladega, a race that had 75 lead changes! Cale also won the IROC VIII championship that year.

In 1985, his team switched to a Ford car. He won his first Talladega 500. He also got his last career win at the Miller High Life 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. In 1986, he won his final pole position at the Firecracker 400.

In 1987, Cale started his own team, Cale Yarborough Motorsports. He raced as an owner/driver in the No. 29 Oldsmobile. He had two top-five finishes. He raced his final season in 1988, entering 10 races before retiring.

Life After Racing

In 1972, Cale Yarborough became the first Republican elected to the Florence County Council since the Reconstruction. He later became a Democrat and supported his friend, Jimmy Carter, for president.

As a team owner, Cale Yarborough Motorsports raced from 1987 to 2000. In 1997, his driver John Andretti won the 1997 Pepsi 400. This was Cale's only win as a car owner. Due to money problems, he closed his team in 2000.

Cale Yarborough was honored many times for his racing career. He was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1993. He also joined the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1994. In 1998, he was named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers. In 2012, Cale was finally elected into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. A road in Timmonsville, South Carolina, is named Cale Yarborough Highway in his honor.

Cale Yarborough was married to Betty Jo Thigpen from 1961. They had three daughters: Julie, Kelley, and B.J. He owned a Honda dealership for over 25 years. Cale Yarborough passed away on December 31, 2023, at the age of 84.