Cale Yarborough, the first NASCAR driver to win three straight Cup Series championships, has passed away at age 84. No cause of death was announced as news of Yarborough’s passing went public on Sunday morning (Dec. 31).
There was immediate reaction from many in the NASCAR community, starting with the sport’s Chairman and CEO, Jim France.
“Cale Yarborough was one of the toughest competitors NASCAR has ever seen,” France said in a statement. “His combination of grit, talent 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.”
Former Cup championship crew chief Todd Parrott was among others who weighed in on social media.
The pride of Timmonsville, S.C., Yarborough had an adventurous upbringing that included being a high school football star and a Golden Gloves boxer. He attended the nearby 1951 Southern 500 at age 12 without a ticket, sneaking in through a hole in the fence around the Darlington Raceway property.
Yarborough’s first NASCAR start would be in the very same race just six years later. It was the start of a career that would last over 30 years, in which Yarborough would win 83 Cup races and the 1976, 1977, and 1978 championships. Only Jimmie Johnson won more consecutive titles, a record set during the playoff era where points are reset before the end of the season.
Yarborough won those with the Junior Johnson operation, catapulting the No. 11 car into one of the sport’s premier organizations for the next few decades. In eight years of driving for the team, from 1973-80, he won 55 times, earned those three titles and a 1977 Daytona 500 victory.
Remarkably, Yarborough only ran eight full-time seasons in NASCAR, yet won three championships. After leaving Johnson’s operation following the 1980 season, he was the last part-time driver to find consistent success in Cup. Yarborough won multiple races from 1981 to 1985, including back-to-back Daytona 500s in 1983-84 as he chose to focus on his family instead of racing full-time. He also won a record-setting five Southern 500 races, a mark that was later broken by Jeff Gordon.
In his last two seasons and following retirement, Yarborough focused on owning his own race team. Cale Yarborough Motorsports fielded a full-time Cup car from 1987 to 1999, unfortunately finding minimal success compared to his driving career. The team’s only win would come in the 1997 July race at the Daytona International Speedway with John Andretti.
Perhaps most famously, Yarborough was a key component of the legendary 1979 Daytona 500. The finish, which involved Yarborough and the Allison brothers fist fighting on the backstretch after Donnie Allison and Yarborough wrecked racing for the lead on the final lap, put an exclamation point on the very first full-length live broadcast of a NASCAR 500-mile race.
Richard Petty, the eventual winner of that race and the sport’s winningest driver, also weighed in on Yarborough’s passing Sunday morning.
Yarborough was a 2012 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee.
About the author
Michael has watched NASCAR for 20 years and regularly covered the sport from 2013-2021, and also formerly covered the SRX series from 2021-2023. He now covers the FIA Formula 1 World Championship, the NASCAR Xfinity Series, and road course events in the NASCAR Cup Series.
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Another racing star is dead this weekend. Thoughts and prayers to Cale’s family. One of the GOATS. RIP Cale Yarborough 1939-2023.
One of the things I loved about NASCAR when I first became a fan was the fact that so many of the legends of the sport were still walking among us. Unfortunately, the last few years we’ve begun to lose them (Pearson, Johnson, Baker, now Yarborough, just to name a few). I knew that was going to eventually happen because nobody lives forever. But it’s still hard to say goodbye to the people who made this sport so great.
Maybe there could be a review of the legends we lost. Their stories could and have filled a lot of books.
We also lost Marvin Panch. I was lucky enough to see many of the greats race.
There is a book about Cale Yarborough. It’s title is They call him Cale. I read it several years ago.
A few years ago Speed Channel had a bunch of the legends telling stories. It was amazing and fun to listen to. I wish they would put that out on DVD or stream it. I’d love to see it again.
For me as a kid, there was AJ and Cale.
Here in the NE, it was Mario Andretti (yes I know not NASCAR). I still smile to myself when I hear the line in Alan Jackson’s song – I was Mario Andretti when Daddy let me drive. I used to pretend I was driving a race car when I drove the tractor mowing the grass.
While in college in the 70s, I covered some racing events. It seemed he won every one I covered. I was assigned to do a feature on him at Charlotte. I asked him and he said after he ran one more practice session. I was standing aside when he came back to his slot in the old garage area. He was flocked by the traveling media at that time covered racing.
He told them they had to wait, he promised me an interview. He didn’t rush, gave me 45 minutes and wanted to make sure I had what I needed. He also thanked me for being a good-luck charm.
A total class act that will be missed by his family and friends. One of the toughest drivers you would see. A true great.
I was sad to see this news. Sending thoughts & prayers to Cale’s family and friends. A real racer!
Cale wasn’t just a racer, he wanted to lead every lap possible. That three-year run was incredibl, so glad I was around to witness it. One day at Dover he blew an engine, and 26 minutes later he was back in the race. That’s how intense JJ & CY were as a team. Another time at Dover, Cale was in Michigan for an IROC race. Junior practiced and qualified the car. What a thrill for this 16 year old.