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Cale Yarborough obituary: Remembering NASCAR’s toughest competitor
Cale Yarborough, born in Timmonsville, South Carolina in 1939, overcame the tragic loss of his father at a young age to become a successful auto racing driver. He began his career in semi-pro football and boxing, but it was in auto racing where he excelled. Despite being disqualified in his first NASCAR Cup attempt for lying about his age, Yarborough eventually made his debut at Darlington in 1957. In the following years, he entered more races and started to gain success, including his first victory in Valdosta, Georgia in 1965. Yarborough joined the Wood Brothers Racing team in 1966 and quickly achieved victories at the Atlanta 500 and Firecracker 400 at Daytona. In 1968, he won six races, including his first Daytona 500. Yarborough continued to win races, but the 1970 season saw a decline in his career as Ford withdrew its support. He briefly shifted to open-wheel racing, including three attempts at the Indianapolis 500. Yarborough returned to NASCAR full-time in 1973, driving a Chevrolet and winning four races. He finished as the championship runner-up in 1973 and 1974.
