News

Legendary NASCAR driver Cale Yarborough dies at 84

by Joe Jacquez - 12/31/23 3:53 PM ET

Cale Yarborough walks away after blowing the engine of his Oldsmobile just after completing his first lap in pole position qualifying for the Daytona 500 in Daytona Beach, Fla., Feb. 11, 1979. Yarborough, considered one of NASCAR’s all-time greatest drivers and the first to win three consecutive Cup titles, died Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023. He was 84. (AP Photo/Hal Moore, File)

Legendary driver Cale Yarborough, one of the most famous names in NASCAR racing history, died Sunday at the age of 84.

Yarborough was a four-time winner of the Daytona 500 who won three straight NASCAR championships between 1976 and 1978.

He was the first to accomplish that feat, and the South Carolinian’s achievement wasn’t matched until Jimmie Johnson won five titles in a row from 2006 to 2010.

Other career highlights for Yarborough include five Southern 500 wins at his home track in Darlington, S.C.

Yarborough and Johnson are tied for the most wins in NASCAR history with 83.

Yarborough competed in NASCAR for more than four decades. He quit full-time racing in 1980 after winning six races, but he also competed in open-wheel racing, including four appearances in the Indianapolis 500.

After retiring from driving for good in 1988, he owned Cale Yarborough Motorsports, which competed in the Cup Series until 2000. Yarborough also owned several agricultural businesses and a used car dealership.

Tags Cale Yarborough