RIP Cale Yarborough 😥

[whatwouldcooleydo?]

A legend from NASCAR’s golden era. One tough SOB






Rod, my brother, I’ll pour one out in honor of Cale for you

[jr29]

When I was a kid I checked his autobiography out from my local library multiple times per year. He was larger than life kind of character, just like a lot of race drivers have been.
The thing I hate about that fight is I love Cale and I love Bobby Allison. I don't want to see them fighting each other. It should have been Cale and Donnie, but Cale's temper got the best of him. Regrettably, if you believe Bobby's version of the story.
Also, Cale was a close friend of Jimmy Carter and invited him and a few other drivers to the White House.

[whatwouldcooleydo?]

When I was a kid I checked his autobiography out from my local library multiple times per year. He was larger than life kind of character, just like a lot of race drivers have been.
The thing I hate about that fight is I love Cale and I love Bobby Allison. I don't want to see them fighting each other. It should have been Cale and Donnie, but Cale's temper got the best of him. Regrettably, if you believe Bobby's version of the story.
Also, Cale was a close friend of Jimmy Carter and invited him and a few other drivers to the White House.

I’m from NC but still would not know Timmonsville, SC existed were it not for Cale

I’m lucky to be of an age where I got to see all the greats race in person multiple times- Pearson (my favorite driver ever), Cale, the Hueytown Gang, Petty, Buddy Baker and at-the-time up & coming whippersnappers Waltrip & Earnhardt

[jr29]

When I was a kid I checked his autobiography out from my local library multiple times per year. He was larger than life kind of character, just like a lot of race drivers have been.
The thing I hate about that fight is I love Cale and I love Bobby Allison. I don't want to see them fighting each other. It should have been Cale and Donnie, but Cale's temper got the best of him. Regrettably, if you believe Bobby's version of the story.
Also, Cale was a close friend of Jimmy Carter and invited him and a few other drivers to the White House.

I’m from NC but still would not know Timmonsville, SC existed were it not for Cale

I’m lucky to be of an age where I got to see all the greats race in person multiple times- Pearson (my favorite driver ever), Cale, the Hueytown Gang, Petty, Buddy Baker and at-the-time up & coming whippersnappers Waltrip & Earnhardt

I didn't get into racing until around 1995 so I only got to see the tale end of the Earnhardt, Waltrip, Bodine era. I completely missed Petty, Yarborough, Allison, etc.
One of my winter pastimes is watching old races on Youtube. I'm currently working my way through the 1985 season. Cale is pretty much retired and Richard Petty isn't what he once was, but Bobby Allison is still very fast. It's also interesting to see Harry Gant becoming a full timer on the circuit in his mid 40's. Nowadays mid 40's or younger is twilight time for everyone in NASCAR.

[whatwouldcooleydo?]

When I was a kid I checked his autobiography out from my local library multiple times per year. He was larger than life kind of character, just like a lot of race drivers have been.
The thing I hate about that fight is I love Cale and I love Bobby Allison. I don't want to see them fighting each other. It should have been Cale and Donnie, but Cale's temper got the best of him. Regrettably, if you believe Bobby's version of the story.
Also, Cale was a close friend of Jimmy Carter and invited him and a few other drivers to the White House.

I’m from NC but still would not know Timmonsville, SC existed were it not for Cale

I’m lucky to be of an age where I got to see all the greats race in person multiple times- Pearson (my favorite driver ever), Cale, the Hueytown Gang, Petty, Buddy Baker and at-the-time up & coming whippersnappers Waltrip & Earnhardt

I didn't get into racing until around 1995 so I only got to see the tale end of the Earnhardt, Waltrip, Bodine era. I completely missed Petty, Yarborough, Allison, etc.
One of my winter pastimes is watching old races on Youtube. I'm currently working my way through the 1985 season. Cale is pretty much retired and Richard Petty isn't what he once was, but Bobby Allison is still very fast. It's also interesting to see Harry Gant becoming a full timer on the circuit in his mid 40's. Nowadays mid 40's or younger is twilight time for everyone in NASCAR.

Handsome Harry Gant! He was a true legend at the Sportsman level long before joining the Cup series. He battled it out with other legends like Jack Ingram, Tommy Houston, Bob Presley, & Butch Lindley every week at tracks like Asheville (my hometown track), Hickory, & Greenville/Pickens. All those guys tried their hand at the big show but Gant was the only one with any success at the Cup level

Now there’s a trip down memory lane I didn’t expect to have today

[beantownbubba]

Cale Yarborough was the first and one of the few race car drivers to penetrate my consciousness. I can't remember the circumstances but I do remember actually considering myself a fan of his even though I didn't (and don't) know squat about racing. RIP.

[whatwouldcooleydo?]

Cale Yarborough was the first and one of the few race car drivers to penetrate my consciousness. I can't remember the circumstances but I do remember actually considering myself a fan of his even though I didn't (and don't) know squat about racing. RIP.

I venture a guess that whether directly or indirectly it was a result of the legendary 1979 Daytona 500 that featured the brawl. Massive blizzard had the entire east coast inside with little to do other than watch TV, it was the first 500 broadcast live in its entirety, and it had one of the most insane finishes ever

[beantownbubba]

Cale Yarborough was the first and one of the few race car drivers to penetrate my consciousness. I can't remember the circumstances but I do remember actually considering myself a fan of his even though I didn't (and don't) know squat about racing. RIP.

I venture a guess that whether directly or indirectly it was a result of the legendary 1979 Daytona 500 that featured the brawl. Massive blizzard had the entire east coast inside with little to do other than watch TV, it was the first 500 broadcast live in its entirety, and it had one of the most insane finishes ever

That may well be right but if I had to guess I'd date my fandom earlier than that. But again, it's all vague so I can't be more specific.

Also, just curious, are you sure you have the year right, because the big, memorable east coast blizzard, at least the one that I always associate w/ that general time period, was '78 not '79. "The blizzard of '78" still gets major media coverage around here every 5th/10th anniversary.

[whatwouldcooleydo?]

Cale Yarborough was the first and one of the few race car drivers to penetrate my consciousness. I can't remember the circumstances but I do remember actually considering myself a fan of his even though I didn't (and don't) know squat about racing. RIP.

I venture a guess that whether directly or indirectly it was a result of the legendary 1979 Daytona 500 that featured the brawl. Massive blizzard had the entire east coast inside with little to do other than watch TV, it was the first 500 broadcast live in its entirety, and it had one of the most insane finishes ever

That may well be right but if I had to guess I'd date my fandom earlier than that. But again, it's all vague so I can't be more specific.

Also, just curious, are you sure you have the year right, because the big, memorable east coast blizzard, at least the one that I always associate w/ that general time period, was '78 not '79. "The blizzard of '78" still gets major media coverage around here every 5th/10th anniversary.

Oh the disrespect I am absolutely sure I have the date right. And you don’t have to trust me on this

https://www.autoweek.com/racing/nascar/ ... how-on-tv/

From the article:

As luck would have it, a huge snowstorm on Feb. 17-18 kept most Americans east of the Mississippi River homebound. Streets were almost deserted; basketball and hockey were postponed; many restaurants and theaters closed; interstate travel stalled. Much of the country had nothing to do except watch TV, including America’s biggest stock car race, something many had never seen.

[beantownbubba]

As luck would have it, a huge snowstorm on Feb. 17-18 kept most Americans east of the Mississippi River homebound. Streets were almost deserted; basketball and hockey were postponed; many restaurants and theaters closed; interstate travel stalled. Much of the country had nothing to do except watch TV, including America’s biggest stock car race, something many had never seen.

Aha! Descriptions of this storm place it in "the mid-Atlantic states" or "Virginia, Maryland and Delaware," so yes there was a snowstorm but apparently it was not a noteworthy event in NY or New England where I would have been at the time.

[brettac1]

Absolute legend. (Also the Dale Jr Download is pretty much the best, IMO)