His first Cup Series win would come in 1965 at Valdosta, Georgia, while racing part-time for Kenny Myler, with regular racing coming in 1968 when he signed with the Wood Brothers. Yarborough’s first Daytona 500 win came in 1968, and he only won by 50 feet. Just a few months after that was a victory at the Southern 500, a race he considered his home event before the track was remodeled.
Other highlights from his racing career include being one of only two drivers in NASCAR history to win three consecutive championships (1976, 1977, and 1978), stints in IndyCar, and the title of sixth on the all-time Cup Series winner’s list.
At one point, he even had a special edition of the Mercury Cyclone Spoiler II named after him. That would be like if Ford named a Mustang GTD after you. In the end, Yarborough will be remembered for his grit and determination more than anything, and as daring as racers sometimes get these days, none of them are made of quite the same stuff he was.
