Bradenton Motorsports Park

Cale Yarborough was born in Timmonsville, SC near the Darlington Raceway. He attended his first Southern 500 in 1950 as a spectator. This was the beginning of his love for racing. He wanted to drive, not just watch. As a teenager, he decided to try it, so he lied about his age to be able to compete. Needless to say, he got caught and was disqualified by NASCAR. His real debut was in 1957 when he drove into Southern 500, driving # 30 Pontiac. His career is bent at the "60's when he finished fifth in 1963. The next season brought his first race at Valdosta Speedway, placing him tenth in the cup final. In 1967 he won two races, but fell to 20, because only running 17 events. in 1968 he won the first of his four victories in the Daytona 500 that year, Ford Motor Company came out with Cale Yarborough Special Edition Mercury Cyclone Spoiler II Limited Edition. Less than 1000 are the car became known kaoTalladega / Yarborough Cyclone . in the season of 1970, he reached 14 wins. he also did some competing in open wheel Indy car during the next few years and ran every race of the season 1973rd he won the NASCAR championship in '76, '77 and '78. This it is the only driver in NASCAR history has ever won three in a row. Yarborough 1980 brought six wins and a career-high 14 poles.

lost the championship that year by only 19 points Dale Earnhardt. In 1984, he became the first driver to qualify for the Daytona 500 with a speed of over 200mph. Total was 83 wins, which puts it at number five on the all-time NASCAR winner list (behind Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip, who tied for third with 84). In 1988 he led his final season, the two ninth place finishes. He retired from driving at the end of the year. Since the late "80's until about 2000, Yarborough worked in car ownership, with different sponsors, but shortly thereafter disappeared from the team round of the cup.

Born: 27 March 1940

Birthplace: Timmonsville, SC

Awards: 1976, 1977, 1978 Winston Cup Champion 1984 IROC, 4 - time Daytona 500 winner (1968, 1977, 1983, 1984)

1993 International Motorcycle Hall of Fame inductee

1994 national motto Press Association Hall of Fame inductee

1994 National Motorcycle Hall of Fame of America inductee

1996 Court of Legends inductee in the Charlotte Motor Speedway

1998 named one of NASCAR's 50 greatest drivers

NASCAR Cup Stats:

560 races run over 31 years

Best Cup Position: 1st - 1976, 1977, 1978 (Winston Cup)

First race: 1957 Southern 500 (Darlington)

Last race: 1988 Atlanta Journal 500 (Atlanta)

First win: 1965 (Valdosta)

Last Win: 1985 Miller high life 500 (Charlotte)