Driver

Jacksonville, FL native Yarbrough had one of the greatest seasons ever in 1969, driving a factory Ford for 1991 inductee Junior Johnson. That year, Yarbrough, unrelated to 1994 inductee Cale Yarborough — note the extra “o” — became the first driver to win the NASCAR Cup Series “Triple Crown,” with victories in the DAYTONA 500, Southern 500 and World 600. Had the “Winston Million” program been in place then, Yarbrough would have won that too with those three wins. Yarbrough won seven races that season, tallied 21 Top 10 finishes and earned $193,211. He also started a remarkable 8^th in the Indianapolis 500, his first of three career starts. The following year, though, Yarbrough suffered what in hindsight is thought to be severe brain trauma that all but ended his career and eventually left him institutionalized. Overall, Yarbrough captured 14 Cup races in 198 starts. He died after a lengthy illness in December 1984. He was inducted into the National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame in 1990.