RIP Cale Yarborough

[kingofnerf]

He died on 12-31 at the age of 84.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmFWrtJiv24

He and David Pearson were SC boys and the Wood Brothers had Gamecock colors, so I always pulled for the Wood Brothers #21 back in the day.

 

[kingofnerf]

He almost kept The King from getting #200 at Daytona.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtefahHdJko

I was at Darlington with my dad when Bill Elliott won the Winston Million in 1985. Cale had the fastest car until he blew up late in the race and Elliott won the race.

 

[jrgamecock]

I had the pleasure of meeting Cale when I lived in Hartsville. His brother-in-law lived a few doors from us and had pool parties during the summer, Cale was a real nice guy off the track, and he was Dale Earnhardt before Dale.

 

[kingofnerf]

I went to his Mazda dealership in Florence once in the late 1990s when I lived there, but he wasn't around.

It was a very small dealership. Nothing in excess, just like his personality, but it did enough business to stay open I guess.

This was around the time Neil Bonnett died at Daytona, so I was down about racing back then since I was a fan of Neil's.

 

[JimG]

That #21 Merc was legendary in its time.