While the racing world was gearing up for the New Year celebrations, tragedy struck NASCAR nation with the passing of Cale Yarborough – a legend and a pioneer in Stock Car racing. As the Christmas festivities came to a close, little did the community know that they would soon be drowned in sorrow as the NASCAR legend went to heaven aged 84, leaving a legacy, bequeathing the community with a carousel of sweet memories.

Long before Jimmie Johnson ascended the throne, winning the title back to back, Yarborough was the man who showed the “Superman” the way when he racked up the championship trophies one after the other in 1976, 1977, and 1978, becoming the first driver in history to win consecutive Cup Series titles. Now, let us take a look at some of the most iconic moments from the late driver’s career that will shine brighter than the sun.

Blast to the past – When Cale Yarborough mimicked engine noise while casually pulling a slingshot to take the lead

As the NASCAR chairman, Bill France said, “Cale Yarborough was one of the toughest competitors NASCAR has ever seen.” And he certainly was. He was the last of the blue-collared racers out there who outworked everybody with a smile on his face. But when things got sticky, the departed great never shied away, letting his fists do the talking.

In fact, the driver is more like a calm and cool individual who is up for a good laugh but won’t let disrespect slide no matter what. Let us go down memory lane to revisit the time when the late veteran cooked up an egg in his race car just for the sake of it, highlighting the harsh conditions inside the machine. He let reporter Chris Economaki fry an egg on his car floor after a lap.

While one might argue Yarborough was just being modest and generous to let a reporter in his car let alone fry an egg inside it, well look at the time when he pulled off a slingshot to pass the race leader all while mimicking the car’s engine noise, letting the inner child in him run free. Dale Earnhardt Jr recalled the time when the Hall of Famer made noises the entire race in 1983 only to win it, marking his third triumph at the iconic venue.

Now if that’s not impressive, we don’t know what is! He would then win it again the next year becoming the only driver after Richard Petty to win the “Great American Race” four times while Petty did that a whopping 7 times. For the young fans out there just a brief look at his resume – 83 Cup Series wins, four Daytona 500 triumphs, five Southern 500 wins, and a total of 69 poles –  is enough to understand the kind of racer Yarborough was in his prime. He is the sixth-ranked driver in the greatest list, tying up his 83-race win streak with Johnson.

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Deeply moved by the loss, Johnson conveyed his condolences to the family of his childhood hero – “What an honor to be tied with the legend for 83 Cup series wins. He was “the man” and the legacy of Cale Yarborough will forever live on. My deepest condolences to Cale’s family.”

Donnie Allison vs. Cale Yarborough – The classic 1979 Daytona 500 brawl

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NASCAR wasn’t always this popular. In fact, during the early days, it was confined to the South side with the country more focused on other sports. But after the race Daytona 500 of 1979, the promotion broke its shackles courtesy of the iconic fistfight that ensued between Donnie Allison and Cale Yarborough after the race.

The televised race captivated the community like nothing with old-school fans talking about the altercation even to this day, reminiscent of the exhilarating race finish and the drama that followed thereafter. The live telecast of the event broke the barrier for NASCAR as the heated altercation caught the attention of millions. Everything was perfect, the commentary from Ken Squier, the excitement, and the never-say-die attitude of the drivers. The scene is as follows, both Yarborough and Allison were going toe to toe, pushing each other to the limit.

In the closing laps, both went at it, putting everything on the line until Yarborough crashed with both drivers trading shots on the front stretch, bumping each other to wreck each other out. While Richard Petty picked up the win, the community was in for a hell-raiser when both drivers got in each other’s faces, swinging at each other, trying to emulate the back and forth they had in their cars only with fists this time.

Bobby Allison, Donnie’s brother who was just behind them when all hell broke loose joined the brawl. This one incident changed the trajectory of NASCAR, getting it across to millions of viewers, thus leaping over to become the nationwide series it is today.

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