Cale Yarborough
As competitive as the sport has always been, NASCAR has had very few dynasties. Yarborough's reign in the late 1970s was one of them.
- Inducted: 2012
- Position:Driver
A Dynasty of Dominance
His string of three consecutive premier series championships was unprecedented and unmatched.
Not until 2008, when Jimmie Johnson was crowned champion for the third straight year, was Yarborough's achievement equaled. During his three-year dominance, Yarborough won 28 races —nine in 1976, nine in 1977 and 10 in 1978. His final championship points margin in those three years was never fewer than 195 points and was as much as 474 in 1978.
Those three years made Yarborough’s career, but he enjoyed success before and after. The fiery competitor was the series championship runner-up in 1973 and 1974 and again in 1980. Yarborough totaled 83 victories in his 31-year career, ranks fifth all-time. His 69 poles rank third all-time.
He also won the Daytona 500 four times (1968, 1977, 1983-1984), a mark that ranks second only to Richard Petty’s seven. When NASCAR’s “50 Greatest Drivers” list was compiled in 1998, suffice to say that William Caleb Yarborough was a shoo-in.
