William Caleb "Cale" Yarborough (born March 27, 1939), is a farmer, businessman and former NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver and owner. He is one of only two drivers in NASCAR history to win three consecutive championships. He was the second NASCAR driver to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated (the first was Curtis Turner on the February 26, 1968 issue) His 83 wins places him at number six on the all-time NASCAR winner's list (behind Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip, who are tied for fourth with 84). His 14.82% winning percentage is the ninth best all-time and third among those with 500 or more starts. Yarborough won the Daytona 500 four times; his first win coming in 1968 for the Wood Brothers, the second in 1977 for Junior Johnson, and back-to-back wins in 1983 and 1984. In 1984, he became the first driver to qualify for the Daytona 500 with a top speed of more than 200 miles per hour (320 km/h). Yarborough is a three time National Motorsports Press Association Driver of the Year (1977, 1978, 1979).
He won the 1976, 1977, and 1978 championships. As of April 2008 he is the only driver to win three consecutive championships.
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Won 14 pole positions in 1980, still a NASCAR Winston/Nextel Cup series record.
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In the 1979 Daytona 500 (the first ever professional stock car race televised in its entirety), he and Donnie Allison were battling for the win in the final laps before colliding on the backstretch on the last lap after Cale attempted to pass. Both wrecked cars ended up on the infield and Cale and Donnie proceeded to climb from their cars and exchange punches, with Bobby Allison joining in. A national TV audience was treated to this, and to this day the broadcast of the 1979 Daytona 500 is credited with creating the first spark of nationwide interest in stock-car racing.
Actor
Title
Year
Status
Character
Stroker Ace
1983
NASCAR Driver
Speedway
1968
Cale Yarborough
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
A Perfect Storm: 1979 Daytona 500
2015
Documentary
Himself
NASCAR Hall of Fame Biography: Cale Yarborough
2012
TV Movie
Himself - Host
ESPN SportsCentury
2001
TV Series documentary
Himself
The Fifty
1998
TV Mini-Series documentary
Himself
Hee Haw
1989
TV Series
Himself
The Dukes of Hazzard
1979-1984
TV Series
Himself
Daytona 500
1979
TV Movie
Himself - Driver, #11 Oldsmobile
Stockcar!
1977
Documentary
Himself (driver, #11 Chevrolet)
Corky
1972
Himself
Tiny Lund: Hard Charger!
1967
Documentary
Himself
1966 Indianapolis 500
1966
TV Movie
Himself
Archive Footage
Title
Year
Status
Character
Jim McKay: My World in My Words
2003
TV Movie documentary
Himself
Known for movies
Daytona 500 (1979) as Himself - Driver, #11 Oldsmobile
Corky (1972) as Himself
The Fifty (1998) as Himself
A Perfect Storm: 1979 Daytona 500 (2015) as Himself
$50 Million
