LeeRoy Yarbrough
Lonnie "LeeRoy" Yarbrough (September 17, 1938 – December 7, 1984) was an American stock car racer. His best season was 1969 when he won seven races, tallied 21 finishes in the top-ten and earned $193,211 ($1,407,350.77 when inflation is taken into account). During his entire career from 1960–1972, he competed in 198 races, scoring fourteen wins, 65 finishes in the top-five, 92 finishes in the top-ten, and ten pole positions. Yarbrough also competed in open-wheel racing, making 5 starts in the USAC Championship cars, including 3 Indianapolis 500s, with a best finish of 3rd at Trenton Speedway in 1970. His racing number was 98. When asked about his passion, Yarbrough described racing as "what I call my life."
| Lonnie "LeeRoy" Yarbrough | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Lonnie "LeeRoy" Yarbrough's official publicity photo (1969) | |||||||
| Born | September 17, 1938 Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. | ||||||
| Died | December 7, 1984 (aged 46) Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. | ||||||
| Cause of death | Internal head injuries caused by fall | ||||||
| Achievements | 1969 Daytona 500 Winner 1969 Southern 500 Winner 1969 World 600 Winner First driver to win NASCAR's "Triple Crown" (1969) | ||||||
| Awards | Named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers (1998) Named one of NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers (2023) | ||||||
| NASCAR Cup Series career | |||||||
| 198 races run over 12 years | |||||||
| Best finish | 15th (1964) | ||||||
| First race | 1960 Atlanta 500 (Atlanta) | ||||||
| Last race | 1972 Old Dominion 500 (Martinsville) | ||||||
| First win | 1964 Savannah 200 (Savannah) | ||||||
| Last win | 1970 National 500 (Charlotte) | ||||||
| |||||||
| NASCAR Grand National East Series career | |||||||
| 1 race run over 1 year | |||||||
| First race | 1972 Greenville 200 (Greenville) | ||||||
| Last race | 1972 Greenville 200 (Greenville) | ||||||
| |||||||
| Statistics current as of December 18, 2012. | |||||||
Yarbrough was admitted to a mental institution on March 7, 1980, after trying to kill his mother by strangulation. All attempts to rehabilitate him (both in Florida or in North Carolina) failed and LeeRoy eventually died in 1984 after a fall. In 1990, he was inducted into the National Motorsports Press Association's Hall of Fame at Darlington Raceway in South Carolina. LeeRoy Yarbrough is not related to NASCAR champion Cale Yarborough.