Cale Yarborough Won The Daytona 500 In A Show Car Borrowed From A Local Hardee's

Jan 3, 2024, 6:44 AM

When racin was racin. Today NASCAR is so lame.

https://autos.yahoo.com/cale-yarborough-won-daytona-500-150400725.html?guccounter=1

Qualifying for the 1983 Daytona 500 was a story of highs and lows for NASCAR driver Cale Yarborough. He became the first driver in history to run a qualifying lap faster than 200 miles per hour, but on his second pass of the Daytona International Speedway, Yarborough lost control of his No. 28 Chevrolet Monte Carlo. The car was destroyed, and his Ranier-Lundy team didn’t have a backup. But Yarborough still won the race — behind the wheel of a Pontiac LeMans that had been serving as as static display car outside of a local Hardee’s restaurant.

Having crested 200.5 miles per hour on his first quali lap, Yarborough felt he had more in him. He had just moved to the Ranier-Lundy team for the ‘83 season, and it was clear that the partnership was going to be a fruitful one. That meant Ranier-Lundy had to get creative. As it scrambled to find a vehicle for its driver, the team cast a wide net. Ultimately, it landed on a most unlikely candidate. Yarborough was sponsored by the Hardee’s fast food chain for the 1983 Daytona 500, and one of the local restaurants actually had a static show car out front to promote the big race. While Ranier-Lundy had showed up with a Chevy Monte Carlo, it would have to settle for a manufacturer swap, as the show car was a Pontiac LeMans. Anything was possible, so long as it meant getting Yarborough back behind the wheel.

So, the team commandeered the show car, it stuck a powerplant into the empty engine bay and it sent Yarborough off to race.

And on race day, Yarborough won his third Daytona 500 under what should have been impossible conditions. On the very final lap, Buddy Baker led a tight pack of cars that included Yarborough, Joe Ruttman, and Bill Elliott and looked set to win — until Yarborough slipstreamed by Baker on the backstretch. Ruttman drafted into second while Baker attempted to sneak under Ruttman, just in time for Elliott to catch up and stick his nose ahead. It was a three-wide finish for second place — but up front, it was Yarborough who took the checkered flag.

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Cale Yarborough Won The Daytona 500 In A Show Car Borrowed From A Local Hardee's

Re: Cale Yarborough Won The Daytona 500 In A Show Car Borrowed From A Local Hardee's

Re: Cale Yarborough Won The Daytona 500 In A Show Car Borrowed From A Local Hardee's

Re: Cale Yarborough Won The Daytona 500 In A Show Car Borrowed From A Local Hardee's

That was back when Nascar did any and everything they could to make sure their

Re: Cale Yarborough Won The Daytona 500 In A Show Car Borrowed From A Local Hardee's

Is this where I leave my favorite NASCAR video of all-time?

Re: Is this where I leave my favorite NASCAR video of all-time?

Re: Cale Yarborough Won The Daytona 500 In A Show Car Borrowed From A Local Hardee's

I knew Cale Yarborough & family

Re: Cale Yarborough Won The Daytona 500 In A Show Car Borrowed From A Local Hardee's

Re: Cale Yarborough Won The Daytona 500 In A Show Car Borrowed From A Local Hardee's

Re: Cale Yarborough Won The Daytona 500 In A Show Car Borrowed From A Local Hardee's

Nascar is rasslin on rubber these days.***

Re: Cale Yarborough Won The Daytona 500 In A Show Car Borrowed From A Local Hardee's

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