There’s Always An Angler, er … Angle

Cale Yarborough, to this moment is the only man to win NA$CAR’s championship in 3 consecutive years. Driving for the legendary Junior Johnson, Cale captured the Winston Cup Championship in 1976, 77 and 78.

Now, thirty years later, Jimmie Johnson may be poised to join Cale in that elite accomplishment. If the #48 Lowe’s team has a similar late season charge as they did  in ‘06 and ‘07 the rest of the field is racing for second.

Cale Yarborough is one of Grumpy’s early heroes in NA$CAR. He won 83 times in the top series, just one win shy of NA$CAR Legends Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip.

Cale made his first start in the 1957 Southern 500 at Darlington, S.C. A 4 time Daytona 500 winner, he is perhaps best known for his part in the now famous first live CBS broadcast of the 1979 Daytona 500. Replays of the thrilling last lap duel between Cale and Donnie Allison  are still shown today as one the the greatest moments in NA$CAR history. Donnie Allison was drafting Yarborough off turn 2 and made a move to drive under him. Yarborough moved to block him and the contact caused both drivers to lose control. As both cars impacted the wall at the entrance of turn 3, Richard Petty drove by to claim the victory. Cale and Donnie wound up in a fist fight on the apron of turn 3. Bobby Allison stopped his car to check on brother, Donnie. Newspapers all over the nation carried the photo of Bobby Allison grasping Cale by the front of his firesuit ready to deliver the knockout punch.

These were tough men. No power steering, no cool suits and other devices to battle the heat in the car. It was an era when stock cars really were STOCK cars. Races were won by the men on the track, not a crew of calculators and laptops on the pitbox. When we compare that era to this, it makes the accomplishment of Cale Yarborough and Junior Johnson all the more unique.