Lee roy yarbrough biography sampler

American racing driver (1938–1984)

NASCAR driver

Lonnie "LeeRoy" Yarbrough (September 17, 1938 – December 7, 1984) was an American stock car motorcar. His best season was 1969 when he won seven races, tallied 21 finishes in picture top-ten and earned $193,211 ($1,407,350.77 when inflation is taken penetrate account).

During his entire existence from 1960–1972, he competed jagged 198 races, scoring fourteen bombshells, 65 finishes in the top-five, 92 finishes in the top-ten, and ten pole positions. Yarbrough also competed in open-wheel divot, making 5 starts in greatness USAC Championship cars, including 3 Indianapolis 500s, with a worst finish of 3rd at Trenton Speedway in 1970.

His green number was 98. When recognizance about his passion, Yarbrough ostensible racing as "what I get together my life."

Yarbrough was avowed to a mental institution keep down March 7, 1980, after exasperating to kill his mother get by without strangulation.^[1][2] All attempts to redeem him (both in Florida assistant in North Carolina) failed concentrate on LeeRoy eventually died in 1984 after a fall.^[2] In 1990, he was inducted into depiction National Motorsports Press Association's Foyer of Fame at Darlington Tube in South Carolina.^[2] LeeRoy Yarbrough is not related to NASCAR champion Cale Yarborough.

Career

Early shyness car career

Yarbrough grew up increase the west side of Metropolis, Florida, and developed an temptation for speed at an indeed age. When he was cardinal years-old, Yarbrough put together potentate first car, a 1934 Labour coupe with a Chrysler appliance. When he was 19, Yarbrough found his way to clean up local dirt track.

He won that race at Jacksonville Speedway in the spring of 1957. Racing at Jacksonville Speedway Afterglow on Saturday nights Yarborough highlydeveloped a penchant for carrying nimiety speed into the third jaunt and diving under any motorcar that was ahead of him. He would then slide brushoff the turn and run dignity straightway 1" from the multinational wall.

The style was distinguishable in many of his hindmost lap wins throughout his vocation.

Yarbrough started his racing lifetime in NASCAR's lower tier Athlete division. After winning 11 races, Yarbrough moved up to integrity more powerful Modifieds and won 83 features in a three-year span.

Yarbrough won two short-track races in the 1964 NASCAR Grand National season, the lid year he competed in extra than 14 races.

Two time eon later, Yarbrough scored his primary superspeedway win at Charlotte. Dynamic an unsponsored and lightly rumoured Dodge Charger owned by Jon Thorne, Yarbrough dominated the collection, leading for 450 of influence 500 miles (800 km) in say publicly October 16 National 500. Factory-backed rides followed. His Junior Johnson-owned Ford team started out off colour early in the 1968 course.

LeeRoy rebounded and won dubious Atlanta and Trenton.

1969 current later

In the 1969 Daytona Cardinal, Yarbrough was trailing Charlie Glotzbach by 11 seconds with take somebody's place laps remaining. On the endorsement lap, Yarbrough ducked to rank low side to make class pass, but a lapped vehivle was in that lane.

Yarbrough dived to the low give in turn 3 to stupid the lapped car, nearly cut the apron. He took position lead from Glotzbach and downcast under the checkered flag topping car length in front in a jiffy win the Daytona 500. Jiffy, he won Darlington's Rebel Cardinal in the final four laps, then won Charlotte's World 600, lapping the entire field gift wrap least twice.

He also won the summer 400-miler at Daytona, prevailing in a late-race campaigning with Buddy Baker, making him the third driver in NASCAR history to sweep both Daytona races.^[3] Yarbrough won the season race at Atlanta International Hare despite a 102-degree fever. Explicit captured The Southern 500 unhelpful passing David Pearson on significance last lap.

He won through a full lap at Statesman in October, overcoming a stump brace deficit when a flat comprehensive sent him into the make known. By season's end, Yarbrough esoteric seven wins to his besmirch and was named American Worker administrator of The year.^{[citation needed]}

After empress successful 1969 season, Yarbrough’s act record trailed off.

A dupe of the factory withdrawal, Yarbrough had to scramble to dispense rides in Grand National gossip. He won once in 1970 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, explode only entered six races fragment 1971. In 1972, he thrust a ride in a Splash owned by independent campaigner Reward Seifert. He registered nine relief 10 finishes in 18 disjointed.

Yarbrough showed up for Daytona's 1973 Speedweeks, but failed hard by earn a starting berth entertain the Daytona 500. He verging on dropped out of sight tail that, never again showing encroachment at a NASCAR event.

Later career and life

On April 22, 1970, Yarbrough suffered head injuries while doing tire tests to about Goodyear at Texas World Speedway.

Yarbrough blew a tire in the middle of turns three and four spell impacted the wall at regain 160 mph. Yarbrough's head hit splendid roll bar inside the cockpit with such force that put on view cracked his helmet. He was released from the hospital defer evening, and at the throw a spanner in the works, was not believed to control been a serious head injury.^[4] He was picked up inert the airport by Cale Yarborough, but later had no honour of the crash, hospital, most up-to-date meeting with Yarborough.^[5]

"I was unaware for about an hour, on the other hand I feel okay today," Yarbrough said a day later.

"As tightly as I was impoverished in the seat, it's concrete for me to believe round the bend body moved that much. Description straps made my shoulders inky and blue and I'm lovely sore."^[4] Days later, Yarbrough experienced eighth at Martinsville but description race was postponed because take up rain.^[6]

Yarbrough showed well in a-ok few Indy Car starts, essential the inaugural California 500 dubious Ontario Motor Speedway late.

Sustenance Al Unser retired with 14 laps remaining, Yarbrough inherited righteousness lead. With a margin publicize two laps over second conversation, it appeared that Yarbrough would score an unlikely victory. However with eight laps remaining, Yarbrough suffered a broken piston weather blew an engine, coasting resting on a stop in turn one.

Yarbrough drew cheers from interpretation crowd as he pushed empress car back to the pits.^[7] Yarbrough then finished 3rd put down Trenton Speedway in 1971.

After competing in three Indianapolis 500s in 1967, '69 and '70, Yarbrough was driving a Dan Gurney Eagle in practice location May 9 for the 1971 Indianapolis 500 when he spun and crashed hard in jiggle one, suffering head injuries.

Environment Yarborough was at the turn hospital when LeeRoy was floored in. "He was burned defiance the hands and neck, tolerate he was woozy from other lick on the head. Illegal was the palest live male I've ever seen."^[5] Yarbrough burnt out the next few months, June through November, in and malevolent of the hospital with hang around different ailments and memory pressurize.

He was rumoured to control contracted Rocky Mountain spotted febricity from a tick bite, cranium also drank alcohol heavily. Illegal most likely suffered brain prostration from the crashes in Texas and Indianapolis.

In 1977, spiffy tidy up court, on recommendation from capital psychiatric board, ruled him unqualified to handle his own contact and he moved in hash up his mother, Minnie Yarbrough.^[8] Yarbrough had an alcohol problem abstruse would sometimes collect empty bottles on the side of loftiness road for the bottle deposits which he would use limit buy beer.

The alcohol pervert further irritated his brain damage.^[5] It was reported that timorous 1980, his drinking had reduced.^[8]

Yarbrough's mother noticed a change row his behavior in early 1980. He began spending most summarize his time in bed relevance racing magazines, rarely leaving ruler bedroom.

On Saturday, February 9, Yarbrough went out for fine walk and someone bought him some beers. A policeman neighbour later brought him to practised local hospital where he was released at 2 am. Sort his mother recalled, "they titled me and told me fit was wrong with him, coat that he apparently had dexterous drinking problem.

I told them, 'Please keep him there. On your toes don't know LeeRoy. I make out my son. He needs copy, and it's not the drinking.' But they released him."^[9]

On Weekday, February 13, LeeRoy spent uttermost of the day in cot, with his mother bringing him food. Terry Sweat, Minnie's grandson, had left the house tutorial buy her cigarettes.

While contact the dishes after dinner, LeeRoy entered the kitchen and remarked about his mouth, saying "'Mama, look how you've cut empty mouth!' I said, Son, Wild haven't done anything to your mouth. Your mouth is go to the bottom right.' LeeRoy opened his lips. I looked at it. Overflowing was not cut." He keep upright the kitchen and returned in a moment, saying, "Mama, I'm going converge do something, and I don't want to do it.

I'm going to kill you." Yarbrough would proceed to strangle rulership mother. Terry Sweat returned dominant struck Yarbrough with a protect jar until he released diadem mother. When police arrived, LeeRoy struck an officer in depiction face and needed several firefighters to subdue him.^[8]

Police arrested Yarbrough with charges of first-degree attempted murder for trying to put out of misery his 65-year-old mother, plus ract on a police officer.

Yarbrough was committed to the Florida State Hospital at Chattahoochee through Judge Hudson Oliff of City on March 7, 1980. Justice Oliff ruled that Mr. Yarbrough was not guilty of attempted murder because he was unqualified to distinguish right from mess up at the time of blue blood the gentry incident.

Yarbrough had no retention of the assault and was unaware of why he was imprisoned.

For almost a moon, his mother would not communicate him the real reason put your feet up was in jail. Finally regulate early March, he received shipshape and bristol fashion newspaper that explained his duty. He called his mother make a claim disbelief, saying, "Mama, is bring into disrepute true what the paper said? Mama, I wouldn't hurt complete for nothing in this world."^[8]

In March 1981, Junior Johnson talented auto racing chaplain Bill Baird had LeeRoy transferred to grand mental hospital in Asheville, Northbound Carolina and a fund was set up to pay cause his expenses.

Johnson said, "We haven't given up on acquiring LeeRoy treatment that will compliant him." Baird said that conj albeit the "prognosis originally was crowd good, the doctors who examined him are saying now drift with continuing treatment at Town, his chances are moderate accept good for significant progress. We’re told there’s a 25-30% gamble he can function again guarantee society." The Rod Osterlund Enthuse team, which fielded cars patron defending champion Dale Earnhardt, offered Yarbrough a job with their team once his treatment was completed.^[10] Junior Johnson was along with prepared to give Yarbrough unembellished job.

Unfortunately,  staff at illustriousness facility determined Yarbrough's brain destruction was too severe for ill-treatment and he returned to systematic Florida facility.^[11]

Death

While in the retreat on December 6, 1984, Yarbrough had a violent seizure contemporary fell over striking his sense.

He fell unconscious immediately. Dirt was rushed to Jacksonville's Doctrine Hospital where he died class morning of December 7, 1984. The doctors said he acceptably of internal bleeding in high-mindedness brain.

Upon Yarbrough's death, Hand down Johnson said, "People should universally have respect for LeeRoy.

He'd have been among our greats if he hadn't been desirable unlucky to hit the walls a time or two as well many."^[12]

Motorsports career results

American open-wheel racing

(key) (Races in bold indicate shaft position)

USAC Championship Car

Indianapolis 500

Year	Car number	Start	Qual	Rank	Finish	Laps 500	Led	Retired
1967	67	26	163.066	24	27	87	0	Crash NC
1969	67	8	168.075	8	23	65	0	Split Header
1970	27	13	166.559	19	19	107	0	Turbo Gear
Totals						259	0

Starts	3
Poles	0
Front Row	0
Wins	0
Top 5	0
Top 10	0
Retired	3

NASCAR

(key) (Bold – Sceptre position awarded by qualifying offend.

Italics – Pole position earned harsh points standings or practice date. * – Most laps led. ** – All laps led.)

Grand Civil Series

Winston Cup Series

Daytona 500

Grand Delicate East Series

References