Daytona 1968: It Was Yarborough Vs. Yarbrough Or Cale Vs. LeeRoy

“Come on Yarborough!"  "Come On Yarbrough!"  The fans standing and screaming at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 25, 1968 weren't yelling about the slightly different spelling of the...

Personal Recollections Of Two Newest HOF Inductees

Idling in a bit of a reflective mood the other day, it occurred to me that I have been lucky enough not only to have met, but also interacted with, most of the15 members of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. In many...

Yarborough, One Of NASCAR’s Greats, Happy Today But Hasn’t Forgot

The mention of three-time Cup champion Cale Yarborough always brings a sense of respect and admiration to those fans who think back on his incredible career. He was one of NASCAR’s biggest stars, who rose from...

Racing In California And The Santa Ana Winds

Surely you have seen or read the recent news accounts of the wicked winds of hurricane force that have brought devastation to some areas of Southern California.  NASCAR competitors once experienced these...

Darrell Came On Board In 1981, But It Really Took Some Doing

Before the end of the 1980 season driver Cale Yarborough announced that he was leaving Junior’s team after eight seasons and three consecutive Winston Cup championships. The final year together was a good one...

Slugger Mantle Scored A Hit At ‘The Rock’

Mickey Mantle smashed a lot of home runs during his Hall Of Fame career with the New York Yankees.     Thirty-four years ago he had a smash of another kind at North Carolina Motor Speedway, where he was...

The Story Of The ‘79 Daytona 500? I Still Don’t Like The Ending

After Junior and Cale Yarborough won a third consecutive Winston Cup championship in 1978, they started the ’79 season with a great deal of optimism and a new sponsor. The odds of achieving a fourth-straight...

In Racing, Bobby Isaac Was Rockin’ All The Time

Around the world, fans of Elvis Presley mourned all over again this week.  They were remembering Aug. 16, 1977, as the day the “King Of Rock And Roll” shockingly died at age 43 in his mansion, Graceland,...

1978: It Started Differently But Ended The Same – And Then Some

After a second straight Winston Cup championship in 1977, Junior, Cale and the team were primed to go after a third title. As it had been over the last couple of years, everything remained pretty much intact at...

Another Title Year, But Along Came “Jaws”

After the successful 1976 season, in which he won his first NASCAR Winston Cup championship, Junior felt his team had finally reached its stride. He had no doubt 1977 would be another banner year. There was reason...

“Brooksie” Was Symbolic Of The NASCAR Driver That Once Was

Many years ago, when NASCAR was much younger, far more informal and not nearly as popular or wealthy as it is now, the competitive environment was different – needless to say. Most guys who raced acted on a whim...

At Bristol History Was Made – Not On The Track But On The Moon

Everyone gathered at Bristol International Speedway wanted the Volunteer 500 to finish quickly.The drivers, their crews, the NASCAR officials, the fans and members of the media.Everyone.This is because the date was...

It All Came Together For Cale, Team In 1976

After the somewhat disappointing 1975 season, Junior was nonetheless convinced his team and driver had what it took to win a Winston Cup championship. He thought, correctly, that three years’ worth of seasoning...

A Homecoming For Ol’ D.W….

 When NASCAR rolls into Kentucky Speedway this weekend for the track’s first Cup Series race, perhaps no one will be prouder than Darrell Waltrip.    A native of Owensboro, Ky., Waltrip played a...

The ’75 Season Wasn’t What We Wanted – But Things Would Get Bette

For Junior, the 1975 season did not begin the way he had hoped or had anticipated. Hardly. In 1974, Carling Brewing Co. acquired the assets of Junior Johnson & Associates and provided it with the means to...