LeeRoy Yarbrough

Who was LeeRoy Yarbrough?

Lonnie "LeeRoy" Yarbrough was a NASCAR racer. His best season was 1969 when he won seven races, tallied 21 finishes in the top-ten and earned $193,211. 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. His racing number was 98. When asked about his passion, Yarbrough described racing as "what I call, my life."

Yarbrough was admitted to a mental institution on March 7, 1980 after trying to kill his mother by putting his hands around her neck. All attempts to rehabilitate him failed and LeeRoy eventually died in 1984 after a fall while suffering from a traumatic brain injury. 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. Their surnames have different spellings although they are pronounced similarly.