37 Facts About LeeRoy Yarbrough

Lonnie "LeeRoy" Yarbrough was an American stock car racer.

LeeRoy Yarbrough was admitted to a mental institution on March 7,1980, after trying to kill his mother by strangulation.

All attempts to rehabilitate him failed and LeeRoy Yarbrough eventually died in 1984 after a fall.

LeeRoy Yarbrough is not related to NASCAR champion Cale Yarborough.

LeeRoy Yarbrough grew up on the west side of Jacksonville, Florida, and developed an affinity for speed at an early age.

When he was sixteen years-old, LeeRoy Yarbrough put together his first car, a 1934 Ford coupe with a Chrysler engine.

When he was 19, LeeRoy Yarbrough found his way to a local dirt track.

LeeRoy Yarbrough won that race at Jacksonville Speedway in the spring of 1957.

LeeRoy Yarbrough started his racing career in NASCAR's lower tier Sportsman division.

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

Two years later, LeeRoy Yarbrough scored his first superspeedway win at Charlotte.

LeeRoy Yarbrough dived to the low side in turn 3 to clear the lapped car, nearly clipping the apron.

LeeRoy Yarbrough took the lead from Glotzbach and dashed under the checkered flag a car length in front to win the Daytona 500.

LeeRoy Yarbrough won the summer 400-miler at Daytona, prevailing in a late-race battle with Buddy Baker, making him the third driver in NASCAR history to sweep both Daytona races.

LeeRoy Yarbrough won the summer race at Atlanta International Raceway despite a 102-degree fever.

LeeRoy Yarbrough captured The Southern 500 by passing David Pearson on the last lap.

LeeRoy Yarbrough won once in 1970 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and only entered six races in 1971.

LeeRoy Yarbrough registered nine top 10 finishes in 18 starts.

LeeRoy Yarbrough showed up for Daytona's 1973 Speedweeks, but failed to earn a starting berth for the Daytona 500.

LeeRoy Yarbrough virtually dropped out of sight after that, never again showing up at a NASCAR event.

LeeRoy Yarbrough's head hit a roll bar inside the cockpit with such force that it cracked his helmet.

LeeRoy Yarbrough was released from the hospital that evening, and at the time, was not believed to have been a serious head injury.

LeeRoy Yarbrough was picked up at the airport by Cale Yarborough, but later had no memory of the crash, hospital, or meeting with Yarborough.

LeeRoy Yarbrough showed well in a few Indy Car starts, leading the inaugural California 500 at Ontario Motor Speedway late.

LeeRoy Yarbrough drew cheers from the crowd as he pushed his car back to the pits.

Cale Yarborough was at the track hospital when LeeRoy Yarbrough was brought in.

LeeRoy Yarbrough was the palest live man I've ever seen.

LeeRoy Yarbrough was rumoured to have contracted Rocky Mountain spotted fever from a tick bite, and drank alcohol heavily.

LeeRoy Yarbrough had an alcohol problem and would sometimes collect empty bottles on the side of the road for the bottle deposits which he would use to buy beer.

LeeRoy Yarbrough's mother noticed a change in his behavior in early 1980.

LeeRoy Yarbrough began spending most of his time in bed reading racing magazines, rarely leaving his bedroom.

When police arrived, LeeRoy Yarbrough struck an officer in the face and needed several firefighters to subdue him.

LeeRoy Yarbrough was committed to the Florida State Hospital at Chattahoochee by Judge Hudson Oliff of Jacksonville on March 7,1980.

Judge Oliff ruled that Mr LeeRoy Yarbrough was not guilty of attempted murder because he was unable to distinguish right from wrong at the time of the incident.

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

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

LeeRoy Yarbrough was rushed to Jacksonville's University Hospital where he died the morning of December 7,1984.