Lonnie "LeeRoy" Yarbrough was an American stock car racer.
26 Facts About LeeRoy Yarbrough
2.
LeeRoy Yarbrough was admitted to a mental institution on March 7,1980 after trying to kill his mother by strangulation.
3.
All attempts to rehabilitate him failed and LeeRoy Yarbrough eventually died in 1984 after a fall.
4.
LeeRoy Yarbrough is not related to NASCAR champion Cale Yarborough.
5.
LeeRoy Yarbrough grew up on the west side of Jacksonville, Florida, and developed an affinity for speed at an early age.
6.
When he was sixteen years-old, LeeRoy Yarbrough put together his first car, a 1934 Ford coupe with a Chrysler engine.
7.
When he was 19, LeeRoy Yarbrough found his way to a local dirt track.
8.
LeeRoy Yarbrough won that race at Jacksonville Speedway in the spring of 1957.
9.
LeeRoy Yarbrough started his racing career in NASCAR's lower tier Sportsman division.
10.
LeeRoy Yarbrough won two short-track races in the 1964 NASCAR Grand National season, the first year he competed in more than 14 races.
11.
Two years later, LeeRoy Yarbrough scored his first superspeedway win at Charlotte.
12.
LeeRoy Yarbrough dived to the low side in turn 3 to clear the lapped car, nearly clipping the apron.
13.
LeeRoy Yarbrough took the lead from Glotzbach and dashed under the checkered flag a car length in front to win the Daytona 500.
14.
LeeRoy Yarbrough bagged 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.
15.
LeeRoy Yarbrough won the summer race at Atlanta International Raceway despite a 102-degree fever.
16.
LeeRoy Yarbrough captured The Southern 500 by passing David Pearson on the last lap.
17.
LeeRoy Yarbrough won once in 1970 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and only entered six races in 1971.
18.
LeeRoy Yarbrough registered nine top 10 finishes in 18 starts.
19.
LeeRoy Yarbrough showed up for Daytona's 1973 Speedweeks, but failed to earn a starting berth for the Daytona 500.
20.
LeeRoy Yarbrough virtually dropped out of sight after that, never again showing up at a NASCAR event.
21.
LeeRoy Yarbrough showed well in a few Indy Car starts, leading the inaugural California 500 at Ontario Motor Speedway late before dropping out, and then finishing 3rd at Trenton Speedway in 1971.
22.
LeeRoy Yarbrough was rumoured to have contracted Rocky Mountain spotted fever from a tick bite, and drank alcohol heavily.
23.
LeeRoy Yarbrough just deteriorated to the point where he was unmanageable.
24.
LeeRoy Yarbrough was committed to the Florida State Hospital at Chattahoochee by Judge Hudson Oliff of Jacksonville on March 7,1980, after he was tried for attempted first-degree murder of his mother and battery to a law-enforcement officer.
25.
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.
26.
LeeRoy Yarbrough was rushed to Jacksonville's University Hospital where he died the morning of December 7,1984.