When NASCAR legend Cale Yarborough visited American troops in Vietnam

Following a delayed race at Texas World Speedway in 1968, NASCAR vet Cale Yarborough made a three-week trip to visit the American soldiers in the Vietnamese U.S. military base. This happened exactly 56 years ago and 'nascarman' shared a throwback post on X to commemorate the day.

Even Richard “The King” Petty came along with a few others like Don Garlits from NHRA drag racing; Art Pollard and Bill Vukovich Jr. from USAC open-wheel racing; and Butch Hartman from USAC’s stock car division. Nascarman captioned the post:

“December 8, 1968: Cale Yarborough began a three-week trip to Vietnam to visit troops during the war. That year's Daytona 500 winner had stops at Da Nang, the Mekong Delta, Saigon, at hospitals in Binh Thuy and Pleiku, time on PBR boats, and a tour of the USS Hornet.”

For Petty, who won a record 200 races at NASCAR’s topmost level besides seven Cup Series Championships, it was a rather eye-opening experience. In a 2014 edition of journalist Jeff Gluck’s 12 Questions, Petty recalled the visit and said,

“I really enjoyed that. It was kind of miserable to do it, but to see what these guys in the service have to go through, it gives you a different perspective when you see them and talk to them and thank them for being able to do what we want to do.” (Via Bench Racing)

Yarborough, a four-time Daytona 500 and five-time Southern 500 winner, ranks fifth in the all-time wins list with 83 triumphs to his credit. He amassed 69 poles throughout his 31-year career and was the first driver to win three consecutive titles. In 2012, Yarborough was inducted into the prestigious NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Wood Brothers Racing boss remembers Cale Yarborough as “one of the best drivers” they had

Cale Yarborough made his NASCAR debut in the 1957 Southern 500 and delivered a P42 finish. He spent the next eight years driving for various team owners like John Holman, Ralph Moody, Kenny Myler, and Banjo Matthews.

Although Yarborough won his first NASCAR-sanctioned event at Valdosta Speedway in 1965, his first win at a superspeedway (Atlanta) came only after he joined Wood Brothers Racing in 1966. His stay at the team spanned four seasons during which he registered 13 victories.

In 1970, Ford withdrew their factory support from NASCAR, leaving several teams out of a $100,000-per-year revenue bracket. Yarborough ran only four races in 1971 and five races in 1972. Even then, he picked one top-five and five top-10 finishes.

“Cale was one of the best drivers we had,” Eddie Wood, co-owner of Wood Brothers Racing, said as quoted by The Fayetteville Observer in a January 2024 story. “He was a hard charger that would give everything he had, no matter where we raced. He was as tough as they come.”

Cale Yarborough passed away in Florence, California, in December 2023, at the ripe age of 84, after battling a rare genetic disorder (as per the NY Times). Yarborough is survived by his wife, Betty Jo, and his daughters, Julie, Kelley, and B.J.