We are all familiar with the glamorous, star-studded side of NASCAR. Legendary drivers like Dale Earnhardt Sr. or Richard Petty have dazzled fans with their memorable races. Unfortunately, NASCAR also has a downside: serious wrecks and mishaps. The consequences of these incidents were either career-crippling injuries or fatalities – like Dale Sr.’s tragic death in the 2001 Daytona 500.

However, one such untoward incident stands out regarding its disturbing consequences. What baffles us more is the undeniable talent that the driver had. LeeRoy Yarbrough may be buried deep in the NASCAR archives, but his tragic story can still offer chills when you read about it.

A spine-chilling tale of NASCAR

His dazzling NASCAR career bumped into a painful obstacle in 1970. Yarbrough crashed his car during an April test race at Texas Motor Speedway. Later in the hospital, he struggled to remember what happened – a grim sign of things to come. Following another terrifying crash in May 1971 while practicing for the Indianapolis 500, Yarbrough scaled down his activities. Mental health problems set in, and he lost all his assets. A ruling declared him incompetent in handling his affairs, and he was instructed to live with his mother. Things only turned worse from there. In February 1980, Yarbrough attacked his mother.

The former NASCAR driver and his mother Minnie were watching TV. Suddenly, LeeRoy Yarbrough complained she had cut his mouth – and then proceeded to strangle Minnie.

If not for the presence of his nephew, a shocking tragedy would have unfolded. Yarbrough was subsequently accused of first-degree murder. Junior Johnson, his team owner, recalled the severe toll those two fateful crashes took on Yarbrough. “He could remember everything from 1970 back, nothing forward. And, it seemed like it just happened all at once. You’d go to dinner with him, and they’d put a plate of food in front of him, and he’d just sit, and look at it, until you said, ‘Lee Roy, eat.’ Then, he’d pick up his knife and fork.”

This tragic turn of events contrasted Yarbrough’s former passion for NASCAR.

LeeRoy Yarbrough was a force to reckon with from the start. Born in 1938, he learned to work on cars when he was just 12 years of age. Yarbrough dropped out of school at age 16 and competed at the local Jacksonville Speedway, winning his first-ever race. That marked the beginning of a stellar career stocked with glittering victories and made his first NASCAR start in 1960.

Although he lacked funding for a full-time season, he clinched victories in the Grand National Series – starting with two in 1964. Likewise, 1969 was arguably LeeRoy Yarbrough’s best season – he won 7 of the 30 races he started and won over $200,000. Although he missed 54 races, he still finished 16th in the final standings.

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The better part of the story

LeeRoy Yarbrough passed away in December 1984 in a mental institution. However, let us finish this story by remembering a brighter aspect of his life. In 1969, Yarbrough won the most number of superspeedway races in a year and had the most money earned by a NASCAR driver – more than $165,000. This thumping success was because of the unique approach taken by Yarbrough and Junior Johnson.

They did not bother with local dirt races or Fairgrounds, where Richard Petty and David Pearson were battling it out. Instead, Yarbrough and Johnson fixed their goal on the bigger fishes.

Additionally, LeeRoy Yarbrough defined speed. At his local Jacksonville track, the crowd knew him as the driver who carried the most speed into turn 3. In 1965, he abstained from NASCAR competition – but made waves at Daytona, anyway. Yarbrough himself said in 1969: “I broke the world’s record at Daytona in ’65 with a supercharged Dodge of Ray Fox’s. I was the first guy to go over 180 mph in a stock car. It had a special fiberglass hood on it, right up to the bugcatcher.”

Yarbrough’s most memorable words captured the essence of NASCAR: “By the time you get to be 35 years old, driving a race car at the speeds we run nowadays, if you’ve been successful in your life, there’s probably very few desires you still have.”

Despite the tragic conclusion of his NASCAR career, LeeRoy Yarbrough left behind a golden legacy. His wins will keep inspiring racers at present and in the future.