Cale Yarborough has undoubtedly been one of the best drivers to ever grace the sport of NASCAR. Sadly, at the age of 84, the NASCAR legend is now going through a rather tough time, as reports suggest of his declining health. Recently, his daughter shared a statement surrounding details of his current health condition. Unfortunately, the news is pretty sad.
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The NASCAR legend has been diagnosed with a rare disorder and the Yarborough family asks the NASCAR community to pray for his health. Over his long and illustrious career, the NASCAR Hall of Famer amassed 83 wins and 319 top-10 finishes. He also has the 1976, 77, and 78 Winston Cup titles to his name along with several other achievements.
What happened to Cale Yarborough?
As per the statement shared by his daughter, the text mentions, “Update on Daddy: Genetic testing results give us a diagnosis. He has a VERY, VERY rare genetic disorder on his SPG 7 gene. There is no cure.”
Latest Update on Cale Yarborough from his daughter pic.twitter.com/18VLQWTsUb
— Johnny Dickson (@dickson_johnny) July 6, 2023
“He will continue to decline. However, medications, physical and occupational therapy are keys to treating symptoms. It is one of those “it is what it is” situations. Thank you all for caring about him. Please continue to keep him and my mother in your prayers.”
Learning that there is no cure for what he is suffering from is certainly heartbreaking to hear for both his family and his lifelong fans. Although, knowing that he is in good care certainly makes the situation a bit better. But in any case, the news isn’t good.
Yarborough used to dominate NASCAR in the 70s
Back in the 1970s, Yarborough was in his prime. Having started racing in the late 50s, Cale grew to prominence in the 60s. By the 70s he was a dominant force out on the track. One of the early highlights would be his 1973 season, when he won several prominent races early on and ended up with 19 top-10 finishes across the board, along with a second place in the championship run.
Thereafter, he won 10 races just the next season, finishing the season in second place behind Richard Petty. Yarborough finally won three consecutive titles later on in that decade, from the 1976 season to the 1978 season.
He went on to race for another decade, before finally hanging his helmet. Even though he moved away from the track, the legendary driver went on to run his own team for a while, before finally selling it off in the 2000s. Throughout his career, Yarborough had a lasting impact on both the NASCAR community and his fellow competitors.
