Qualifying for the 1983 Daytona 500 was a story of highs and lows for NASCAR driver Cale Yarborough. He became the first driver in history to run a qualifying lap faster than 200 miles per hour, but on his second pass of the Daytona International Speedway, Yarborough lost control of his No. 28 Chevrolet Monte Carlo. The car was destroyed, and his Ranier-Lundy team didn’t have a backup. But Yarborough still won the race — behind the wheel of a Pontiac LeMans that had been serving as as static display car outside of a local Hardee’s restaurant.
Having crested 200.5 miles per hour on his first quali lap, Yarborough felt he had more in him. He had just moved to the Ranier-Lundy team for the ‘83 season, and it was clear that the partnership was going to be a fruitful one.
But on the second lap, Yarborough lost control. His car spun in Turn 4, flipping before smashing into the outside wall. Video footage of the wreck is wild — you can see his windshield popping out before the car comes to rest, a crumpled wreck, in the infield:
Because the Daytona 500 is the first race of the NASCAR season, not every team would be prepared with a full complement of spares and back-up cars, and that was the case for the Ranier-Lundy team. But with Yarborough’s impressive pace, it would have been absolutely criminal for him to miss such an important race.
That meant Ranier-Lundy had to get creative. As it scrambled to find a vehicle for its driver, the team cast a wide net. Ultimately, it landed on a most unlikely candidate. Yarborough was sponsored by the Hardee’s fast food chain for the 1983 Daytona 500, and one of the local restaurants actually had a static show car out front to promote the big race. While Ranier-Lundy had showed up with a Chevy Monte Carlo, it would have to settle for a manufacturer swap, as the show car was a Pontiac LeMans. Anything was possible, so long as it meant getting Yarborough back behind the wheel.
So, the team commandeered the show car, it stuck a powerplant into the empty engine bay and it sent Yarborough off to race.
And on race day, Yarborough won his third Daytona 500 under what should have been impossible conditions. On the very final lap, Buddy Baker led a tight pack of cars that included Yarborough, Joe Ruttman, and Bill Elliott and looked set to win — until Yarborough slipstreamed by Baker on the backstretch. Ruttman drafted into second while Baker attempted to sneak under Ruttman, just in time for Elliott to catch up and stick his nose ahead. It was a three-wide finish for second place — but up front, it was Yarborough who took the checkered flag.
And just in case you thought the 1983 500 couldn’t have any more historic firsts, we got just one more. Yarborough’s Pontiac was fitted with an in-car camera, which was a pretty rare piece of technology at the time thanks to its expense. As a result, it was the first time viewers at home got to see live footage from the victor as he cruised into victory lane. Not only did we get incredible footage of Yarborough’s win from trackside cameras, but we also had the pleasure of listening to him make his very own set of race car noises inside the car:
Yarborough died on December 31, 2023 at the age of 84, and motorsport fans around the world have paid tribute to the South Carolina racer’s fantastic career. There’s plenty to celebrate: He was the first driver to win three consecutive Cup Series championships, secured four Daytona 500 wins, and was a natural inductee for motorsport halls of fame around America. In an exceptionally fascinating life, Yarborough’s win behind the wheel of a show car is one of his most incredible moments.