Billy & Barbara Scott
One of The Greatest - LeeRoy Yarbrough
There's no doubt in our minds, by being close friends with both, that Lee Roy would have been as famous as Dale Sr. He was that special kind of driver, like he had been born with a steering wheel in his hands!!
Billy Scott Collection
The next to last time I saw LeeRoy was a night he was to driven a Chevelle owned by Junior Johnson of Florence. After two laps during practice, Johnson said, "I've gotta get that fella out of my car before he hits the guardrail and demolishes it." Half the people in the pits were alongside the track waving and luckily, Yarbrough pulled in and this was the last time he attempted to drive a race car. He was high as a kite and if Johnson hadn't gotten him off the track, he certainly could have killed himself that night.A week or so later, he and his wife were at Myrtle Beach Speedway and it appeared that neither of them knew where they were. If I'm not mistaken, someone drove them somewhere with hopes of "bringing them around". There were all kinds of rumors about him and his problems, but I don't think anyone really knew. There was the black widow spider bite, a mosquito bite, alcohol, prescription drugs and illegal drugs, along with other medical terms.Back in his heyday, there was no one who could wheel a race car any better than LeeRoy. I remember in 1967, my wife Jane and I were at the Indianapolis Speedway for the week leading up to the 500 and both Yarbrough and Cale Yarborough were participating and sometime early in the week we came upon LeeRoy in Gasoline Alley and I really don't think I have ever seen anyone any happier to see anyone than he was to see us. We were never all that close, but that day, it was like he had found a long lost buddy. To have someone from his area up there seemed to mean a lot to both of the drivers, but especially LeeRoy.He and his brother, Eldon, would drive up from Jacksonville to compete in events run on dirt tracks in Georgia and the Carolinas and it wasn't long before LeeRoy was building quite a name for himself. He settled down in a mansion by the lake in Columbia and finally he made it big on the big tracks driving in the Grand National division of NASCAR.He continued to patronize the short tracks and had a running feud with Tiny Lund. Each of them had a keen interest in something I won't discuss, but it got very heated frequently on the track and carried over to other locations. Both these men were as good as one could find on any track and got the most out of whatever they drove. It is a shame that both of them died the way they did.
Robbie, glad you told us about the picture you have of Lee Roy, when did you say you wanted us to visit? Maybe we can talk you out of that treasure. Just kidding!!! Do want to thank you for your comment which could be of help to someone we know.
Dargan, we know about the feelings between Lee Roy and Tiny but believe there is omeone who knew a little more about it. Many years ago, one of the drivers told us about a trip Nascar flew he, Lee Roy and Tiny, I believe it was to Daytona. There had been a fued between Lee Roy and Tiny for a few weeks, which everyone knew about. The driver who went on the plane with them later told us he was not fond of being on a plane in the first place: but to be on there with the two of them scared the daylight out of him. He said he was looking for the two of them to jump one another any minute and he couldn't have the pilot to pull over and let him out. He said they both behaved as they should have.Could you imagine being on a small plane with those two mad at each other?
He definably should be in the Hall of Fame at Charlotte - 1969 What an incredible year! What an incredible man! Thank for all the great comments from everyone, they are truly wonderful in remembering such as great driver.
Thanks James for viewing our photos and also for your viewpoint and agreeing with our feelings of Lee Roy.God bless and we love you,Billy and Barbara