What might have been...
By Gaylen Duskey, Special to Turner Sports Interactive
January 25, 2002
9:46 AM EST (1446 GMT)
COMMENTARY
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Gaylen Duskey
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The list of Daytona 500 winners includes names like Richard Petty, David Pearson, Cale Yarborough, Dale Jarrett, Sterling Marlin, Darrell Waltrip and Jeff Gordon. Those are household names ... even in the houses of many non-NASCAR fans.
But there are other Daytona 500 winners who, when mentioned, cause people to wonder, "who?"
Such was the case last year. While most people can tell you Dale Earnhardt died in a crash on the last lap of the race, some might not recall who won. The winner, Michael Waltrip, is not exactly a star or a household name either. The Daytona 500 -- the Super Bowl of NASCAR -- was the first win in Waltrip's career; but who will remember that 10 or 20 years from now?
Few people who are not members of the Racing Hall of Fame -- or future members of it -- have won the Daytona 500.
Another non-superstar winner is Derrike Cope. Cope, who won the 1990 Daytona 500, is still active and could turn things up a notch or two and become a Hall of Fame driver. The future remains in his hands.
Such is not the case for two former Daytona 500 winners. They failed to have Hall of Fame seasons and their careers became cases of "what might have been."
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LeeRoy Yarbrough
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LeeRoy Yarbrough won the 1969 Daytona 500. He won 14 races in his career before wrecks and a near-fatal bout with Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever forced him to retire.
Pete Hamilton won the 1970 Daytona 500. It was one of four races he would win before being forced to retire because of injuries.
Yarbrough started racing in 1960. It took him until 1964 to win his first race. He was a once-in-a-while winner for the next four years before catching lightning in a bottle in 1969.
That was a banner year for the Jacksonville, Fla., native as he won seven times.
He had been a Dodge driver early in his career, but by 1969 had switched to Ford when he joined forces with legendary driver and car-builder Junior Johnson. The combination showed tremendous potential and hopes were high.
They were especially high after Yarbrough captured the Daytona 500. He followed that up with wins at Darlington and Charlotte. Then came his win in the summer Daytona race -- the Firecracker 400 -- giving him a sweep at the track.
He continued his streak with wins at Atlanta and Darlington. His win at Rockingham completed what seemed like a springboard season toward a bright future.
And then came a horrendously quick downward spiral. He won one race in 1970 -- the fall race at Charlotte.
But that year, he suffered a horrific crash at the Texas International Speedway during a tire test. The resulting injuries limited him to 19 starts that season.
The following year he suffered another terrifying crash while practicing for the Indianapolis 500. That crash limited him to six starts.
The next year he contracted Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever -- a disease caused by a tick bite -- and nearly died. He quit racing and returned to his home in Jacksonville.
His health continued to deteriorate and he died Dec. 7, 1984, from internal injuries following a fall.
His career record showed 198 starts, 14 victories, 65 top-fives and 92 top-10s. Those numbers make one wonder what might have been.
Hamilton, likewise, was something of a shooting star on the NASCAR circuit.
The Dedham, Mass., driver started his career in 1968 when he made 16 starts and had six top-10 finishes. For that, he was named the NASCAR Rookie of the Year.
The following year he made exactly three Grand National (now Winston Cup) starts. Then came his breakout year -- 1970.
He made only 16 starts that year, but he notched 10 top-fives, including three wins. Among his victories were the Daytona 500 and both races at Talladega. His Talladega sweep was the last until Earnhardt duplicated the feat in 1999.
A recurring neck injury -- suffered in a 1969 -- led to his retirement as an active driver in 1971, although he did drive a couple of races following that.
After his retirement, he became a successful automobile builder.
His career record holds 64 starts, four victories, 26 top-fives and 33 top-10s.
Those numbers, like the numbers posted by Yarbrough, make one wonder what might have been.
NOTE: Gaylen Duskey's column appears every Wednesday and typically addresses the historical side of NASCAR. The opinions listed here are those solely of the writer. To provide feedback to Gaylen, you may write him at: realfang@excite.com.
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