Yarborough makes victory lap at Darlington

DARLINGTON, S.C. -- Retired three-time NASCAR Winston Cup Series champion Cale Yarborough (1976-78), the only driver in series history to win three consecutive titles, was honored prior to the start of Sunday's Mountain Dew Southern 500 as part of NASCAR's

'Victory Lap' tribute to the Winston Cup era and series sponsor R.J. Reynolds.

	Cale Yarborough Credit: Sherryl Creekmore/NASCAR

Yarborough donned a specially designed 'Victory Lap' driver's uniform, resembling those he wore during his legendary 31-year career, and toured the famed 1.366-mile Darlington Raceway in a slightly modernized version of the No. 11 Chevrolet that carried him to his three championships with car owner Junior Johnson.

Darlington is a fitting site for the salute to Yarborough and long-time series sponsor R.J. Reynolds, which is leaving the sport at the end of this year after 33 years of involvement. Yarborough frequented the track as a boy, where he would sometimes sneak beneath the track's fence to catch a glimpse of NASCAR's early legends.

That early exposure made an impression.

It was there that he was captivated by the sport and developed an appreciation for the historical significance of the series's oldest superspeedway. Winning at Darlington became a priority, and Yarborough made his mark.

Along with Jeff Gordon, Yarborough holds the record for the most Mountain Dew Southern 500 victories with five.

A record crowd braved sweltering 90-degree temperatures and high humidity to salute Yarborough at the final Labor Day weekend outing for the race.

But the hot weather is familiar territory to Yarborough, who lives and operates a car dealership in nearby Sardis, S.C. Beginning next year the race will move to November, when temperatures should be more tolerable for fans and competitors alike at "The Track Too Tough to Tame."

The uniform Yarborough wore as part of today's 'Victory Lap' tribute will be auctioned on NASCAR.com with proceeds going to the Victory Junction Gang Camp and the T. Wayne Robertson Fund at Brenner Children's Hospital.