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The topic was up a few days back regarding NASCAR's age limit to race. Dirvers have run afoul of NASCAR age limits in the past, perhaps most notable was young Cale Yarborough in the 1950's.
The story is related this way:
Cale was 11 years old the first time he sneaked into Darling ton Raceway to see the 1951 Southern 500. Some six years later at the age of 17 he attempted his first race at the track.
According to the accounts back in those days a driver had to be 21 in order to obtain a NASCAR license. A minr obstacle for the determined Cale who got a girlfriend who worked in hometown courthouse to get him a bogus birth certificate and NASCAR dutifully issued him a license.
Come race weekend the NASCAR officials discovered the ruse and booted Cale from the track. Undaunted Cale got his friend Bobby Weatherly to sign up as substitute driver to qualify the car. Unknown to NASCAR just prior to qualifying Cale slipped back into the track, allegedly through the same hole in the fence he had discovered as an 11 year old, and swapped places in the car with Bobby. Cale was fast enough to qualify the car.
Come race day the two switched places yet again and Cale was running his first Southern 500. Unfortunately the same official who had first booted Cale from the speedway happened to notice Mr. Weatherly standing around the pits 27 laps into the event, a definite indication that he was not driving the car on the track. In a flash of brilliant deduction the official put two and two together and had the car blackflagged. Cale was once more escorted from Darlington's hallowed grounds with a stern warning to cease these antics.
Cale's racing in NASCAR was ended for a time. Needless to say Cale would return to Darlington and many other NASCAR tracks in more glorious fashion in the years to come.
If you check the record books for 1957, the year of this tale, you will find Cale credited with one start, completing 31 laps and earning $100. Humble beginnings for one of the sports Superstars to be..
The story is related this way:
Cale was 11 years old the first time he sneaked into Darling ton Raceway to see the 1951 Southern 500. Some six years later at the age of 17 he attempted his first race at the track.
According to the accounts back in those days a driver had to be 21 in order to obtain a NASCAR license. A minr obstacle for the determined Cale who got a girlfriend who worked in hometown courthouse to get him a bogus birth certificate and NASCAR dutifully issued him a license.
Come race weekend the NASCAR officials discovered the ruse and booted Cale from the track. Undaunted Cale got his friend Bobby Weatherly to sign up as substitute driver to qualify the car. Unknown to NASCAR just prior to qualifying Cale slipped back into the track, allegedly through the same hole in the fence he had discovered as an 11 year old, and swapped places in the car with Bobby. Cale was fast enough to qualify the car.
Come race day the two switched places yet again and Cale was running his first Southern 500. Unfortunately the same official who had first booted Cale from the speedway happened to notice Mr. Weatherly standing around the pits 27 laps into the event, a definite indication that he was not driving the car on the track. In a flash of brilliant deduction the official put two and two together and had the car blackflagged. Cale was once more escorted from Darlington's hallowed grounds with a stern warning to cease these antics.
Cale's racing in NASCAR was ended for a time. Needless to say Cale would return to Darlington and many other NASCAR tracks in more glorious fashion in the years to come.
If you check the record books for 1957, the year of this tale, you will find Cale credited with one start, completing 31 laps and earning $100. Humble beginnings for one of the sports Superstars to be..