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The money there is today... But I wouldnt take anything for the part of it that I was in. Its all business now. It was fun then. These boys today dont know what they missed. Cale Yarborough
For long-time NASCAR fans and family members, looking back and seeing how much their sport has grown is sometimes bittersweet. No one knew 1979s Great American Race, which mixed cameras and tire smoke with a couple of good ole boys literally fighting it out for the win, would resonate with people in all walks of life; and no one couldve predicted it would be the genesis of a billion dollar global empire. Despite those fireworks sparking interest in the sport, it wasnt race day drama that built and maintained NASCARs fan base well into the next century. It was the refreshing realization that the sports participants were a group of extraordinarily talented people who were driven to shape raw metal into something faster, tougher and better than any of their peers. What they lacked in money, they made up in creativity. And none of them held anything back for the sake of teammates or resources; they either chased the green or didnt come back next week. That passion to win at all costs is what makes old school NASCAR fans so nostalgic, and unfortunately its the same reason a lot of the one-of-a-kind cars that transformed Carolina country boys into national sports stars have been lost in the wrecks of time. This 1980 Oldsmobile 442, driven by Cale Yarborough and owned by Junior Johnson, is a turn-four fresh stock car chassis that led seven of the nine races it participated in and rarely finished out of the top ten. If youre a seasoned NASCAR fan whos always wanted an authentic Winston Cup race car to cap off your life-long obsession with speed, here it is!
Born and raised in Timmonsville, South Carolina, Cale Yarborough spent most of his adolescence as a semi-pro football player and Golden Gloves boxer; skills that no doubt came in handy during the aforementioned 1979 season opener. When he attended the 1951 Southern 500 as a spectator, he knew hed found his calling and decided to turn down a blossoming football career to focus on a full-time racing schedule. After two decades of working hard and experiencing moderate success Cale became the first of only two drivers to net three back-to-back Sprint Cup championships, formally cementing his legacy as one of the sports biggest stars. In 1980, on the heels of his final title, The Timmonsville Flash campaigned this Oldsmobile and a Chevrolet Monte Carlo to perfect his domination of the sport by scoring 14 poles, winning six races and losing his fourth championship by a mere 19 points. And today, Cale is a Hall of Fame inductee who ranks sixth on NASCARs all time win list, has NASCARs ninth best all-time winning percentage, and was voted one of the sports 50 Greatest Drivers during its 50th anniversary celebration.
Of course, we all know a great driver never realizes his full potential unless he partners with a great owner. Enter First Class Hall of Famer Junior Johnson who, with a record setting 10 victories in the 1974 season, had officially transformed his already successful race team into one of NASCARs top powerhouses. Over the next several years Yarborough and Johnson would win 27% of the races they entered and enjoy unbelievable consistency that included four back-to-back wins in 1977 and top 5 finishes in the last 11 races of 1978. Despite that amazing chemistry, 1980 was this dynamic duos last season together as Cale decided to run a limited schedule for the rest of his career. And what was left of a legendary motorsports dominion would either be upgraded for Johnsons next generation of winners or relegated to sun-scorched fields of Wilkes County, North Carolina.
I say likely because, every once in a while, a piece of that history manages to escape its ignoble fate and is left virtually untouched until someone realizes its significance decades later. In light of NASCARs mandate that all teams switch to cars with a 110 inch wheelbase, 1980 was the last season Junior Johnson Associates ran large Oldsmobiles. This 442, never restored or disassembled in any way, was raced only nine times during that season; and thanks to Johnsons extensive use of a newer Monte Carlo, was saved from both a career-ending encounter with a concrete barrier and benevolent duty in a backyard scrap yard. While nine races might not seem like a lot, there are a couple of things to take into consideration about the cars abundant history. First and foremost, its chassis is branded as a 1978 model which means it no doubt saw track time during Yarboroughs 78 and 79 seasons, and likely won numerous races during those years. And two, when you closely examine its performance for the races ran in this 1980 guise, the car proved to be an unquestionably dominant player. Qualifying consisted of four front row starts, two of those being pole positions and two being outside pole positions. And when it came to finishing, this 442 led laps in seven of its nine races, placed in the top 10 once, finished in the top 5 four times and racked up a win at the North Carolina Motor Speedway where it led 256 of the races 492 laps. All total this old school trophy winner has an average finish of 11th for its 1980 season; and if you factor out the one time it experienced mechanical failure, its average finish rises to 8th.
Speaking of tracks and performance, virtually every aspect of this Oldsmobile is accurate and authentic to how it rolled off Martinsville Speedway on September 28th 1980. Its exterior still maintains a correct combination of basecoat paint, era-correct decals and hand painted scripts. At the front of its body, prominent mesh grilles hang above a narrowed chrome bumper thats fitted with sheetmetal wings. At the top of its body a NASCAR-mandated cowl, which still displays original duct tape, rides in front of an authentic window net thats fabricated from drum brake parts. At the sides of its body, flared fenders frame Norris wheels that are fitted with old school Goodyear D2129 Blue Streak Stock Car Specials. And at the back of its body, a second chrome bumper hangs two more sheetmetal wings under a small decklid spoiler. Take a look inside the red interior and youll see authentic Holly Farms side panels, a custom fabricated Cale Yarborough seat and floor pan, an authentic rubber-dipped steering wheel, an old school Jones tattle tale tachometer and brackets to transfer weight to the cars right side in the event of a road course race. Hoist the hood and youll find a small block Chevy powerplant, which likely hasnt seen fire in some time, perched behind a heavy duty aluminum radiator and an original steering box. Unpin the decklid and youll find an authentic 22 gallon Gene White fuel cell sitting next to a military-engineered rock crusher oil filter. And if you throw the car up on a lift youll find a correct Borg Warner 4-speed, a correct nine inch rear end, authentic off-set A-frames, authentic 180 degree headers, a welded engine cross member and era-correct Gabriel shocks that are a product of a corporate sponsorship agreement. This old asphalt warrior is the very definition of a stock car time capsule, and when you see it in person youll be just as blown away as we were!
At RK Motors Charlotte we take pride in the fact that were gearheads selling special cars to other gearheads ...For more information please call the seller. 
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STOCK/INV. NUMBER:
132991
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