5 Other NASCAR Pariah's

5 Other NASCAR Pariah’s

By Brian Cotnoir

Well, it’s been over a week now since driver Kyle Larson was fired by Chip Ganassi for use of a racial slur during an iRacing event.  I applaud NASCAR, Chip Ganassi, and the sponsors for their prompt and appropriate response to the situation.   NASCAR has been building up to this; in the past drivers like Clint Bowyer and Nelson Piquet Jr. were fined for Offensive Language, and current Xfinity driver Jeremy Clements was suspended by NASCAR doing the exact same thing and had to miss two races while he attended sensitivity training.

Kyle Larson

Larson isn’t the first driver NASCAR has ousted for deplorable behavior, and most likely won’t be the last.   Here are 5 other racing figures that NASCAR probably wishes you would forget about.

1.) Smokey Yunick

Smokey Yunick has gained some popularity in recent years, but you still don’t hear him being talked about a lot by the NASCAR Organization.  NASCAR made a short documentary about him during Speed Weeks a few years ago, where they detailed his talent for exploiting the NASCAR rule book to his advantage.

Yunick was very critical of NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. and his son Bill France Jr.  In fact, he once said of Bill France Jr. that he was “it will take him 5 years in the fifth grade to get an idiots license”.    Yunick’s creative interpretation of the NASCAR rule book and constant criticism of the sport had him at odds end with the higher ups.   Despite his many accomplishments as an owner, crew chief, and mechanic and the many contributions he’s made to the sport of Auto Racing, he is yet to be enshrined or even nominated for the NASCAR Hall of Fame.  

I do believe that someday this injustice will be righted, but for the time being, Smokey Yunick is just a beloved icon in NASCAR circles.

2.)  LeeRoy Yarbrough

I already talked about LeeRoy Yabrough in a previous article of mine, so I won’t bother repeating a lot of what I said, and you will find a link to that post below.  LeeRoy was NASCAR’s first ever “Triple Crown” winner when he won the Daytona 500, Southern 500, and World 600 in the same season.  He never ran a full season in NASCAR and only made 198 starts over 13 years.  His best season came in 1969, when he won the Triple Crown and several other races.  Yarbrough finished his career with 14 races and 92 Top 10’s, but unfortunately after suffering from a horrendous accident in an IndyCar event, he never raced again.

Yyyeaahhh....that helment wouldn't fly today in NASCAR

Yabrough’s life devolved into heartbreaking insanity, and he was committed to a Mental Institution in Florida for the rest of his life after being found not-guilty by reason of insanity for trying to kill his own mother.  Some believe LeeRoy’s debilitating mental state was due to the number of serious head injuries he endured in his racing career, while others point out to an apparent tick-bite & fever.   Like Smokey Yunick, Yabrough isn’t in the NASCAR Hall of Fame or even talked about, and the most recent mention of him in any major NASCAR platform was one he was named one of the 50 Greatest NASCAR drivers during the 1998 season.  I don’t know why NASCAR never talks about LeeRoy Yarbrough anymore, but he absolutely needs to be talked about more in NASCAR.

3 & 4.) Jeremy Mayfield & Tyler Walker

Jeremy Mayfield is probably the most well-known NASCAR Pariah.   The 5-time NASCAR Cup Series race winner was suspended by NASCAR for a failed drug-test.  It was later revealed the Mayfield tested positive for methamphetamine.   Mayfield denied that he used drugs and tried to sue NASCAR, but ultimately the case was thrown out.  Since then Mayfield has been arrested for other charges ranging from his dogs attacking his mailman, drug possession, burglary, and a possession of stolen property.  Mayfield was (and still is) suspended from NASCAR competition for failing to complete their “Road to Recovery Program”.  

Jeremy Mayfield

Tyler Walker is another former NASCAR driver who’s had issues with drugs.  Walker was the 2002 World of Outlaws Gumout Series Champion, would also have issues with substance abuse.  After racing part-time for some successful teams like Akins Motorsports and Bill Davis Racing in the Grand National and Truck Series, Walker would be suspended for failing a drug test.  Walker would return to sprint car racing, but unfortunately was involved in an interstate police chase where he was charged with unlawful alcohol and drug possession; he was sentenced to prison in 2015.

Definitley looks like a drug addict

5.)  Worthless Scum

I don’t want to use this guy’s real name, because I don’t want to bring any further attention to him, because he deserves to be forgotten about and for good reason; I felt dirty just typing his name on Racing-Reference, just to look up his racing stats.  I think most NASCAR fans know who I’m talking about, but for this article we will just refer to him as “Worthless Scum”.

Worthless Scum drove for over 12 years full-time in the NASCAR Truck Series, and he was quite successful too.  He competed for wins—winning 5 in total—and very nearly won the 2002 Truck Series Championship.  He was a very popular and well liked driver, but that all changed on a dark day in 2018.  Worthless Scum was arrested and charged with attempted enticing a minor; he was convicted and was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison, where he rightfully belongs.