As a young kid, Yaroborough attended the Southern 500 as a spectator without a ticket, by 1958, he was able to be competing in the Grand National Circuit, In 1965, He was involved in a wreck by Sam McQuagg, Yaroborough's car sailed over the guardrail after tangling with McQuagg's car, Yaroborough tried to make a pass with McQuagg, but their tenders touched Yaroborugh's car went airborne, The car came to rest against a telephone pole outside the track, Yaroborough, who was uninjured, said "I knew I was in trouble when I saw the grass, because I knew there ain't no grass on the racetrack",