1977 Oldsmobile Cutlass

This 1977 Oldsmobile Cutlass NASCAR race car was built by Banjo Matthews for team owner Junior Johnson before being driven by Cale Yarborough to his third consecutive Winston Cup Series championship in 1978. The car underwent a refurbishment that was overseen by former crew chief Travis Carter in the early 2000s before being driven by Yarborough at the debut of Darlington Raceway’s lighting system in 2004. After being purchased by the seller in 2013, the car was converted to road-course specification and was driven in various vintage racing events and appeared at the 2016 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance before spending the last three years on display as part of the NASCAR Hall of Fame Museum’s Glory Road Champions exhibit curated by Dale Earnhardt Jr. Power is provided by a 358ci SB2 V8 that was installed approximately 10 years ago and features dry-sump lubrication, Brodix cylinder heads, and a four-barrel carburetor. Finished in an orange, red, and white No. 11 livery, the car also features a Jerico four-speed manual transmission, Hurst Airheart disc brakes with an in-cockpit proportioning valve, a rear end cambered for road-course use and equipped with a cooler, Bilstein shock absorbers, 15” Aero wheels, a roll cage, a Sabelt racing seat, a Simpson harness, and a fire-suppression system. This Cutlass race car is now offered in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, with an appraisal from Gene Felton, its removed driver’s seat, various other spare parts, SVRA logbooks, and a bill of sale. After Cale Yarborough won his first two Winston Cup titles in Chevrolets for Junior Johnson & Associates in 1976 and 1977, Johnson and Yarborough switched to the Oldsmobile marque for the 1978 season while gaining sponsorship from First National City Travelers Checks. With Travis Carter serving as crew chief, Yarborough won 10 races in this car over the ensuing season en route to becoming the first driver to win three consecutive Winston Cup titles, a feat since accomplished by only one other driver. The car was refurbished under the oversight of Carter in the early 2000s and is finished in an orange, red, and white livery replicating that worn by the car during its 1978 championship season. The seller notes that various dents in the bodywork incurred during the car’s racing career have been previously repaired, and the finish exhibits various imperfections. Features include riveted bumper panels, body-color headlight covers, a rear spoiler, windshield and rear-window safety straps, side-exit exhaust, and various period decals. Aero wheels are finished in black and are mounted with 27.0×10.0-15 Goodyear Eagle slicks that exhibit cracking along the sidewalls. The seller notes that the tires will require replacement before track use. Stopping is handled by Hurst Airheart disc brakes at each corner, while independent front suspension incorporates coil springs and Bilstein shock absorbers. The cockpit houses a single Sabelt Racer seat trimmed in black and equipped with a Simpson multipoint harness. Additional features include red painted surfaces, a color-matched roll cage with black padding, a driver-side window net, a convex rearview mirror, a brake proportioning valve, a Hurst shifter, and a fire-suppression system. According to the seller, the harness and fire system will need to be updated prior to track use. The quick-release three-spoke steering wheel sits ahead of an Auto Gage 10k-rpm tachometer and Stewart-Warner gauges monitoring coolant temperature, oil pressure, and oil temperature, while a digital voltmeter is situated at center dash. Cale Yarborough’s signature is present on the dash. The 358ci SB2 V8 was installed during the conversion to road-course specification performed by Young Performance in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, following the seller’s purchase of the car and was reportedly overhauled by Ernie Elliott, with approximately 20 hours of runtime added since. Features include dry-sump lubrication, Brodix cylinder heads, a Brodix aluminum intake manifold, a four-barrel carburetor, a cowl-induction air pan, an aluminum radiator, and a fuel cell. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a Jerico four-speed manual transmission and a solid-axle rear end with a road-course-cambered differential housing and a differential cooler. According to the seller, the car was most recently serviced approximately four years ago and will require a full preparation before further track use. The car’s removed period seat is included in the sale along with a headrest panel and various other parts. A 2014 appraisal by Gene Felton states that the car was driven by Yarborough to his 1978 championship title. Chassis number BP7964R is shown written on the frame in the photo gallery below. A video featuring footage of Cale Yarborough and the seller discussing the car can be viewed below. The car does not have a title, and it is being sold for off-road use only on a bill of sale.