Bobby Allison
Encyclopedia
Robert Arthur Allison is a former NASCAR
Winston Cup
driver and was named one of NASCAR's 50 greatest drivers. His two sons, Clifford Allison and Davey Allison
followed him into racing, and both died within a year of each other.
in Miami, Florida, but was asked to quit by his father. After high school in 1955, Allison took his brother Donnie
and some friends along on a quest for more lucrative racing than was available in south Florida. His searching led him to the Montgomery Speedway in Montgomery, Alabama
, where he was told of a race that very night in Midfield, Alabama
near Birmingham
. Allison entered and won that race, along with two other races that week. He had found his lucrative racing. Bobby and Donnie set up shop in Hueytown, Alabama
with another friend (Red Farmer
), and they began answering to the name Alabama Gang
.
Bobby Allison also worked as a mechanic and an engine tester, but eventually became a driver and won the national championship in the modified special division in 1962.
During the course of his career, Bobby Allison accumulated 84 victories, making him third all-time, tied with Darrell Waltrip
, including three victories at the Daytona 500
in 1978, 1982 and 1988, where he finished one-two with his son, Davey Allison
. He was also the NASCAR Winston Cup Champion in 1983 driving for DiGard Racing. Additionally, Allison ran in the Indianapolis 500
twice, with a best finish of 25th in 1975.
Allison's NASCAR team owners included DiGard, Junior Johnson & Associates, and Roger Penske, for whom Allison scored four of the five NASCAR wins for American Motors
' Matador. The other AMC victory was accomplished by Mark Donohue also racing for Penske in 1973 at Riverside. Bobby also raced in NASCAR as a driver/owner of an AMC Matador
.
Allison was involved in an accident at Alabama International Motor Speedway (now Talladega Superspeedway) in May, 1987 that saw his car cut down a tire, turn sideways and go airborne into the protective catch fence that separates the speedway from the grandstands. The impact with the fence with the rear of the car at over 200 mi/h tore down nearly 100 yards of fencing. Parts and pieces of the car went flying into the grandstand injuring several spectators. This was the same race where Bill Elliott set the all-time qualifying record at 212 mi/h. In response, NASCAR mandated smaller carburetors for the remaining 1987 events at Talladega and its sister track, Daytona International Speedway. The following year, NASCAR mandated restrictor plates at Daytona and Talladega to keep speeds under 200 mi/h. Allison won the first Daytona 500 run with restrictor plates in February 1988 by a car length over his son Davey Allison. He is the oldest driver (50 years) ever to win the Daytona 500 and he and Davey are the first one-two father/son finish in the Daytona 500. Ironically, Bobby now has no memory of the final win of his career or of celebrating together with his son in Victory Lane.
which forced his retirement from driving in NASCAR. In 1992, his youngest son, Clifford Allison, was fatally injured in a practice crash for the NASCAR Busch Series race (now Nationwide Series) at Michigan International Speedway
. Allison was elected to the International Motorsports Hall of Fame
in 1993. Later that same year, his son Davey
was killed in a helicopter accident at Talladega Superspeedway
. Three years after these major tragedies, he and his wife Judy divorced. Four years after their divorce, while attending their daughter's wedding, they reconnected. They were remarried and are still together. He was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America
in 1992, and inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in May 2011, along with Lee Petty, Bud Moore, David Pearson, and Ned Jarrett.
Allison is one of eight drivers to have won what was then considered a career Grand Slam (an unofficial term) by winning the sport's four majors: the Daytona 500
, Winston 500
, Coca-Cola 600
, and the Southern 500
. Richard Petty
, David Pearson, Darrell Waltrip
, Dale Earnhardt
, Jeff Gordon
, Jimmie Johnson
, and Buddy Baker
are the other seven to have accomplished the feat.
. Unofficially, Bobby Allison has won 85 races, and may be credited with 86 wins. The controversy lies in two races: the 1971 Myers Brothers 250 held at Bowman Gray Stadium
(Winston-Salem, North Carolina), and the 1973 National 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway
. (Charlotte, North Carolina.)
was held August 6, 1971 at Bowman Gray Stadium
in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The first car to cross the finish line after 250 laps was driven by Bobby Allison.
The dispute in question came because of early 1970s combination races for the smaller Grand American
Series, featuring "pony car
s", such as the Chevrolet Camaro
, Ford Mustang
, and AMC Javelin
, as well as the Grand National Series, featuring the Chevrolet Chevelle
, Ford Torino Talladega
, Dodge Charger Daytona
, and Plymouth Roadrunner Superbird
. For that race, and the race following at West Virginia International Speedway, Allison raced a Grand National – Grand American combination race in a Grand American Series specification 1970 Ford Mustang, #49, sponsored by Rollins Leasing, and owned by Melvin Joseph. (Joseph was the head of Dover International Speedway
until his death in 2005.) As he was not racing in a Grand National car, he never received credit in that series, but was credited with a Grand American Series ("pony" cars) win.
It should be noted NASCAR has had co-sanctioned races with various series in the past; in such cases, the win counts only in the series which that driver's car was sanctioned. The driver tied with Allison in all-time Cup wins because of the dispute is involved in this incident. An Automobile Racing Club of America / Winston West combination race in College Station, Texas on March 21, 1993, was won by Darrell Waltrip
, driving an ARCA entry. That win was credited as an ARCA win only, and not counted in the NASCAR AutoZone West Series, Grand National Division (as it is currently known) win list. Likewise, when a Winston Cup driver won a Winston Cup / Winston West combination race, the win counts in Cup, not West. The Busch Series and Busch North Series also raced combination races in the past.
Currently, Bristol Motor Speedway
has such a race, with the Whelen Modified Tour
and Whelen Southern Modified Tour
.
was held October 7, 1973 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina. The first three cars to cross the finish line after the scheduled 334 laps (501 miles) were driven by Cale Yarborough
, Richard Petty
, and Bobby Allison, in that order. Again, these facts are not disputed. What is disputed, is the legality of the first two cars' engines, recounted in Jim McLaurin’s book ”NASCAR'S Most Wanted", in the chapter “Fudgin’ With the Rules”:
The results were never changed. While many still believe Allison was robbed of yet another win, it has long been NASCAR's practice to "have our races decided on the race track" and issue heavy fines for technical infractions. While Allison may have lost this victory, he also kept one win in which his car's engine failed post-race inspection due to "unapproved" valve train parts.
1973 was a transition year in NASCAR. Teams could run a restrictor plate
-equipped 7-liter engine or a 5.9 liter engine without restrictor plates.
Ten years later, Petty's over sized engine at the same race resulted in new NASCAR rules on oversized engines, including twelve-week suspensions for the offending engine builder, driver, and car owner.
, Jimmy Spencer
, and Derrike Cope
.
Stricklin was Donnie Allison's son-in-law.
The car number raced was #12 and sponsors included Raybestos Brakes from 1990 to 1992 and, in 1993, Meineke. Stricklin moved to the Junior Johnson
team halfway through 1992 and Raybestos left at the end of the year to the Stavola Brothers #8 team. For 1994 and 1995, the team was sponsored by Mane 'n Tail with Derrike Cope at the wheel. Allison was forced to close down the team due to financial problems after the 1996 season.
Racing Champions still ran die cast replicas of Allison in 1991 despite Allison being retired, the cars had Allison's 1988 paint scheme but no sponsorship. They were run as a tribute to Allison.
Allison appeared in Zaxby's
restaurant television ads in late 2007.
On March 6, 2008 Bobby's mother Kittie Allison died at the age of 101. She died in Charlotte, North Carolina
. She was buried on March 9.
On May 23, 2011, Bobby was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
Winston Cup
NEXTEL Cup
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is the top racing series of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing . The series was originally known as the Strictly Stock Series and Grand National Series . While leasing its naming rights to R. J...
driver and was named one of NASCAR's 50 greatest drivers. His two sons, Clifford Allison and Davey Allison
Davey Allison
David Carl "Davey" Allison was a NASCAR driver. He was best known for driving the #28 Texaco-Havoline Ford for Robert Yates Racing in the Winston Cup Series. Born in Hollywood, Florida, he was the eldest of four children born to Bobby Allison and wife Judy...
followed him into racing, and both died within a year of each other.
Early life
Allison was born December 3, 1937 in Miami, Florida. He entered his first race as a senior at Archbishop Curley-Notre Dame High SchoolArchbishop Curley-Notre Dame High School
Archbishop Curley-Notre Dame High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in the Buena Vista neighborhood of Miami, Florida, United States...
in Miami, Florida, but was asked to quit by his father. After high school in 1955, Allison took his brother Donnie
Donnie Allison
Dunkiny "Donnie" Allison is a former driver on the NASCAR Grand National/Winston Cup circuit, who won ten times during his racing career, which spanned the 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s. He was part of the "Alabama Gang," and is the brother of 1983 champion Bobby Allison and uncle of Davey Allison...
and some friends along on a quest for more lucrative racing than was available in south Florida. His searching led him to the Montgomery Speedway in Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...
, where he was told of a race that very night in Midfield, Alabama
Midfield, Alabama
Midfield is a town in Jefferson County, Alabama. It is south of Fairfield and part of the Birmingham–Hoover–Cullman Combined Statistical Area. At time of the 2000 U.S. Census, it had a population of about 5,625 people.-Geography:...
near Birmingham
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
. Allison entered and won that race, along with two other races that week. He had found his lucrative racing. Bobby and Donnie set up shop in Hueytown, Alabama
Hueytown, Alabama
Hueytown is a city in Jefferson County, Alabama, United States. At the 2010 census the population was 16,105.It was the home of the legendary NASCAR Alabama Gang...
with another friend (Red Farmer
Red Farmer
Charles "Red" Farmer is a former NASCAR racecar driver.-Racing career:His first race was at Opa-locka Speedway near Miami, Florida in a 1934 Ford in 1948. He became famous as a member of the Alabama Gang and he considered his hometown to be Hueytown, Alabama...
), and they began answering to the name Alabama Gang
Alabama Gang
The Alabama Gang was the nickname for a group of NASCAR drivers who set up shop and operated out of Hueytown, Alabama, near Birmingham, Alabama. In the late 1950s, young auto racer Bobby Allison left Miami, Florida, looking for an area that had more opportunities to race. He discovered central...
.
Bobby Allison also worked as a mechanic and an engine tester, but eventually became a driver and won the national championship in the modified special division in 1962.
NASCAR career
He moved to the Grand National circuit in 1965 and got his first victory at Oxford Plains Speedway on July 12, 1966.During the course of his career, Bobby Allison accumulated 84 victories, making him third all-time, tied with Darrell Waltrip
Darrell Waltrip
Darrell Lee Waltrip is a 3-time NASCAR Cup Series champion , 3-time runner-up , winner of the 1989 Daytona 500 and 5-time winner of the prestigeous Coca-Cola 600 ,...
, including three victories at the Daytona 500
Daytona 500
The Daytona 500 is a -long NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is one of four restrictor plate races on the Cup schedule....
in 1978, 1982 and 1988, where he finished one-two with his son, Davey Allison
Davey Allison
David Carl "Davey" Allison was a NASCAR driver. He was best known for driving the #28 Texaco-Havoline Ford for Robert Yates Racing in the Winston Cup Series. Born in Hollywood, Florida, he was the eldest of four children born to Bobby Allison and wife Judy...
. He was also the NASCAR Winston Cup Champion in 1983 driving for DiGard Racing. Additionally, Allison ran in the Indianapolis 500
Indianapolis 500
The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, also known as the Indianapolis 500, the 500 Miles at Indianapolis, the Indy 500 or The 500, is an American automobile race, held annually, typically on the last weekend in May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana...
twice, with a best finish of 25th in 1975.
Allison's NASCAR team owners included DiGard, Junior Johnson & Associates, and Roger Penske, for whom Allison scored four of the five NASCAR wins for American Motors
American Motors
American Motors Corporation was an American automobile company formed by the 1954 merger of Nash-Kelvinator Corporation and Hudson Motor Car Company. At the time, it was the largest corporate merger in U.S. history.George W...
' Matador. The other AMC victory was accomplished by Mark Donohue also racing for Penske in 1973 at Riverside. Bobby also raced in NASCAR as a driver/owner of an AMC Matador
AMC Matador
The AMC Matador is a mid-size car that was built and sold by American Motors Corporation from 1971 to 1978. The Matador came in two generations: 1971 to 1973 and a major redesign from 1974 to 1978...
.
Pocono and Tragedy
Later that season, on June 19, 1988, Bobby Allison was nearly killed, suffering massive head injuries in a crash at Pocono RacewayPocono Raceway
Pocono Raceway also known as the Tricky Triangle, is a superspeedway located in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania at Long Pond...
which forced his retirement from driving in NASCAR. In 1992, his youngest son, Clifford Allison, was fatally injured in a practice crash for the NASCAR Busch Series race (now Nationwide Series) at Michigan International Speedway
Michigan International Speedway
Michigan International Speedway is a two-mile moderate-banked D-shaped superspeedway located off U.S. Highway 12 on more than in Brooklyn, in the scenic Irish Hills area of southeastern Michigan. The track is used primarily for NASCAR events. It is sometimes known as a "sister track" to Texas...
. Allison was elected to the International Motorsports Hall of Fame
International Motorsports Hall of Fame
The International Motorsports Hall of Fame is a Hall of Fame dedicated to enshrining those who have contributed the most to auto racing either as a driver, owner, developer or engineer...
in 1993. Later that same year, his son Davey
Davey Allison
David Carl "Davey" Allison was a NASCAR driver. He was best known for driving the #28 Texaco-Havoline Ford for Robert Yates Racing in the Winston Cup Series. Born in Hollywood, Florida, he was the eldest of four children born to Bobby Allison and wife Judy...
was killed in a helicopter accident at Talladega Superspeedway
Talladega Superspeedway
Talladega Superspeedway is a motorsports complex located north of Talladega, Alabama, United States. It is located on the former Anniston Air Force Base just outside the small city of Lincoln. It was constructed by International Speedway Corporation, a business controlled by the France Family, in...
. Three years after these major tragedies, he and his wife Judy divorced. Four years after their divorce, while attending their daughter's wedding, they reconnected. They were remarried and are still together. He was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America
Motorsports Hall of Fame of America
The Motorsports Hall of Fame of America is a Hall of Fame and museum for American motorsports legends. It was originally located in Novi, Michigan and it moved to the Detroit Science Center in 2009.-Museum:...
in 1992, and inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in May 2011, along with Lee Petty, Bud Moore, David Pearson, and Ned Jarrett.
Allison is one of eight drivers to have won what was then considered a career Grand Slam (an unofficial term) by winning the sport's four majors: the Daytona 500
Daytona 500
The Daytona 500 is a -long NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is one of four restrictor plate races on the Cup schedule....
, Winston 500
Aaron's 499
The Aaron's 499 is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car auto race held at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Alabama. The race has always been held in late April or early May. The Aaron's 499 is also one of four races currently run with restrictor plates, the others being the AMP Energy 500,...
, Coca-Cola 600
Coca-Cola 600
The Coca-Cola 600, formerly known as the World 600, is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held each year at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina on Memorial Day weekend...
, and the Southern 500
Southern 500
The Showtime Southern 500 is the annual spring NASCAR Sprint Cup race held at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina, USA, and is the second such event at Darlington to bear the name. It began in 1957 as a race in the Convertible Division, known as the Rebel 300. In 1966, the race was...
. Richard Petty
Richard Petty
Richard Lee Petty is a former NASCAR driver who raced in the Strictly Stock/Grand National Era and the NASCAR Winston Cup Series...
, David Pearson, Darrell Waltrip
Darrell Waltrip
Darrell Lee Waltrip is a 3-time NASCAR Cup Series champion , 3-time runner-up , winner of the 1989 Daytona 500 and 5-time winner of the prestigeous Coca-Cola 600 ,...
, Dale Earnhardt
Dale Earnhardt
Ralph Dale Earnhardt, Sr. was an American race car driver, best known for his involvement in stock car racing for NASCAR...
, Jeff Gordon
Jeff Gordon
Jeffery Michael "Jeff" Gordon is a professional NASCAR driver. He is the driver of the #24 Drive to End Hunger/DuPont/Pepsi Chevrolet Impala. He is a four-time Sprint Cup Series champion and a three-time Daytona 500 winner. He is third on the all-time wins list, with 85 career wins, and has the...
, Jimmie Johnson
Jimmie Johnson
Jimmie Kenneth Johnson is an American NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race car driver. He currently drives the No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports....
, and Buddy Baker
Buddy Baker
Elzie Wylie Baker, Jr. , nicknamed "Leadfoot" or more famously Buddy, is a former American NASCAR racecar driver.-Early life:...
are the other seven to have accomplished the feat.
Win controversy
Officially, according to NASCAR.com, Bobby Allison has won 84 Cup Series races, placing him in fourth place on the all-time wins list, tied with Darrell WaltripDarrell Waltrip
Darrell Lee Waltrip is a 3-time NASCAR Cup Series champion , 3-time runner-up , winner of the 1989 Daytona 500 and 5-time winner of the prestigeous Coca-Cola 600 ,...
. Unofficially, Bobby Allison has won 85 races, and may be credited with 86 wins. The controversy lies in two races: the 1971 Myers Brothers 250 held at Bowman Gray Stadium
Bowman Gray Stadium
Bowman Gray Stadium is a NASCAR sanctioned 1/4-mile asphalt flat oval short track and football stadium located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It is one of stock car racing's most legendary venues, and is referred to as "NASCAR's longest-running weekly race track"...
(Winston-Salem, North Carolina), and the 1973 National 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway
Lowe's Motor Speedway
Charlotte Motor Speedway is a motorsports complex located in Concord, North Carolina, United States 13 miles from Charlotte, North Carolina. The complex features a quad oval track that hosts NASCAR racing including the prestigious Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend and the Sprint All-Star Race...
. (Charlotte, North Carolina.)
1971 Myers Brothers 250
The 1971 Myers Brothers 2501971 Myers Brothers 250
The 1971 Myers Brothers 250 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series event that took place on August 6, 1971 at Bowman-Gray Stadium in the American community of Winston-Salem, North Carolina.-Summary:...
was held August 6, 1971 at Bowman Gray Stadium
Bowman Gray Stadium
Bowman Gray Stadium is a NASCAR sanctioned 1/4-mile asphalt flat oval short track and football stadium located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It is one of stock car racing's most legendary venues, and is referred to as "NASCAR's longest-running weekly race track"...
in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The first car to cross the finish line after 250 laps was driven by Bobby Allison.
The dispute in question came because of early 1970s combination races for the smaller Grand American
Grand American
Grand American was a NASCAR sanctioned series of pony car stock cars. The series ran from 1968 until 1971. The series was called "Grand Touring" from 1968 to 1969. It was sometimes nicknamed the Baby Grand series.-History:...
Series, featuring "pony car
Pony car
Pony car is an American class of automobile launched and inspired by the Ford Mustang in 1964. The term describes an affordable, compact, highly styled car with a sporty or performance-oriented image.-Origins of the breed:...
s", such as the Chevrolet Camaro
Chevrolet Camaro
The Chevrolet Camaro is an automobile manufactured by General Motors under the Chevrolet brand, classified as a pony car and some versions also as a muscle car. It went on sale on September 29, 1966, for the 1967 model year and was designed as a competing model to the Ford Mustang...
, Ford Mustang
Ford Mustang
The Ford Mustang is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company. It was initially based on the second generation North American Ford Falcon, a compact car. Introduced early on April 17, 1964, as a "1964½" model, the 1965 Mustang was the automaker's most successful launch since the Model A...
, and AMC Javelin
AMC Javelin
The Javelin was a production version of one of the AMC AMX prototypes shown during the 1966 AMX project nationwide tour. Intended to rival other pony cars such as the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro. American Motor's Javelin debuted on 22 August 1967, for the 1968 model year...
, as well as the Grand National Series, featuring the Chevrolet Chevelle
Chevrolet Chevelle
The Chevrolet Chevelle is a mid-sized automobile produced by the Chevrolet division of General Motors in three generations for the 1964 through 1977 model years. Part of the GM A-Body platform, the Chevelle was one of Chevrolet's most successful nameplates. Body styles include coupes, sedans,...
, Ford Torino Talladega
Ford Torino Talladega
The Ford Torino Talladega was a car produced by the Ford Motor Company during the first few weeks of 1969, only. Ford's Talladega was actually named after the Talladega Superspeedway racetrack in Alabama, which also made its debut in 1969. The Ford Talladega was a special, more aerodynamic,...
, Dodge Charger Daytona
Dodge Charger Daytona
Dodge, an American automobile brand, has produced three separate vehicles with the name Dodge Charger Daytona, all of which were modified Dodge Chargers. The name is taken from Daytona Beach, Florida, which was an early center for auto racing and still hosts the Daytona 500, one of NASCAR's premier...
, and Plymouth Roadrunner Superbird
Plymouth Superbird
The short-lived Plymouth Road Runner Superbird was a highly modified version of the Plymouth Road Runner with well known graphics and horn. It was the factory's follow up stock car racing design for the 1970 season to the Dodge Charger Daytona of 1969, and incorporated many engineering changes and...
. For that race, and the race following at West Virginia International Speedway, Allison raced a Grand National – Grand American combination race in a Grand American Series specification 1970 Ford Mustang, #49, sponsored by Rollins Leasing, and owned by Melvin Joseph. (Joseph was the head of Dover International Speedway
Dover International Speedway
Dover International Speedway is a NASCAR-sanctioned race track located in Dover, Delaware, owned by, and serving as the corporate headquarters of, Dover Motorsports, Inc. It is co-located with a harness racing track, Dover Downs, and shares the complex with Dover Downs Hotel & Casino...
until his death in 2005.) As he was not racing in a Grand National car, he never received credit in that series, but was credited with a Grand American Series ("pony" cars) win.
It should be noted NASCAR has had co-sanctioned races with various series in the past; in such cases, the win counts only in the series which that driver's car was sanctioned. The driver tied with Allison in all-time Cup wins because of the dispute is involved in this incident. An Automobile Racing Club of America / Winston West combination race in College Station, Texas on March 21, 1993, was won by Darrell Waltrip
Darrell Waltrip
Darrell Lee Waltrip is a 3-time NASCAR Cup Series champion , 3-time runner-up , winner of the 1989 Daytona 500 and 5-time winner of the prestigeous Coca-Cola 600 ,...
, driving an ARCA entry. That win was credited as an ARCA win only, and not counted in the NASCAR AutoZone West Series, Grand National Division (as it is currently known) win list. Likewise, when a Winston Cup driver won a Winston Cup / Winston West combination race, the win counts in Cup, not West. The Busch Series and Busch North Series also raced combination races in the past.
Currently, Bristol Motor Speedway
Bristol Motor Speedway
Bristol Motor Speedway, formerly known as Bristol International Raceway and Bristol Raceway is a NASCAR short track venue located in Bristol, Tennessee. Constructed in 1960, it held its first NASCAR race on July 30, 1961...
has such a race, with the Whelen Modified Tour
Whelen Modified Tour
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour is a stock car racing series owned and operated by NASCAR in the Modified division. The Modified division is NASCAR's oldest division, and its one of two open-wheeled divisions...
and Whelen Southern Modified Tour
Whelen Southern Modified Tour
The NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour is a stock car racing series owned by NASCAR and operated in the Southeastern United States as part of its Modified Division...
.
1973 National 500
The 1973 National 5001973 National 500
The 1973 National 500 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series racing event that took place on October 7, 1973 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the American community of Concord, North Carolina. Temperatures for the race would vary between and ; with being the average temperature.-Summary:334 laps took...
was held October 7, 1973 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina. The first three cars to cross the finish line after the scheduled 334 laps (501 miles) were driven by Cale Yarborough
Cale Yarborough
William Caleb "Cale" Yarborough , is a farmer, businessman and former NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver and owner. He is one of only two drivers in NASCAR history to win three consecutive championships...
, Richard Petty
Richard Petty
Richard Lee Petty is a former NASCAR driver who raced in the Strictly Stock/Grand National Era and the NASCAR Winston Cup Series...
, and Bobby Allison, in that order. Again, these facts are not disputed. What is disputed, is the legality of the first two cars' engines, recounted in Jim McLaurin’s book ”NASCAR'S Most Wanted", in the chapter “Fudgin’ With the Rules”:
- In the 1973 National 500 at Charlotte Motor SpeedwayCharlotte Motor SpeedwayCharlotte Motor Speedway is a motorsports complex located in Concord, North Carolina, United States 13 miles from Charlotte, North Carolina. The complex features a quad oval track that hosts NASCAR racing including the prestigious Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend and the Sprint All-Star Race...
, Allison protested that the engines in winner Cale Yarborough's and second-place Richard Petty's cars were over-sized. NASCAR inspected all three of the top finishers, and Allison's engine fit the cubic-displacement specs. Six hours after the inspections began, NASCAR technical director Bill Gazaway told the press that the results were being sent to headquarters in Daytona for a final decision.
- Monday afternoon NASCAR released a statement saying that, because the inspection facilities at Charlotte were inadequate, the pre-race inspection numbers would be used-when all three cars were legal and that the results would stand.
- Allison threatened both to quit and to sue. It was not until after a private meeting with NASCAR President Bill France, Jr., a week later that Allison was assuaged. Speculation was that Allison had been bought off. Allison wouldn't confirm or deny it, saying only that he had “received satisfactory restitution”.
The results were never changed. While many still believe Allison was robbed of yet another win, it has long been NASCAR's practice to "have our races decided on the race track" and issue heavy fines for technical infractions. While Allison may have lost this victory, he also kept one win in which his car's engine failed post-race inspection due to "unapproved" valve train parts.
1973 was a transition year in NASCAR. Teams could run a restrictor plate
Restrictor plate
A restrictor plate or air restrictor is a device installed at the intake of an engine to limit its power. This kind of system is occasionally used in road vehicles for insurance purposes, but mainly in automobile racing, to limit top speed and thus increase safety, to provide equal level of...
-equipped 7-liter engine or a 5.9 liter engine without restrictor plates.
Ten years later, Petty's over sized engine at the same race resulted in new NASCAR rules on oversized engines, including twelve-week suspensions for the offending engine builder, driver, and car owner.
1982 Daytona 500 ("Bumpergate")
Following his victory at Daytona, Allison's car was inspected and was found to have lost its rear bumper. It appeared to have fallen off in a slight bump between two cars at the beginning of the race. However tests were performed on the car without its rear bumper and it was discovered that the car was faster and handled better without the bumper. It has been claimed that Allison and his crew modified the bumper so that it would fall off easily at the beginning of the race. NASCAR never fined him and the victory stands. Allison and his crew deny the allegations.Car owner
Bobby was a car owner for numerous drivers from 1990 to 1996, most notably Mike Alexander, Hut StricklinHut Stricklin
Waymond Lane "Hut" Stricklin is a former NASCAR race car driver. He was born on June 24, 1961, in Calera, Alabama. He married Pam Allison, the daughter of NASCAR legend Donnie Allison after they were introduced by her cousin Davey. Hut was the last member of the Alabama Gang.In 1986, Stricklin won...
, Jimmy Spencer
Jimmy Spencer
Jimmy Spencer is a current television commentator, and a former NASCAR driver. He formerly hosted the NASCAR inspired talk show, “What’s the Deal?”, on SPEED. He is the former co-host, with John Roberts and Kenny Wallace, of the SPEED's pre-race and post-race NASCAR shows NASCAR RaceDay and...
, and Derrike Cope
Derrike Cope
Derrike Cope is a NASCAR driver. He is best known for his win in the 1990 Daytona 500. He currently drives the #28 Chevrolet for Jay Robinson Racing in the Nationwide Series and the #75 Chevrolet/Dodge for his own team in the Sprint Cup Series.-Early years:Cope was born in San Diego, California...
.
Stricklin was Donnie Allison's son-in-law.
The car number raced was #12 and sponsors included Raybestos Brakes from 1990 to 1992 and, in 1993, Meineke. Stricklin moved to the Junior Johnson
Junior Johnson
Robert Glenn Johnson, Jr. , better known as Junior Johnson, is a retired moonshiner in the rural South who became one of the early superstars of NASCAR in the 1950s and 1960s. He won 50 NASCAR races in his career before retiring in 1966...
team halfway through 1992 and Raybestos left at the end of the year to the Stavola Brothers #8 team. For 1994 and 1995, the team was sponsored by Mane 'n Tail with Derrike Cope at the wheel. Allison was forced to close down the team due to financial problems after the 1996 season.
Recent years
Allison has actively promoted rail safety for the CSX "Keep on Living" campaign with appearances at Talladega and Daytona.Racing Champions still ran die cast replicas of Allison in 1991 despite Allison being retired, the cars had Allison's 1988 paint scheme but no sponsorship. They were run as a tribute to Allison.
Allison appeared in Zaxby's
Zaxby's
Zaxby's is a franchised chain of fast casual restaurants that operates primarily in the Southeastern United States with 500 locations. Zaxby's 500th location opened in Tifton, Georgia the summer of 2010. The first Zaxby's was opened in Statesboro, Georgia, near the Georgia Southern University...
restaurant television ads in late 2007.
On March 6, 2008 Bobby's mother Kittie Allison died at the age of 101. She died in Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
. She was buried on March 9.
On May 23, 2011, Bobby was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.