An Unforgettable Career
He etched his name all over the record books, but when it comes to one of NASCAR’s best-ever drivers—maybe THE best—records are only a part of the story. Let's look back at the best moments in Bobby Allison's career.
1959: The Alabama Gang
In the late 50s, Bobby Allison and his brother Donnie were dominating the local racing circuit in their home state of Florida but weren’t making much money. Noticing all the busy short tracks in Alabama, they quickly packed up and moved to Hueytown near Birmingham. With their friend Red Farmer, they travelled around the south as a group, acquiring the nickname “The Alabama Gang”.
1961: First NASCAR races
Driving for his brother-in-law, Bobby Allison ran five races on the NASCAR cup circuit that year. The step up in competition was tough as Allison finished 31st at that year’s Daytona 500, but he would turn that experience to good use on the local short track circuits.
1962: First Championship
The Modified Special division of NASCAR only ran for a handful of years in the late 50s and early 60s, running hot rod 30s-vintage Ford coupes. With the circuit confined to tracks in Tennessee and northern Alabama, Bobby Allison won his first championship in this fascinating class in 1962. He would repeat as champ in 1963.
1964-65: Back-To-Back Modified Championships
Bobby took the NASCAR Modified championship two years in a row, winning the circuit on a national stage this time. Racing—and winning—in the NASCAR equivalent of the minor leagues, with its frenetic schedule of races and shoe-string budget repairs, enabled Allison to make the jump to the Grand National (Cup) circuit.
NASCAR Media Group, NASCAR Hall of Fame Biography: Bobby Allison (2011)
1966: First Win
Allison took his first NASCAR cup series win at Oxford Plains Speedway in Maine, on June 12. He would win two other races that year on the way to a tenth-place finish overall. But that wasn’t the only thing that attracted the attention of racing fans.
NASCAR Media Group, NASCAR Hall of Fame Biography: Bobby Allison (2011)
1966: Competitive Fire
From the start, Allison showed established drivers on the Grand National cup circuit that he was willing to smash bumpers to take a lead. There was no better example than the August race at Bowman Gray. Bumped aside by the imposing Curtis Turner, Allison responded by smashing Turner and wrecking both of their cars. Allison gained the respect of other drivers and popularity with NASCAR fans as a scrappy underdog.
1971: First World 600 Win
Bobby Allison finished first with plenty of room to spare over second-place brother Donnie to take the World 600 at Charlotte. At the wheel of his classic number 12 Mercury Cyclone, it was Allison’s first of five consecutive wins that marked a breakout season for him.
1971: First Southern 500 win
Continuing his outstanding 1971 cup season, Allison led for almost the entire race and charged to victory in the Southern 500, leaving Richard Petty far behind. It was a sign of good things to come, as Allison would always thrive at the challenging Darlington track.
Jgarrett71, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
1971: Breakthrough Season
Allison took an amazing 11 wins and 16 other top five finishes over the course of the season with the Holman Moody team. Incredibly, Richard Petty won even more races, denying Allison the Winston Cup title. The rivalry between the two drivers would intensify in 1972.
State Archives of North Carolina Raleigh, Wikimedia Commons
1972: Different Team, Same Amazing Record
The year started with a move that would typify Allison’s career: he switched teams and spent the season driving for Junior Johnson. He finished the year with an amazing 10 wins, 15 other top five finishes, and 11 poles. Much of the success was due to Allison’s input on the specifics of the ‘72 Chevy Monty Carlo, one more car made classic by his stellar driving. The Winston Cup again eluded Allison’s grasp, taken by the great Richard Petty.
1972: Impressive Win At Atlanta 500
Allison’s first win of 1972 may have been the most impressive. At Atlanta Motor Speedway against a field stacked with NASCAR legends in their prime, he led for 142 of the 328 laps, taking the win by three-fifths of a second over AJ Foyt. It wasn’t the last time that Allison would have no fuel left to take a victory lap!
NASCAR Media Group, NASCAR Hall of Fame Biography: Bobby Allison (2011)
1971-73: Most Popular Driver In NASCAR
Allison’s hardscrabble origins and intensity on the track built an amazing connection with fellow drivers and fans all across the country in the late 60s and early 70s. His competitors voted him NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver for three years running. He would go on to win the popularity contest several times in the early 80s as well.
1972: Trans-Am Interlude
Bobby Allison took a side trip from NASCAR in 1972, filling in as a guest driver at the Trans-Am Challenge for Peter Brock’s BRE Datsun team in the under-2.5 Liter class. He started two races in the Datsun 510, with a third-place finish at Laguna Seca.
The Enthusiast Network, Getty Images
1973, 1975: Indy 500 Adventures
Allison entered the Indianapolis 500 for the Roger Penske Team twice. Easily adjusting to Indy car speed and handling, he was done in by engine troubles both times. Allison was one of only a handful of NASCAR drivers to cross over to Indy car racing in that era.
1975: Third Southern 500 Win
The summer of 1975 had been a tough one for Bobby Allison and the Penske racing team, with several engine failures in series races. That all changed at the Southern 500 as Allison and his number 16 AMC Matador outdueled Richard Petty over the course of the afternoon at Darlington. As he celebrated his third career win in the prestigious race, he didn’t know it would be a long wait for his next victory.
NASCAR Media Group, NASCAR Hall of Fame Biography: Bobby Allison (2011)
1978: First Daytona 500 Victory
Allison’s win at the 78 Daytona couldn’t have come at a better time. At the wheel of the number 15 Thunderbird in his first race for owner Bud Moore, Allison got his first win since 1975, reversing a long string of bad luck and mediocre finishes at the iconic race. It was his first of a slew of incredible Daytona moments.
1979: A Legendary Brawl
Battling for the lead on the final lap of the 79 Daytona 500, Cale Yarborough and Bobby Allison’s brother Donnie wrecked each other. Stopping off in the infield to check on his brother, Allison came face-to-face with an enraged Yarborough. Allison proved more than equal to the challenge and their brawl ignited interest for new fans. The tussle has since become one of the most celebrated moments in NASCAR lore.
NASCAR Media Group, NASCAR Hall of Fame Biography: Bobby Allison (2011)
1979: First Winston 500 win
A major crash in the early going wiped out several of the best competitors, allowing Allison to take a lead he wouldn’t let go of. The hard-fought struggle at Talladega was his first ever Winston 500 win. With the previous year’s Daytona, Bobby Allison had now accomplished wins in all four of NASCAR’s premier races (including the Southern 500 and World 600).
NASCAR Media Group, NASCAR Hall of Fame Biography: Bobby Allison (2011)
1980 IROC Championship
Allison took the 1980 International Race of Champions (IROC) at Atlanta Motor Speedway. A stock car series featuring Camaros, the 1980 event saw a huge crash wipe out eight of the competitors, including Mario Andretti and Bobby Unser. With only four cars left unscathed, Allison took the lead with two laps to go for the win.
1981: Riverside Win Sets Record
Allison’s win at the season-ending Winston Western 500 was the sixth of his career at the famously challenging Riverside International Raceway. With the six checkered flags, he remains the driver with the most all-time NASCAR series wins at Riverside, which closed in the late 80s.
1982: Busch Clash Win
A preseason 20-lap sprint at Daytona featuring 13 of the sport’s toughest drivers, the 1982 Busch Clash was a classic. Early in the race, Bobby Allison made a perfect three-wide pass to take the lead and hang on for the win. The $50,000 prize was made even sweeter by the fact that he’d started second-last on the grid! But an even bigger win loomed up ahead.
1982: Second Daytona 500 Win
Losing his back bumper in the early going didn’t slow Allison down, and he took control of the race. Holding off a tenacious Cale Yarborough, he used his last drops of fuel to take the checkered flag. The number 88 Gatorade Buick LeSabre became a part of the Allison legend on a day when everything that could go right, did.
1982: An Eight-Win Season
In his first season with DiGard racing, the 44-year-old Bobby Allison proved he still had lots of gas left in the tank with an outstanding eight wins. Though it wasn’t enough to catch the mercurial Darrell Waltrip, it was a foreshadowing of an even stronger showing for the following year.
Billferguson, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
1983: Cup Champion
With six wins and 12 other top five finishes, Allison led the Winston Cup pack for most of the year. At the wheel of the number 22 Buick Regal, it was another fantastic performance. Holding off Darrell Waltrip’s fierce pursuit, Allison finally captured the elusive NASCAR championship. At 45, he remains the oldest Cup winner in NASCAR history.
us44mt, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
1984: Third World 600 Win
The Memorial Day weekend race at Charlotte was decided early as Bobby staked a strong lead over runner-up Dale Earnhardt. The memorable victory was the last glimpse of his dominant form from the year before, as Allison would not win another race for two years.
Ted Van Pelt, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
1986: Third Winston 500 Win
Bobby Allison’s first win in almost two years was a big one. The demonic speed of the favored Bill Elliott was negated by engine troubles, and Allison withstood Dale Earnhardt on the last lap to take the hard-fought 83rd win of his career.
Ted Van Pelt, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
1987: A History-Changing Crash
At the 1987 Winston 500, Allison cut a tire on debris from a blown engine and his car went airborne, tearing out a section of fencing along Talladega’s main spectator area. Though no-one was seriously hurt, the incident—and the increasing speeds of the cars—moved NASCAR to implement restrictor plates on engines at the high-speed ovals for all future races.
1987: From The Middle Of The Pack
Two months after his hair-raising crash, Allison won a wild Pepsi Firecracker 400 at Daytona. With a fresh set of tires after his final pitstop, he passed 12 cars in the final six laps for the win. Some competitors had eased off, thinking Allison was still a lap down! Far down in the cup standings, it was nonetheless a classic exhibition of driving by the legend.
Ted Van Pelt, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
1988: Third Daytona Win
Bobby Allison barely outlasted his son Davey for the victory at the Daytona 500, the third of his career. It was the only time a father and son finished 1-2 at a NASCAR cup race. The surprising result remains one of the most moving and iconic moments in racing history. It would turn out to be Allison’s last NASCAR win.
NASCAR Media Group, NASCAR Hall of Fame Biography: Bobby Allison (2011)
1988: History Made
Allison’s third Daytona win meant that he had at least three victories in each of NASCAR’s four flagship races (including the Southern 500, Winston 500, and World 600). Only one other driver in NASCAR history has accomplished this monumental feat: Jeff Gordon.
Zach Catanzareti, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
1988: Australian Detour
Fresh from his Daytona victory, Allison and his Alabama Gang colleague Neil Bonnett entered the 1988 Goodyear NASCAR 500. Held in Calder Park Thunderdome in Melbourne, Australia, this was the first NASCAR race ever held outside North America. Bonnett and Allison finished 1-2 in the race that featured several Australian and New Zealand racing legends among the NASCAR stars.
1989: Courageous Comeback
After a devastating 1988 crash at Pocono and four months in hospital, Allison embarked on an extensive rehab program. Though ultimately unable to return to the NASCAR grid, he showed inspiring determination just in regaining his ability to live a normal life.
NASCAR Media Group, NASCAR Hall of Fame Biography: Bobby Allison (2011)
1990s: Resilience In A Time Of Darkness
The loss of both his sons in accidents marked a devastating turn in the fortunes of the Allison family. Instead of shying away from life, Bobby Allison was a rock of support for his family and an example for others with his faith and resilience.
NASCAR Media Group, NASCAR Hall of Fame Biography: Bobby Allison (2011)
1998: One Of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers
NASCAR marked its 50th year by naming its top 50 all-time drivers. Bobby Allison’s list of career accomplishments and dedication to racing made his addition to the prestigious list a foregone conclusion, and one of the highest honors in NASCAR.
NASCAR Media Group, NASCAR Hall of Fame Biography: Bobby Allison (2011)
2011: Hall Of Fame
Bobby Allison was elected to the NASCAR Hall of Fame in only its second year. In a moving acceptance speech, the first person he thanked for his success was his wife, Judy. The speech showed that Allison never forgot his roots or the people who’d helped him travel his long hard road to NASCAR greatness.
2024: A Long Overdue Win
Allison’s win at Bowman Gray on August 6, 1971 had always been disputed by competitors who felt the car Allison was running was unfair. On October 23, 2024, NASCAR ended the uncertainty, officially awarding Allison the victory. It brought his career total to an incredible 85 wins, fourth highest in NASCAR annals.
An Engineer Who Drove
Allison was well-known for his formidable skills as a mechanic. Starting in his childhood doing small engine repairs, Allison was eventually building, designing, and doing all the repairs and adjustments to his own race cars. A driver who always had very clear ideas on how his cars should be set up, Allison’s outstanding mechanical ability also gave him an uncanny feel for how his car was doing while he was at the wheel.
Ted Van Pelt, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Legendary Versatility
Allison’s enthusiasm at racing any vehicle on any kind of track in any conditions won him a list of accomplishments as diverse as it was long. Over the course of his career, he won 85 NASCAR Cup races in nine different brands of car for 14 different racing teams on 27 different racetracks!
NASCAR Media Group, NASCAR Hall of Fame Biography: Bobby Allison (2011)
An Amazing Legacy
The loss of Bobby Allison on November 9, 2024 brought a flood of retrospectives and renewed admiration for one of NASCAR’s greatest competitors. In a career that spanned incredible highs, devastating lows, and everything in between, Bobby Allison proved beyond a doubt that he was one of the best ever.
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
