A NASCAR victory recognized 53 years later for Bobby Allison
It’s not often that we bring you news from the world of motor racing, but sometimes incredible stories come along that deserve our attention. The one that hit the world of NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) this week falls into that category.
It concerns one of the legends of the sport, former driver Bobby Allison, now 86 years old. To get an idea of who he is, imagine Jean Béliveau in hockey or Arnold Palmer in golf; a dominant player, a great gentleman and a great ambassador for his sport.
On 6 August 1971, Bobby Allison took part in a race at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The race was held at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and featured cars from the major series of the time, as well as a smaller series of slightly smaller models. It was at the wheel of one of these, a 1969 Ford Mustang, that Bobby Allison crossed the line first. He was awarded the trophy and winner’s cheque, but other drivers complained about the thing, so NASCAR didn’t record an official winner (the thing would have been entered and then withdrawn).
Bobby Allison | Photo: Facebook Page
Bobby Allison complained to then NASCAR President Bill France Jr, but to no avail.
This week, after more than five decades, the organization finally awarded the victory to Bobby Allison. So why did NASCAR make this decision this year? Well, the series is planning an exhibition race at the venue for 2025, which brought the subject of the 1971 race back into the discussion. It was then that the decision was made to correct the mistake that had been made. The time. Jim France, Bill France Jr’s brother, spoke on behalf of the series:
As we began to prepare for the next Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium, the subject of that race on August 6, 1971 came to the forefront. We felt it was only right to officially recognize Bobby’s victory and honour him as an 85-time winner in the NASCAR Cup Series. We are grateful to Bobby for the contributions he has made to NASCAR throughout his life.
Until last week, Bobby Allison had 84 victories on the big circuit, tying him with Darrell Waltrip for fourth all-time behind Richard Petty (200), David Pearson (105) and Jeff Gordon (93). With this recognition, Bobby Allison now sits alone in fourth place with 85 wins, one ahead of Waltrip.
History doesn’t tell us how Bobby Allison reacted. He had to end his career at the end of the 80s after a serious accident which affected his memory. He forgot some of the great moments of his career. However, he has long maintained that he deserves recognition for that victory, and he has just received it.
As another former NASCAR driver, Kenny Wallace, put it, ‘He can die in peace now.
