49 Facts About Bobby Allison

Robert Arthur Allison was an American professional stock car racing driver and owner.

Bobby Allison was the founder of the Alabama Gang, a group of drivers based in Hueytown, Alabama, where there were abundant short tracks with high purses.

Bobby Allison raced competitively in the NASCAR Cup Series from 1961 to 1988, while regularly competing in short track events throughout his career.

Bobby Allison's brother Donnie Allison was a prominent driver, as were his two sons, Clifford and Davey Allison.

Bobby Allison was unusual for competing successfully with his own, low-budget team for much of his career.

Bobby Allison entered his first race as a senior at Archbishop Curley-Notre Dame High School in Miami.

When his mother approved, Bobby Allison assumed it was permanent, but his mother believed it was for only one race.

Bobby Allison began working as a mechanic and an engine tester.

Kiekhaefer was a hard person to work for and several people got fired, so Bobby Allison decided to go back to Miami only after a little over two months.

In 1956, having returned to Miami, Bobby Allison started racing again.

Bobby Allison's parents had told Allison that he could not race and live at home, so Allison came up with a fictitious name which was used only once as he finished well enough to make the Sunday paper.

Bobby Allison's father saw the paper and told him that if he was going to race he should do it with honor and use his own name.

In 1959, Bobby Allison took his brother, Donnie, Kenny Andrews, who owned a car, and Gil Hearne, who went along as Kenny's driver, to find more lucrative racing than was available in South Florida.

Bobby Allison entered and finished 5th in that race, which paid more than finishing second in any race of a higher level in South Florida.

Bobby Allison went to Montgomery the next night, winning the preliminary races, and finished 2nd in the feature, winning $400, having found his lucrative racing.

The brothers returned home and Bobby Allison convinced Red Farmer into coming back to Alabama with him.

Bobby Allison moved full-time to the Grand National circuit in 1965 and got his first victory at Oxford Plains Speedway on July 12,1966.

Bobby Allison won the Daytona 500 in 1978,1982 and 1988, finishing one-two with his son, Davey Allison.

Bobby Allison was NASCAR Winston Cup Champion in 1983, winning the Driver of the Year award again while driving for DiGard Racing.

Bobby Allison won the Firecracker 400 in 1982, making Allison the fourth driver to sweep both Sprint Cup point races at Daytona in the same year.

Bobby Allison ran in the Indianapolis 500 twice, with a best finish of 25th in 1975.

Bobby Allison made two starts in the 1972 Trans-Am Series, driving a Brock Racing Enterprises Datsun 510 in the Under 2.5 liter class; he finished third on debut at Laguna Seca.

Bobby Allison was involved in an accident at Talladega 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.

Bobby Allison won the first Daytona 500 run with restrictor plates in February 1988 by a car length over his son Davey Bobby Allison, rendering him the first driver to have won the Daytona 500 both with and without restrictor plates.

Bobby Allison is the oldest driver ever to win the Daytona 500.

Bobby Allison was elected to the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1993.

Bobby Allison was elected to the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2011.

Bobby Allison passed the wreckage, finished the race, and on his way back around stopped to check on his brother and make sure he wasn't hurt.

Bobby Allison pulled over to the wreck site to offer Donnie a ride to the garage area.

Bobby Allison hit me in the face with his helmet and I saw blood dripping onto my shirt.

Bobby Allison ran his nose into my fist several times.

Bobby Allison wrecked himself and I was the unfortunate bystander to be in it.

Bobby Allison however complains to this day that because he only made $4,000 in the race, he had his wife Judy help pay the fine and he was only refunded with $4,000 by officials.

On June 19,1988, at the midpoint of the 1988 season, Bobby Allison crashed on lap 1 of the Miller High Life 500.

In 1992 his younger son, Clifford Bobby Allison, was fatally injured in a practice crash for the NASCAR Busch Series race at Michigan International Speedway.

Bobby Allison 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.

Bobby Allison is one of ten drivers to have won what was then considered a career Grand Slam by winning the sport's four majors: the Daytona 500, the Winston 500, the Coca-Cola 600, and the Southern 500.

Bobby Allison drove his own cars for portions of the early 1970s, including the full 1973 season.

Bobby Allison won six races as an owner-driver from 1970 to 1974.

Bobby Allison ran for his own team in 1977 after splitting with Roger Penske, with a best finish of second at Nashville.

In 1985 Bobby Allison returned to being an owner-driver after leaving DiGard Motorsports, taking his number and sponsor with him to his new team.

Bobby Allison's best finish as an owner-driver in 1985 was a fourth-place finish at Dover.

In 1990 Bobby Allison revived his team and was a car owner for numerous drivers, most notably Mike Alexander, Hut Stricklin, Jimmy Spencer, and Derrike Cope.

Bobby Allison was forced to close down the team due to financial problems after the 1996 season.

Bobby Allison actively promoted rail safety for the CSX "Keep on Living" campaign with appearances at Talladega and Daytona.

On March 6,2008, his mother, Kittie Bobby Allison, died in Charlotte, North Carolina, at the age of 101.

On May 23,2011, Bobby Allison was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Bobby Allison died in Mooresville, North Carolina, on November 9,2024, at the age of 86.

Bobby Allison's family announced his death that same day, prior to the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Race.