Bobby Allison facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bobby Allison
Allison at Martinsville Speedway in 2022
Born	Robert Arthur Allison (1937-12-03)December 3, 1937 Miami, Florida, U.S.
Died	November 9, 2024(2024-11-09) (aged 86) Mooresville, North Carolina, U.S.
Achievements	1983 Winston Cup Series Champion 1980 IROC Champion 1978, 1982, 1988 Daytona 500 Winner 1971, 1972, 1975, 1983 Southern 500 Winner 1971, 1981 1984 World 600 Winner 1979, 1981, 1986 Winston 500 Winner 1982 Busch Clash winner
Awards	1971–1973, 1980–1983 Winston Cup Series Most Popular Driver (7 times) Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (1992) International Motorsports Hall of Fame (1993) Named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers (1998) NASCAR Hall of Fame (2011) Named one of NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers (2023)
NASCAR Cup Series career
718 races run over 25 years
Best finish	1st (1983)
First race	1961 Daytona Twin 100 Qualifier #2 (Daytona)
Last race	1988 Miller High Life 500 (Pocono)
First win	1966 Maine 100 (Oxford)
Last win	1988 Daytona 500 (Daytona)
Wins Top tens Poles 85 447 59
NASCAR Xfinity Series career
43 races run over 7 years
Best finish	27th (1984)
First race	1982 Sportsman 200 (Dover)
Last race	1988 Winn-Dixie 300 (Charlotte)
First win	1984 Mello Yello 300 (Charlotte)
Last win	1988 Goody's 300 (Daytona)
Wins Top tens Poles 2 22 0
NASCAR Grand National East Series career
17 races run over 2 years
Best finish	7th (1973)
First race	1972 Hickory 276 (Hickory)
Last race	1973 Buddy Shuman 100 (Hickory)
First win	1972 Hickory 276 (Hickory)
Last win	1973 Cumberland 200 (Fayetteville)
Wins Top tens Poles 6 11 7
Statistics current as of December 22, 2012.

Robert Arthur Allison (December 3, 1937 – November 9, 2024), known as Bobby Allison, was a famous American stock car racing driver. He was a big part of NASCAR from 1961 to 1988. Bobby Allison was known for being a tough competitor. He won the NASCAR Cup Series championship in 1983. He also won the famous Daytona 500 race three times: in 1978, 1982, and 1988.

Bobby was a leader of the "Alabama Gang". This was a group of talented drivers who lived in Hueytown, Alabama. His brother, Donnie Allison, and his sons, Clifford and Davey Allison, were also well-known racers. Bobby Allison was named one of NASCAR's 50 greatest drivers. He is also a member of the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Bobby's Early Life and Racing Start

Bobby Allison was born in Miami, Florida, on December 3, 1937. He started racing cars when he was just 17 years old. His mom had to give him permission to race because he was so young.

After high school, Bobby went to work for Mercury Outboard Motors. The owner of Mercury also owned race cars! Bobby worked as a mechanic and engine tester for a short time. He even went to 19 races with the team.

In 1956, Bobby went back to Miami and started racing again. His parents didn't want him to race, so he used a fake name once. But his dad told him to race with his real name. In 1959, Bobby and his brother Donnie went to Alabama to find bigger races. They found success there and became known as "The Alabama Gang." Bobby became a top short-track racer. He won many championships in the early 1960s.

Bobby's Amazing NASCAR Career

1968 racecar

Bobby Allison started racing full-time in the Grand National circuit (now called the NASCAR Cup Series) in 1965. He got his first big win on July 12, 1966.

Throughout his career, Bobby Allison won 85 races. This puts him fourth on the all-time wins list! He won the Daytona 500 three times. In 1988, he even finished first, with his son Davey Allison finishing second. This was a very special moment for them.

In 1972, Bobby was named "Driver of the Year." He won ten races and earned 11 pole positions that year. A pole position means he started the race in first place. In 1983, he won the NASCAR Winston Cup Series championship. He was named Driver of the Year again.

Bobby also raced in the famous Indianapolis 500 race twice. He mostly raced for his own small team for much of his career. He showed that you don't always need a huge team to win.

1983 championship car

In May 1987, Bobby was in a serious crash at Talladega Superspeedway. His car went into the protective fence at over 200 miles per hour. This crash led NASCAR to make new rules. They started using "restrictor plates" at Daytona and Talladega. These plates make cars go slower to keep races safer. Bobby Allison won the first Daytona 500 race with restrictor plates in 1988. He was 50 years old, making him the oldest driver to win the Daytona 500.

The Famous 1979 Daytona 500 Moment

At the 1979 Daytona 500, Bobby, his brother Donnie, and another driver named Cale Yarborough had a big moment. Near the end of the race, Donnie and Cale crashed. Richard Petty then drove past them to win the race.

Bobby stopped his car to check on his brother. Then, an argument started between Bobby and Cale. It became a physical scuffle. All three drivers were fined for the incident. However, this event was shown live on TV across the country. Many people believe it helped make NASCAR much more popular. It brought stock car racing to a huge new audience.

A Difficult Time and Hall of Fame

On June 19, 1988, Bobby Allison was in another very serious crash at Pocono Raceway. He was badly hurt and had to spend a long time recovering. This accident ended his racing career. He worked hard to regain his memory and learn everyday things again.

Sadly, Bobby faced more challenges. In 1992, his younger son, Clifford, passed away in a practice crash. The next year, in 1993, his son Davey died in a helicopter accident. These were very tough times for Bobby and his family.

Bobby Allison was honored for his amazing career. He was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1992. In 2011, he was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. He is one of only ten drivers to win a "Grand Slam" in NASCAR. This means winning the four biggest races: the Daytona 500, the Winston 500, the Coca-Cola 600, and the Southern 500.

Bobby as a Car Owner

Besides being a driver, Bobby Allison also owned his own race teams. He drove his own cars in the early 1970s and won six races as an owner-driver. Later, in 1985, he started his own team again. He brought his car number (22) and sponsor with him. After 1985, he joined the Stavola Brothers Racing team.

In 1990, Bobby started his team again. He had other drivers race for him, like Mike Alexander and Hut Stricklin. His team raced until 1996, when he had to close it because of money problems.

Later Years

In his later years, Bobby Allison helped promote rail safety. He worked with the CSX "Keep on Living" campaign. His mother, Kittie Allison, lived to be 101 years old before she passed away in 2008. Bobby's wife, Judy, passed away in 2015 after 55 years of marriage.

Bobby Allison passed away on November 9, 2024, at the age of 86. He is remembered as one of NASCAR's greatest and most influential drivers.

Images for kids

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  1988 racecar

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