Bobby Allison
Bobby Allison ( born December 3, 1937 in Miami, Florida ) is a former NASCAR driver and champion. He is one of the 50 greatest drivers of NASCAR.
Career before NASCAR
Allison ran his first race at the Archbishop Curley Notre Dame High School in Miami, Florida. After a few accidents, his father ordered to quit racing. After high school in 1955 he went with his brother Donnie and a few friends in search of more lucrative race as those who were in Florida. His search led him to the Montgomery Speedway in Montgomery, Alabama. Once there, he learned from a night race in Midfield, Alabama, near Birmingham, Alabama. Allison took part in the race and won it and two other races in the same week. So he had found his lucrative racing. Bobby and Donnie opened a workshop in Hueytown, Alabama, along with her friend Red Farmer. You should then be known as the " Alabama Gang".
Bobby Allison also worked as a mechanic and engine testers, but changed his mind again on racing and won the championship in the Modified Special Division in 1962.
NASCAR Career
1965 Allison joined in the Grand National Series and won his first race at the Oxford Plains Speedway on July 12, 1966.
During his career, Allison scored a total of 84 victories, as many as Darrell Waltrip. Among these are three victories at the Daytona 500 in 1978, 1982 and 1988. Under the latter also his son Davey Allison finished second. In 1983 he won the championship in the Winston Cup for Digard Racing. Allison tried twice at the Indianapolis 500 His best result was a 25th place in 1975.
Allison was involved in an accident at Talladega Superspeedway in May 1987, in which his car turned sideways, took off and flew into the safety fence. The impact at nearly 200 mph made sure that the fence was torn down for a length of about 90 meters, flew parts of the car in the grandstand and several spectators injured. NASCAR demanded that smaller carburetors for the remaining races of the season at Talladega and Daytona International Speedway. From the following season NASCAR wrote for the use of air restrictors ( Restrictor plates ) on the two routes to keep the speed below 200 mph. Allison won the Daytona 500 in February 1988, the first restrictor -plate race.
In the course of the season Allison was born on June 19, 1988 in an accident at Pocono Raceway almost killed. Allison survived, but the injury forced him to withdraw from NASCAR. 1992 crashed his youngest son Clifford died in a practice session for the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Michigan International Speedway. In 1993, Allison was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America. A year later, the recording was followed into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame. In the same year his son Davey Super Speedway came in a helicopter crash at Talladega killed.
Allison is one of eight drivers who managed the career Grand Slam and have won four major races.
Controversial Win
Officially, Allison won 84 races in his career. Unofficially 85 victories will be awarded to him, possibly even 86 Controversial were two races: The Myers Brothers 250 at Bowman Gray Stadium in the 1971 season and the National 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the season 1973.
Myers Brothers 250
The Myers Brothers 250 of the 1971 season took place on August 6, 1971 at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston -Salem, North Carolina, instead. The first car to cross the finish line after 250 laps, was piloted by Allison.
The controversy in said race was that in the early 1970s combined race for the smaller Grand American Series with the so-called " pony cars " like the Chevrolet Camaro, Ford Mustang and AMC Javelin and the Grand National Series with Chevrolet Chevelle, Ford Torino Talladega, Dodge Charger Daytona and Plymouth Roadrunner were held. For this and the following race at the West Virginia International Speedway Allison drove in such a combination race in a Ford Mustang, which corresponded to the specifications of the Grand American Series. Since he was not sitting in a car in the Grand National Series, him the victory in this series was not attributed, but the Grand American Series.
Here it should be noted that NASCAR has held various races combined with other racing series in the past. In these cases, the only victory for the series in which the driver's race car was admitted counted. Also affected by this regulation is Darrell Waltrip, the same number of victories on the account has like Allison.
National 500
The National 500 of the 1973 season took place on October 7 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina, instead. The first three cars that crossed the finish line after the scheduled 334 laps were driven by Cale Yarborough, Richard Petty and Bobby Allison. They crossed the line in that order. The finish is not controversial, but rather the legality of the engines of the first two cars.
After the race, Allison protested that the engines would be oversized in Yarboroughs Cale and Richard Petty's car. NASCAR looked at all three engines of the top three finishers and only Allison engine met the specifications. Six hours after the start of inspections announced the technical director of NASCAR, Bill Gazaway, the press, that the results would be sent to the headquarters of NASCAR at Daytona and there would be the final decision.
On Monday, NASCAR issued a press release, which has been informed that the facilities were inadequate in Charlotte, the results of the inspection would be used before the race, after all three cars were legal and thus would remain the result.
Allison threatened two other riders with the resignation and a lawsuit. It was only after a private meeting with NASCAR President Bill France Jr. a week later drew an Allison. Then made the round of speculation, Allison had been brought with money to silence. Allison did not confirm this speculation, but did not deny it also. He said only that he was sufficiently compensated.
The race result was not altered, but a number of fans is of the opinion that Allison was robbed of another win.
The year 1973 was a year of transition in NASCAR. Teams could choose between a 7- liter engine with air flow limitation and a 5.9 -liter engine without limit. Ten years later saw Petty's oversized motor in the same race for new rules after the engine manufacturer, the driver and team owner could be excluded twelve weeks race in such a case.
Daytona 500
After his victory in Daytona Allison's car was examined and it was found that the rear bumper was missing. It initially looked as if it had fallen off at a slight contact with another car at the start of the race. However, tests were carried out and found that he was faster without it and was run better with the car without bumper. Then it was alleged that Allison and his crew had the bumper modified so that it falls off easily. NASCAR imposed no penalty and the victory persisted. Allison and his crew rejected the allegation.
Car owners
Allison was the owner of a car for a variety of drivers aged between 1990 and 1996. Particularly significant are Hut Stricklin, Jimmy Spencer and Derrike Cope.