Bobby Allison was a fierce competitor.
Known for his versatility behind the wheel and ability to
win wherever and whenever he wanted, Allison will forever be
remembered as one of NASCAR's elite talents.
This is Bobby Allison, a factor in every race he
entered.
Standing on the throttle, Bobby Allison takes first place.
It's a great feeling to come out on top in
a battle like that.
Bobby Allison was the best stock car driver.
Whoever lived, Bobby always gave 100% on the racetrack and
off the racetrack.
Born in Miami, FL, Allison made a name for himself
on the local dirt tracks.
My grandfather came to live with us and he would
take one of his kids to an event.
He said come on Bobby, we're going to the car
races and I thought this was the neatest thing I
had ever seen.
Put a seat belt in that car and I painted
the number on the door with shoe Polish and I
went to every race that I could get to.
In the late 1950s, he left the short tracks of
South Florida to settle in Hueytown, AL, where he won
NASCAR Modified Special Division titles in both 1962 and 1963,
followed by two more NASCAR Modified Division titles in 1964
and 1965.
He competed on tracks across the South alongside his brother
Donnie and friend Red Farmer, and the trio steadily built
a reputation of domination.
And we went to Asheville, Weaverville and come towing in
there for a 200 life run, Jack Ingram said.
Oh, here comes that Dang Alabama gang, here comes the
Alabama gang, here comes that damn Alabama gang again.
And I thought it just sounded neat.
And so we became the Alabama gang in the 70s.
Allison's career hit on all cylinders as he won dozens
of races and set a record comparable to one of
the great benchmarks in all of sport.
Bobby Allison is on the point.
He's considered a pioneer when it comes to running up
front.
Bobby set a record that compares with Joe Dimaggio's 56
game hitting St.
He led 39 consecutive Cup races.
Nobody has ever LED 39 straight since then and I
don't think anybody ever will.
Bobby Allison slips through and takes first place in an
unbelievable display of driving skill.
You know everybody that ever raced Bobby Allison that could
beat him had a rivalry with the toughest competitor was
Donnie Allison.
But I had raced against him on the short tracks
and I already knew how tough he was on the
track.
Bobby and Donnie could fight like brothers off the track.
Their bond was impossible to break in the 1979 Daytona
500.
That combination shaped the story of NASCAR.
Bobby pulls up and he says, you all right?
And I see I'm fine.
All of a sudden, Kale's hitting Bobby to the window.
How Bobby got out of the car that fast that
day, I have no idea.
There's a fight, the tempers overflowing.
Bobby's not a fighter, but you get him in the
right category, he's going to fight you and kale you.
Arbor found it out.
For Bobby, racing was a family affair.
And over the years, the Allison family was cherished by
race fans, whether they were cheering on brother and brother
or father and son.
And the winner of the 30th annual Great American Race,
Bobby Allison, Davy Allison, his son in second.
What a tremendous family performance.
Allison was a journeyman, winning races with 12 different car
owners and eight different manufacturers.
But for his fans, it didn't matter what kind of
car he was driving or who he was driving for
as long as he won races and made headlines.
And look at this crowd over surf.
They've seen their driver, Bobby Allison, win the Alabama 500
in 1983.
Allison earned the Premier Series championship, a crowning achievement for
the career of one of NASCAR's winningest drivers.
I can't say and I can't put into words what
what an honor this really is.
Allison's career featured more than eighty Premier Series wins, including
four Southern 5 hundreds.
He was also a three time winner of both the
Daytona 500 and the Coca-Cola 600.
In 2011, Allison received the sport's ultimate honor as he
was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame, and in
2023, as part of the sport's 75th anniversary celebration, he
was recognized as one of NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers.
Bobby Allison was a supreme talent behind the wheel, a
legend who dedicated his life to the pursuit of motorsport
excellence.