Bobby Allison, NASCAR legend and 3-time Daytona 500 winner, dies

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Bobby Allison, NASCAR legend and 3-time Daytona 500 winner, dies​

Bobby Allison, founder of racing's "Alabama Gang" and a NASCAR Hall of Famer, died Saturday. He was 86. NASCAR released a statement from Allison's family that said he died at home in Mooresville, North Carolina. A cause of death wasn't given, but Allison had been in declining health for years. Allison moved to fourth on NASCAR's Cup Series victory list last month when chairman Jim France recognized him as the winner of the Meyers Brothers Memorial at Bowman Gray Stadium in North Carolina in 1971. The sanctioning body updated its record books to reflect the decision, giving Allison 85 wins and moving him out of a tie with Darrell Waltrip. France and longtime NASCAR executive Mike Helton presented Allison with a plaque commemorating the victory. With it, Allison trails only fellow Hall of Famers Richard Petty (200), David Pearson (105) and Jeff Gordon (93) in Cup wins. Allison was inducted into NASCAR's second Hall of Fame class in 2011. He was the 1983 NASCAR champion, finished second in the series title race five times and won the Daytona 500 three times. He helped put NASCAR on the map with more than his driving. His infamous fight with Cale Yarborough in the closing laps of the 1979 Daytona 500 served as one of the sport's defining moments.

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NASCAR Hall of Famer Bobby Allison dies at 86​

The NASCAR world lost one of its legends Saturday when Bobby Allison died at the age of 86. NASCAR released a statement from Allison’s family that said he died at home in Mooresville, North Carolina. A cause of death wasn’t given, but Allison had been in declining health for years. Allison retired in 1988 after a crash that nearly killed him. In June 1987, he wrecked on the opening lap at Talledega Superspeedway. He hit the outside wall and then got T-boned in the driver’s side door. He was initially declared dead upon reaching a local hospital but was later resuscitated.

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Bobby Allison, ‘Alabama Gang’ legend and Hall of Famer, dies at 86

Bobby Allison, founding member of NASCAR’s legendary “Alabama Gang,” the 1983 premier-series champion and winner of 85 races, died Saturday. He was 86 years old. Allison gained fame and fortune during a racing career that lasted nearly three decades and earned the Florida native practically every racing accolade imaginable. But it was a career that also included more than its share of tragedy — Allison lost two sons in tragic incidents, and his own career ended after a nearly fatal on-track accident in 1988.

A member of NASCAR’s second Hall of Fame class in 2011, Allison currently holds fourth place on NASCAR’s all-time win list for its premier series. He was recognized for and 85th victory on Oct. 23, 2024, with NASCAR officials deeming him the winner of a disputed race in 1971 at Bowman Gray Stadium. His 718 career starts are 14th in series history and his 336 top-five finishes are second only to fellow Hall of Famer Richard Petty.

Allison also earned 446 top-10 finishes and 59 poles during a career that began in 1961 and lasted until midway through the 1988 season. He was honored as one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers in 2023. Along the way, the affable Allison won some of the sport’s biggest events on multiple occasions. He captured the prestigious Daytona 500 three times (1978, ’82, ’88), the legendary Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway four times (’71, ’72, ’75, ’83) and he was a three-time winner of the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway (’71, ’81, ’84).

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