A Man Of Many Talents
Bobby Allison was a famous car racer from the early 60s through the late 80s—until a series of accidents brought a career wrought with controversy to an end. After his passing in November 2024, we figure it’s a good time to take a retrospective look at the not-so-mundane life of this NASCAR legend.
1. He Started Out Early
Bobby Allison was born Robert Arthur Allison on December 3, 1937, in Miami, Florida. Racing intrigued Allison from an early age, and he competed in his first race at 17 in 1961, while in his last year of high school at Archbishop Curley-Notre Dame High School in Miami. He had to get special permission from his parents to participate, which they thought was a one-time thing.
They didn’t know how wrong they were.
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2. He Had A Racing Brother
It seems the need for speed was in Bobby Allison’s blood, as his brother, Donnie, was also a racer. Despite this, they remained very close and raced alongside one another for many years. Allison even went so far as to defend Donnie during a controversial fight in the middle of his career.
3. He Loved Cars Even Outside Of Racing
After finishing high school, Bobby Allison worked as a mechanic and engine tester at Mercury Outboard Motors. This is where he met one of his early racing influences: Carl Kiekhaefer, who owned the motor company. Neither knew how intensely this meeting would change Allison’s life.
4. He Almost Took A Different Path
Allison dedicated himself to working on engines and mechanics. He worked for the boat division of Mercury Outboard Motors for 10 months, but then he transferred to a different department: the racing division. This marked the beginning of his exciting life in racing.
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5. He Saw Racing From The Inside
Carl Keikhaefer, who owned race cars in addition to running his business, was Allison’s entry into racing. Allison attended 19 races while working in the division for Keikhaefer. It all served to increase his interest in the sport.
6. He Was Tempted Back To The Wheel Very Quickly
Keikhaefer’s cars won every race, which showed Allison what he might be able to accomplish. The siren’s call to be behind the wheel was intense, and he couldn’t do it while doing difficult work for Carl. Because of this, Allison moved back to Miami after only two months.
7. He Was A Rebel
Bobby Allison started racing again soon after moving home. His first time back on the track was in 1965, and he participated against his parents’ wishes. They went so far as to say that he couldn’t race while living under their roof!
This drove Allison to take drastic measures.
8. He Raced In Disguise
To retaliate, he came up with a pseudonym, “Bob Sunderman”. This worked for a while, but then the Sunday paper reported on his first major success. To his misfortune, his father discovered the ruse.
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9. He Got His Father’s Approval
After discovering that he had been racing in secret and under a fake name, Bobby Allison’s father had a change of heart. He said that if Allison was going to race, he should do it with integrity under his own name. Luckily, Allison would go on to be the pride of his family.
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10. He Played To His Audience
Bobby Allison was the “ultimate fan’s driver” according to his family, stating he genuinely liked interacting with fans, signing autographs, and having actual conversations with them. But this good reputation would only extend to his fans; fellow competitors saw a different version of Allison.
11. He Found His True Love Early On
A few years after he started racing officially, he met Judy, the person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. They met when Judy’s brother-in-law sold a race car and the buyer asked Allison to test drive it. Little did they know, their futures would be inseparably tied to racing and each other.
12. He Won Her Over By Accident
During the test drive, the car reportedly caught fire after hitting a wall. When Judy expressed concern for Allison, their interest in each other began. At the local hangout after the incident, Allison made sure to sit somewhere he and Judy could make eye contact over their meals.
Unfortunately, their first date was a disaster.
13. He Made A Bad First-Date Impression
During their first date, Allison bragged about former girlfriends and generally talked all about himself. At first, Judy found him too self-involved, but apparently, it wasn’t the end of things for either of them.
14. He Found Lasting Love
After some time, and probably a little apologizing for being self-centered, Bobby Allison and Judy married on February 20, 1960. They saw a long and loving future with one another, but little did they know, tragedy would throw them off that path.
15. They Built A Family Together
Allison and Judy went on to have four children together: Davey (1961), Clifford (1964), Bonnie, and Carrie. At this point, Allison was racing very consistently and he raised his kids in that environment. And to his joy, his passion for racing brought Davey and Clifford to the sport, too.
16. He Started A Racing Group
He and his brother Donnie became the first racing family in Alabama, and this passion passed to their children. They started the “Alabama Gang”, which gathered many different racers over the years, joining both by living locally and through the legacy of their parents.
Of course, their love for racing also had a dark side.
17. His Win Was Snubbed
In 1971, Bobby raced at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Despite winning the race, NASCAR refused to acknowledge his win in any official capacity. He got the rewards for winning, but NASCAR didn’t count the race with the total wins of his career.
18. He Finally Got Recognition For This Race
It would take 53 years, but in late 2024, NASCAR recognized Bobby Allison as the winner of the Bowman Gray race. This brought his number of wins from 84 to 85, breaking the tie he had with Darrel Witler. The acknowledgment came at the right time, because time was running out for Allison.
19. His Opponents Were High Octane
One of Bobby Allison’s biggest opponents throughout his career was Richard Petty, who is now in the NASCAR Hall of Fame with a record 200 races won. But back in their heyday, the two drivers chomped at the bit to go head-to-head whenever they could.
20. He Didn’t Think Money Could Buy Victory
Allison and Petty were different in every way, with Petty claiming the affection of corporate sponsorship and Allison coming in as an underdog. Sometimes, Allison’s envy of his well-resourced opponents shone through.
Luckily, he had the perfect stage to work out his feelings: the race track.
21. He Was A Pot-Stirrer
After Richard Petty won enough times to earn himself the title of “The King”, he and Bobby Allison still feuded on the track. Despite their 20-year age difference, the two racers went at each other like nobody’s business. Their feud became personal.
22. His Focus Was Intense
Allison intentionally irritated his opponent by picking on Petty in particular—it didn’t matter who else was on the track, all Bobby Allison could focus on was catching and passing The King. This sort of recklessness got him into trouble, and on more than one occasion, got his target into trouble, too.
23. He Took His Victory Into His Own Hands
Bobby Allison was on the petty side on more than one occasion. During one race, he hit Richard Petty with his car hard enough to push his opponent into the wall of the race course. But Petty wasn’t about to go down without a fight.
24. His Feuding Was Explosive
Everything came to a head during a race in 1972 at the North Wilkesboro Speedway. Petty was leading, but Allison was ready to make a move in the final three laps. When Allison tried to pass, Petty trapped him between other cars.
This drove Allison to retaliate.
25. He Couldn’t Contain His Rage
Bobby Allison returned the favor by steering into Richard Petty’s car and pushing it into the sidewall to take the lead. It almost worked; Petty resisted but he couldn’t take Allison down, and Allison forced Petty into the wall a second time.
Allison thought that had won him the race.
26. He Still Had To Fight For What Came After
Even while Allison escaped into the lead, Petty wasn’t ready to lose. As Allison turned the second corner and started down the back stretch of the track, someone snuck up behind him on the inside. It was Petty, coming up to snake the win.
27. He Could Really Keep A Grudge
This feud lasted for decades, and Bobby Allison reminisced about the few times he was able to beat Richard Petty. About one of their earliest races on a dirt track, Allison said, “I won at Savannah one night and The King, Richard Petty, was second to me and I thought that was just really OK”.
28. He Saw Through The Charade Of Money
Allison further commented on his feud with The King, saying, “A poor dummy from Alabama was not allowed to compete with the multimillion-dollar factory-type operation of Petty Enterprises. And I did”. Though he was critical of his opponent’s funds, he was also envious of the resources.
But then, things stopped going Allison’s way.
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29. He Had An Intense Reality Check
In 1974, Bobby Allison endured one of his first major injuries. He broke his back when he crashed during the Saturday race at Riverside during the IROC Series. Despite the injury, he raced the following day in a back brace.
Little did he know, this would foreshadow many tragic incidents to come.
30. He Went Into The Situation Swinging
The 1979 Daytona 500 marked a historic day for NASCAR. Bobby Allison and his brother Donnie got into a fight with Cale Yarborough. Yarborough and Donnie crashed while battling it out for first in the final lap, and Bobby stepped in to defend his brother.
They never expected what happened next.
31. His Brother Had A Rough Race
Seemingly, Yarborough had spun out onto the field in the center of the track for an unknown reason. As he got back onto the track, he slammed into Donnie Allison’s car, which crashed them both as the race ended. But the conflict didn’t end there.
32. He Got More Than He Bargained For
With his brother out of the race, Bobby Allison was reasonably concerned. He went to the crash site to offer Donnie a ride back to the garage. Then, Cale Yarborough made a shocking accusation about Bobby’s role in the accident that drew Bobby into the argument.
33. He Was Blamed For An Extreme Act
Yarborough accused Allison of making him crash, and Allison retaliated with insults of his own. Then, a physical altercation broke out, with all three participants earning their bruises. NASCAR wasn’t super popular at the time, so they didn’t expect many to learn of the incident, but they were wrong.
34. His Actions Drew Attention—To Him And NASCAR
Audiences watched the fight on a live broadcast nationwide. It marked the long-lasting feud between the Allison brothers and Yarborough. Not only that but their fight and feud increased ticket sales and helped viewership for later NASCAR races.
But this wasn’t the last time Bobby Allison and Cale Yarborough would encounter conflict on the track.
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35. He Managed To Avoid Off-Track Conflicts—This Time
Another racer that Bobby Allison was combative with was Darrell Waltrip. On the track, they went at each other with surprising energy, but unlike many other feuds, they were able to restrict the animosity to the track. But that didn’t mean the on-track altercations didn’t make a huge dent.
36. He Made An Unlikely Friend
In fact, the feud against Waltrip united Bobby Allison and Cale Yarborough. Waltrip would ram their cars during races, even at the protest of his crew. He even made Yarborough spin out and lose during a race at Darlington.
37. His Friend Became A Foe
The feud with Waltrip came from what seemed like nowhere. Allison couldn’t pinpoint when they might have become rivals and even said the two had been friends early in Waltrip’s career. But something “kept us from cooperating on any kind of an effort that would have been good for both of us”.
38. He Made Some Wild Accusations
Allison accused Waltrip of “getting away with murder” and souping up his car in ways that went against Allison’s morals. He charged Waltrip with using the wrong parts for his car in an effort to cheat his way into the winning position.
But Waltrip was quick to come back with his own accusations.
39. He Let His Suspicions Get The Better Of Him
Much to Allison’s chagrin, he and Waltrip tied for fourth place in the number of races won, with 84 races each. But this rivalry only served to accentuate one of Bobby Allison’s most problematic traits, one that reared its head after every race he lost and in many of the feud-filled moments during his career.
40. His Son Was His Favorite Competitor
Bobby and Davey Allison went head-to-head at several races, but the most memorable was at the 1988 Daytona 500 race. Father and son came around the second to last corner, chasing one another by mere inches.
Just when Bobby thought he might lose the race to his beloved son, the tides changed.
41. He Shared Mutual Pride With His Son
In the last turn, he was faster off the corner than Davey and flew down the straight to the checkered flag. In celebration of such a close race, Davey poured a sponsor’s beer over his father’s head. And that wasn’t the only special part of this victory.
42. He Made His Mark In Daytona 500 History
Few racers have lived and raced long enough to earn this title. Bobby Allison was the oldest winner of the Daytona 500 ever, and he got to do it side-by-side with his son. But this heartfelt memory would be overshadowed by a tragedy mere months later.
43. He Endured His First Major Personal Disaster
Bobby Allison got into a terrible car accident in 1988 at the Pocono 500 in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. He broke his leg and ribs, and he got a severe concussion that left him with head trauma and large gaps in his memory. He was 50 at the time, and the accident contributed to ending his career as a driver.
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44. He Wished For A Different Turn Of Events
Initially, he was so angry the doctors were able to save him. He didn’t like how confusing the world was as he suffered through healing his head trauma. “I sat and cried. Like a two-year-old”.
Unfortunately, the agony didn’t end there.
45. He Drew On His Friends And Beliefs
Luckily, Allison was able to draw on his friendships to help him get through those trying times. Several of them were priests, as Allison was a devout Catholic and was very dedicated to his faith. This helped him find gratitude for his situation, despite his physical and mental health.
46. He Sought To Restore What He Lost
Allison and his wife would watch tapes of his races in an effort to help him remember what he lost. In many cases, it helped him recall the memories he lost to his amnesia. But there were some memories that didn’t return, no matter how many times he watched the tape.
47. He Worked Hard To Heal
It took years of rehab to regain memories and his physical abilities. Eventually, Allison was able to drive again in the early 90s. It was momentous, and he even tried to get back into racing. But unfortunately, this victory was short-lived as another calamity struck.
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48. He Faced Another Horrifying Blow
Sorrow dampened the sense of victory Allison felt at the end of his healing journey in 1992. A car crash took his son Clifford at the Michigan International Speedway while practicing. He was 27 at the time, and the injuries he sustained were too much to bear.
If only this were the last time Bobby Allison would face this type of misery.
49. His Grief Was Compounded
In 1993, his son Davey attempted to land a helicopter at the Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama. What should have been a flashy, fantastic stunt turned into a nightmare. At 32, he didn’t survive the accident. All this tragedy conspired against Allison and his closest companion.
50. His Loss Was Echoed In The Racing Community
Allison had been racing alongside his son for a few years prior to his unfortunate accident and his son’s later passing. Davey was beginning to make a name for himself and was a member of the Alabama Gang. Many beyond his family felt the impact of his loss.
51. He Tried To Remember This Important Race
One of the tapes he watched many, many times to jog his memory was the race he and Davey drove at the 1988 Daytona 500. But the memory didn’t come back, no matter how many times he watched the tape from start to finish. And it wasn’t just him that the sadness and memory loss took a toll on.
52. His Wife Had Lasting Grief
Judy would watch these tapes with him. But the race he ran with Davey wasn’t one of them. She couldn’t bear watching her son, saying, “It’s hard for me to see Davey talking and walking”. The blow of losing their sons left a huge mark on the couple.
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53. Their Relationship Couldn’t Withstand The Trauma
He and Judy divorced in 1996 after the strain of all they endured became too much for their relationship to handle. It was a tragic time for both of them, as they continued to grieve for their sons and the end of Bobby Allison’s career.
But this wasn’t the last they saw of one another.
54. All They Needed Was Some Time Apart
Allison and Judy wouldn’t see each other for several years, only to reunite at their daughter-in-law’s second marriage. They rekindled their romance and were remarried in July 2000 as a testament to their love.
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55. He Raced Hard And Smart
Throughout his career, Bobby Allison raced with the mindset of chasing perfection. He tweaked his car to be exactly what would win, he followed exactly the right routes to get him across the finish line fastest. But his perfectionism brought conflict on its heels.
56. He Battled With His Own Mind
Bobby Allison was paranoid. He saw sabotage at every turn, and he always felt like his opponents had cheated him out of his victories. And with the shenanigans his feuds usually came with, it’s not surprising he saw shadows in every corner.
57. His Closest Family Knew It, Too
Even his brother Donnie agreed, stating, “One of Bobby’s downfalls was that he was paranoid. No matter how well he was doing, he thought everybody was against him. Particularly NASCAR–the officials”. He claimed that Bobby thought no one could beat him in a regulation race.
58. His Mood Could Set The Tone For A Whole Race
Bobby Allison’s attitude became legendary, and everyone at the track was aware of his mindset heading into the race. One of his crew even warned Darrell Waltrip before a race, cautioning that Allison was going to make him have a terrible crash.
59. He Was Still A Fan Favorite
Despite his paranoia, Bobby Allison still managed to earn the approval of the audience. He was a well-loved racer and was always kind to his fans and those who came to watch the races. He always went the extra mile to engage with them and sign autographs for his admirers.
60. His Streak Of Losses Continued
After losing his sons in the early 90s, Allison was no stranger to the nature of mortality. Unfortunately, his mother passed away in 2008 at the age of 101, before she could witness his crowning achievement granted by NASCAR.
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61. He Looked Back On His Life And Career With Fondness
Allison was particularly fond of the time he spent racing with his son, Davey. In a 2013 interview where he watched the Daytona 500 race alongside the interviewer, Allison expressed the pride he had for his son. The love he had for his family and for racing was palpable, even through a brain injury and so many losses.
62. He Said Goodbye To His Longest Companion
Only seven years after losing his mother, Bobby Allison lost his wife. Judy went in for a routine surgery, which should have left her better off, only for complications associated with the procedure to take her. This tragedy was another tough one to bear for the former NASCAR racer, but despite this, he persevered.
63. He Went At His Own Time
Bobby Allison passed at 86 in November 2024 in Mooresville, North Carolina. Even decades later, he struggled with his memory and felt a dissociation between who he was before the accident and who he became after.
64. He Had An Appropriate Moment Of Remembrance
His family announced the loss just before the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Race, which was quite the suitable place to announce the passing of such a major NASCAR legend. For a racer of his ilk, this was the perfect way for fans and former colleagues to say goodbye.
65. He Had A Flawed Legacy
Bobby Allison’s legacy has many twists and turns. Some would say he is best known for competing with a successful, low-budget team for most of his career, and others would call him an innovator for power steering and spotter radio communications. But to the common folk, he was a down-to-earth guy who took the time to say hello—though his rivals may not have seen him that way.
66. He Took The Fight Off-Track
Remember Bobby Allison’s feud with Richard Petty? Battling it out on the racetrack didn’t tamper Bobby Allison’s rage. No, he wasn’t able to contain himself to the boundaries of the NASCAR tracks. He also pushed Petty’s car off a trailer.
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67. A Family Member Stood Up For Him
Richard wasn’t the only Petty brother Allison made an enemy of. One night after going at it on the track, Maurice Petty accosted Allison in the garage. He appeared out of nowhere and “nailed” Allison.
Fortunately, Allison had backup at the time of the incident. His aunt was present at the scene, and she stood up to defend Allison by using her purse against Petty’s brother. Allison’s strong ties to his family came in handy, and their dedication and loyalty would last a lifetime.
68. What Is Remembered Is Never Truly Gone
Bobby Allison’s legacy was not only preserved in the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2011 but is also carried on by those who had important personal connections to him. His love and memory are carried forward by his two daughters, and his brother Donnie, who will always remember racing alongside this legend.