There was a time when Hueytown, Alabama, was as big a part of NASCAR geography as Daytona Beach and Charlotte. Bobby Allisonhis brother Donnie Allison and their friend Red Farmer made it happen with their ability to make stock cars go fast and then drive them that way.

Under the collective nickname of the Alabama Gang, each has succeeded in the sport at a level that has landed them in the NASCAR Hall of Fame. But at the highest level of stock car racing, Bobby Allison has driven himself into the discussion of the best drivers in history.

Allison died on Saturday at the age of 86, NASCAR announced.

Despite his association with Alabama, Allison was not a native of the state. Instead, he was a Floridian drawn to Alabama because of its vibrant racing scene.

“What brought me to Alabama was the asphalt racetracks when I was ready to try to expand my racing career.” Allison told AL.com in 2017. “I found myself quite comfortable on pavement but quite uncomfortable on dirt tracks. I came to Alabama because I heard there were good paved tracks in Alabama. My brother Donnie came with me. A few more came from South Florida — a driver named Gil Hearn and a car owner named Kenny Andrews.

“I went to Montgomery Speedway, and the promoter said, ‘We’re running here tomorrow night, but they’re running at Birmingham’s Dixie Speedway tonight.’ So I said, “In what sense? And he pointed and we got in the trucks and went to Midfield and found Dixie Speedway. Friday night at Dixie, I made a reasonable amount of money — my winnings for the night were $135, which was the largest purse I’d ever collected at that point in my career. I spent the night there and left for Montgomery for Saturday night. I met the drivers at that track and several of the racers from Alabama. They made friends with a lot of competitors and the promoters and fans were very receptive. It was really a good deal for me. I had yet to win a major event in my career and it looked like I was on the verge of winning when Sonny Black managed to beat me in his multi-horsepower Cadillac. But I made a lot of money and jumped into Atlanta Sunday night for the Peach Bowl.

“Alabama has become a very special place for me and Donnie. The following spring I got married. Judy and I moved to Alabama. They loved the people and the place and the racetracks and the sport we had there. I really loved Alabama.”

Allison raced all over the state on her way to the top rung of the racing ladder.

“Birmingham. Montgomery,” Allison said in 2017. “Huntsville had a quarter-mile freeway. It was a great place for me. I won there several times. Mobile built a race track and I raced there. Pensacola, Florida is right in the southern part of Alabama there, so I almost consider it an Alabama track, and I’ve been lucky there. I ran in Columbus, Georgia, Macon, the Peach Bowl. I also drove Nashville and Chattanooga. I had a lot of good places to run to build my racing career.”

Allison competed in NASCAR’s Cup Series as it transitioned from the Grand National to the Winston Cup from 1961 to 1988.

Allison won 85 races at NASCAR’s highest level, including the Daytona 500 three times, the Southern 500 four times and four events at Talladega Superspeedway, won the Winston Cup championship in 1983 and was voted NASCAR’s most popular driver in eight seasons.

Allison’s racing career landed him in the NASCAR Hall of Fame as part of the second class of inductees, but it wasn’t a joy ride.

A horrific wreck during the Miller High Life 500 at Pocono Raceway on June 19, 1988 brought his career to an abrupt end. In 1992, his son Clifford died in a wreck at Michigan International Speedway. In 1993, his son Davey died in a helicopter crash at Talladega.

Along the way, Allison played a central role in perhaps NASCAR’s most famous scene, as he and brother Donnie traded punches with fellow driver Cale Yarbrough near the wrecked cars in the infield grass just before the finish line when Richard Petty was driving to win the 1979 Daytona 500.

Allison’s death came less than a month after she claimed the final victory.

In October, NASCAR recognized Allison’s victory in the Myers Brothers Memorial at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina on August 6, 1971, putting the win in his official record book.

Credited with a Cup win, Allison moved out of a tie with Darrell Waltrip and into sole possession of fourth place for NASCAR Cup Series wins. Petty holds the record with 200 wins, followed by David Pearson with 105 and Jeff Gordon with 93.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.