Bobby Allison, the 1983 NASCAR Cup Series champion, had a strong passion for auto racing. It started when his grandfather, Arthur Patton (relative of General George Patton), took him racing as a child. As a teenager, Bobby raced short circuits in Florida under an assumed name so that his parents, Ed and Kitty Allison, would not find out what he was doing on his summer weekends. That’s when the dream of becoming a superstar began.

After decades of wonderful success in the NASCAR Cup Series from 1961 to ’88, the winner of 85 Cup Series races died last Saturday at the age of 86. The founding member of NASCAR’s legendary “Alabama Gang” enjoyed a fan following of millions, even after a near-fatal on-track racing accident on June 19, 1988, at Pocono Raceway came close to taking his own life.

A member of NASCAR’s second Hall of Fame class in 2011, Allison is fourth on NASCAR’s all-time list for its premier series. On October 24, 2024, he was recognized for his 85th victory by NASCAR officials after a contested race victory dating back to 1971 at Winston Salem’s Bowman Gray Stadium. The event was a combined race between the Grand National (now Cup Series) cars and the Grand American division featuring Mustangs, AMC Javelins, Chevrolet Camaros and the like to give fans a chance to see both divisions compete together. The win was finally awarded just weeks before his death.

Allison has amassed 718 career starts with 336 top-5 finishes, second only to fellow Hall of Famer Richard Petty.

Before winning his 1983 championship, Allison finished runner-up in the standings five times – to Bobby Isaac in 1970, Petty in 1972, Cale Yarborough in 1878 and Darrell Waltrip in 1981 and 1982.

After starting his Cup Series career in 1961, the Miami, Fla., native racked up 446 top-10 finishes and 59 poles over a 25-year span. He was honored as one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers in 2023.

His list of accomplishments was extensive. He won NASCAR’s biggest event, the prestigious Daytona 500, three times (1978, ’82 and ’88). He also won Darlington’s Southern 500 four times (1971, ’72, ’75 and ’83). He also enjoyed victories at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the sport’s longest running race, the Coca-Cola 600, in 1971, ’81 and ’84.

Perhaps his greatest personal victory came during the 1988 Daytona 500, the day he held off his son Davey for the win. It is the only time in the history of the race that a father and son battled for victory in a one-two finish.

That same year, the old Allison crashed at Pocono Speedway and was hit at full speed in the driver’s door area by another driver. Allison suffered broken bones in her left leg, a bruised lung, broken ribs and a concussion. The head injury caused him to endure a long recovery, but he did not continue as a driver. He remembered quite a bit of his career, but he didn’t remember winning the Daytona 500 against his son Davey in 1988.

“I’ve seen the video of winning that race a thousand times, but I just don’t remember it,” Allison said many times. “I see the guy on the screen and the car they say I drove to victory, but I’ve never been able to connect the dots on that.”

Allison also co-owned Bobby Allison Racing from 1990 to 1996 with various drivers, but never managed a consistent winning effort.

One race stood out as one of the most memorable for generations of racing fans. At the end of the 1979 Daytona 500, younger brother Donnie Allison and Yarborough crashed out of the 2.5-mile speedway in turn three while racing for the win. Bobby stopped to give Donnie a ride back to the garage area when tempers flared. A battle between the three drivers attracted national television attention, highlighted by a huge snowstorm that crippled the entire eastern seaboard. With no way to leave their homes and only three major networks to choose from in those days (a movie, basketball or NASCAR), the fight introduced millions of people who had never seen a NASCAR race before.

In Cinderella fashion, Richard Petty won his sixth career Daytona 500 that day, but the fight afterward is still talked about 45 years later.

“He (Yarborough) lunged at me and hit me in the face with his helmet,” Allison said of Yarborough over the years. “Cut my nose, my lip, blood running down my lap and I thought, ‘I’ve got to get out of the car and deal with this right now or run from him for the rest of my life.’ So I got out of the car and the guy started punching me with his nose.”

Allison had a reputation for being able to drive any type of race car. While with racing icon and team owner Roger Penske, Allison made two starts in the Indianapolis 500 in 1973 and 1975. He also drove Ontario Motor Speedway, Michigan International Speedway at Pocono’s 2.5-mile track in the wheel cars open Penske’s.

Allison was no stranger to tragedy after the 1988 accident.

Four years later, during a practice session hoping to make his 23rd career (Xfinity Series) start at Michigan, his youngest son Clifford Allison died from injuries sustained in a practice crash. He was 27 years old at the time of his death on August 13, 1992.

Rising star Davey Allison and winner of 19 Cup races, including the 1992 Daytona 500, crashed his helicopter while attempting to land at Talladega Superspeedway a day early. Davey was 32 years old at the time of his death from his injuries on July 13, 1993.

The Allison family also suffered the loss of Bobby’s wife, Judy Allison, on December 18, 2015, following complications from surgery.

Throughout his life, he was known as one of NASCAR’s most beloved drivers among competitors and fans alike.

“Bobby Allison personified the term ‘traveler.’ While he is best known as one of the winningest drivers in NASCAR Cup Series history, his impact on the sport extends far beyond the record books,” NASCAR Chairman and CEO Jim France said in a statement. “As a driver, he won races and championships in multiple NASCAR divisions. But as the leader of the famous “Alabama Gang,” Bobby connected with fans in a profound way. In the most significant ways, he gave everything to our sport. On behalf of the France family and all of NASCAR, I offer my sincerest condolences to Bobby’s family, friends and fans for the loss of a NASCAR giant.”

Allison’s family said in a statement. “Bobby was the ultimate fan driver. He really enjoyed spending time with his fans and would stop to sign autographs and chat with them wherever he went. He was a devoted family man and friend and a devout Catholic.”

Allison was often an inspiration to others with encouraging words to lift their spirits. Even after life took out some of his greatest personal pain from the loss of his two sons, he continued to find positives in every situation that came his way. He was a beacon of hope for many who loved him around the world.

“I’ve endured incredible pain in my lifetime, both physically and emotionally,” Allison once said. “But there are so many others who have had worse circumstances than me. If I can offer an encouraging word or thought to make someone’s day a little brighter, then I feel like that’s what I should strive to do.”

Quite simply, that was the definition of Robert Arthur “Bobby” Allison.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: NASCAR Crew Member Bobby Allison’s Greatest Moments