Donnie Allison (born September 7, 1939) is an American former driver on the
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. It is considered to be one of the top ranked motorsports organizations in ...
Grand National/
Winston Cup
The NASCAR Cup Series is the top racing series of the NASCAR, National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR), the most prestigious stock car racing series in the United States.
The series began in 1949 as the Strictly Stock Division, ...
circuit, who won ten times during his racing career, which spanned from 1966 to 1988. He is part of the "
Alabama Gang", and is the brother of 1983 champion
Bobby Allison
Robert Arthur Allison (December 3, 1937 – November 9, 2024) was an American professional stock car racing driver and owner. Allison was the founder of the Alabama Gang, a group of drivers based in Hueytown, Alabama, where there were abundant ...
and uncle of
Davey Allison and
Clifford Allison. He was inducted in the
International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2009. He was inducted into the
NASCAR Hall of Fame
The NASCAR Hall of Fame, is a Hall of Fame and Museum located in Charlotte, North Carolina that honors NASCAR and its history. Inductees to the Hall of Fame are drivers who have shown expert skill at NASCAR driving, all-time great crew chiefs ...
on January 19, 2024.
NASCAR career
Before racing in the Grand National Series, Allison, like his brother Bobby, drove modified stock cars. Allison managed to get ten wins in
NASCAR Cup Series
The NASCAR Cup Series is the top racing series of the NASCAR, National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR), the most prestigious stock car racing series in the United States.
The series began in 1949 as the Strictly Stock Division, ...
competition with his first coming at the 1968
Carolina 500 at
Rockingham Speedway and his final coming at the 1978
Dixie 500 at
Atlanta Motor Speedway. Allison would suffer serious injuries at the 1981
Coca-Cola 600, this would end his career in NASCAR for the most part. Allison would only race fourteen more Winston Cup races (he would also fail to qualify four times for races during this time) from 1982 to 1988. Allison also won the 1967
NASCAR Grand National Rookie of the Year.
1979 Daytona 500
Allison is perhaps best remembered for his involvement in a final-lap crash and a subsequent fight with
Cale Yarborough in the
1979 Daytona 500. He was leading the race on the final lap with Yarborough drafting him tightly. As Yarborough started to go below Allison, he attempted to take the inside lane away but Yarborough hit Allison from behind first and got Allison sideways. Yarborough made contact with the side of Allison's car and it put him in the grass. He came back to hit Allison side to side and as both drivers tried to regain control, their cars made contact several times and finally locked together and crashed into the outside wall in turn 3. After the cars settled in the infield grass, Allison and Yarborough were in a heated conversation when,
Bobby Allison
Robert Arthur Allison (December 3, 1937 – November 9, 2024) was an American professional stock car racing driver and owner. Allison was the founder of the Alabama Gang, a group of drivers based in Hueytown, Alabama, where there were abundant ...
, who finished laps down after his earlier collision with his brother, pulled over and to check on his brother, but Yarborough accused him of causing the accident and started to hit Bobby while Bobby was still in his car. At that point, a fight ensued. As the 1979 Daytona 500 was the first live flag-to-flag nationally televised NASCAR race, the finish and the post-race squabble were a ratings dream for CBS.
Richard Petty
Richard Lee Petty (born July 2, 1937), nicknamed "the King", is an American former stock car racing driver who competed from 1958 to 1992 in the former NASCAR Grand National and Winston Cup Series (now called the NASCAR Cup Series), most nota ...
, who was over half a lap behind at the time of the crash, went on to win the race. The fight made headlines all across
America
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. The publicity was instrumental in the growth of NASCAR.
USAC career
Allison first raced in the
USAC Championship Car Series in
1970
Events
January
* January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC.
* January 5 – The 7.1 1970 Tonghai earthquake, Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity scale, Mercalli ...
. Driving the No. 83
Greer Eagle 67-
Offenhauser for
Ansted-Thompson Racing in the
1970 Indianapolis 500, he finished 4th and won the 1970
Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year Award. He would have finished 20th in points, but because he was using a NASCAR license, he was ineligible for points. For the
1971 *
The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses (Solar eclipse of February 25, 1971, February 25, Solar eclipse of July 22, 1971, July 22 and Solar eclipse of August 20, 1971, August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 1971 lunar eclip ...
Allison drove the No. 84
Purolator Filters Coyote
The coyote (''Canis latrans''), also known as the American jackal, prairie wolf, or brush wolf, is a species of canis, canine native to North America. It is smaller than its close relative, the Wolf, gray wolf, and slightly smaller than the c ...
-
Ford V8, finishing 6th in the
Indianapolis 500. He also raced in the
Rex Mays 150 at
Milwaukee State Fairgrounds Speedway, the
Schaefer 500 at
Pocono International Raceway, and the
California 500 at
Ontario Motor Speedway, retiring from both. Allison was again ineligible for points.
After racing
Allison, who lives in
Alabama
Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...
and
North Carolina
North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...
, has been a television and radio commentator; has also been involved in his sons' Ronald, Donald and Kenny Allison's "Allison Brothers Race Cars" and the "Allison Legacy Race Series" as a consultant to the series and to many up and coming race drivers such as
Joey Logano
Joseph Thomas Logano (born May 24, 1990) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No.22 Ford Mustang (seventh generation), Ford Mustang Dark Horse for NASCAR operations of Tea ...
,
Trevor Bayne
Trevor Mitchell Bayne (born February 19, 1991) is an American semi-retired professional stock car racing driver, Dirt track racing, dirt racing driver, team owner, and businessman. He is currently a pit reporter for NASCAR on Prime Video, ''NASCAR ...
,
Regan Smith,
John Hunter Nemechek and several others
Awards
*
1967
Events January
* January 1 – Canada begins a year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of Canadian Confederation, Confederation, featuring the Expo 67 World's Fair.
* January 6 – Vietnam War: United States Marine Corps and Army of ...
NASCAR Grand National Rookie of the Year
*1968 NASCAR Most Popular Driver Grand Touring Division (Baby Grand)
*
1970
Events
January
* January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC.
* January 5 – The 7.1 1970 Tonghai earthquake, Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity scale, Mercalli ...
Stark and Wetzel Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year
*1970 NASCAR Most Popular Driver Late Model Sportsman Division
*Inducted into the
Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 1999
*Inducted into the
Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 2000
*Inducted into the Stock Car Racing Hall of Fame in 2001
*Inducted into the
Alabama Auto Racing Pioneers in 2005
*Inducted into the
International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2009
*Inducted into the
Motorsports Hall of Fame of America[Donnie Allison]
at the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2011
*Inducted into the
Augusta Raceway Preservation Society in 2017
*Inducted into the
National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame in 2018
*Inducted into the Talladega-Texaco Walk of Fame
*Inducted into the
NASCAR Hall of Fame
The NASCAR Hall of Fame, is a Hall of Fame and Museum located in Charlotte, North Carolina that honors NASCAR and its history. Inductees to the Hall of Fame are drivers who have shown expert skill at NASCAR driving, all-time great crew chiefs ...
in 2024
Motorsports career results
NASCAR
(
key) (
Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. ''Italics'' – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)
Grand National Series
Winston Cup Series
=Daytona 500
=
Busch Series
International Race of Champions
(
key) (
Bold – Pole position. * – Most laps led.)
American open-wheel racing
(
key) (
Races in bold indicate pole position)
USAC Championship Car
=Indianapolis 500
=
References
Where Are They Now Article
External links
*
''Donnie Allison: As I Recall...'' by Donnie Allison with Jimmy Creed, published by Sports Publishing L.L.C., 2005
{{DEFAULTSORT:Allison, Donnie
1939 births
Living people
Racing drivers from Miami
Sportspeople from Hueytown, Alabama
Racing drivers from Alabama
Indianapolis 500 drivers
Indianapolis 500 Rookies of the Year
NASCAR drivers
International Race of Champions drivers
American Speed Association drivers
International Motorsports Hall of Fame inductees
Alabama Gang
A. J. Foyt Enterprises drivers
Team Penske drivers
NASCAR Hall of Fame inductees