After 53 Years of Waiting, Bobby Allison Scores Win No. 85

There have been over 2,000 races in NASCAR Cup Series history. More than 200 drivers have earned victories in those races.

More than 2,000 total races tell a story. Whether they were monumental, lost to time, crown jewels, one-and-done winners or chaotic, each race contributed to a painting of what NASCAR has become over the course of almost 76 years.

But before Oct. 23, 2024, one race stood alone in its meaning. That would be the 1971 Myers Brothers 250 at the famed Bowman Gray Stadium, a quarter-mile track tucked in the heart of North Carolina.

What makes it stand out? It was the only race without an official winner.

Did everyone forfeit the race, you may ask? No, someone had to cross the finish line first. That was none other than NASCAR Hall of Famer Bobby Allison, who crossed the start-finish line in his Ford Mustang for what would have been his 25th career victory. Instead, it was a blank in the record books for more than half a century.

The race was under much criticism from the beginning. In an effort to expand the field during the 1971 season, NASCAR selected six events to combine the Grand National cars and the “pony cars” from the Grand American Series, a circuit that ran from 1968 to 1971 featuring lighter, smaller cars. That included Allison’s Mustang (yes, Mustangs ran before the Gen 6 car).

Amid the detractors of the race was Richard Petty, who finished second in the race. Citing that the Grand American cars were more technical and fuel-efficient, many questioned whether the race featured legitimate Cup cars.

“Bobby won, but shouldn’t have gotten credit for it,” Petty claimed in 2017. “The cars weren’t the same; those cars were too different. I shouldn’t have gotten credit, but Bobby shouldn’t have, either. That was a Cup race, and he wasn’t in a Cup car.”

NASCAR eventually caved in to the protest by Petty, stripping Allison of the win. Petty was not named the winner either, rightfully so, leaving the race without a victor.

So here we are, 53 years later. That race is too far gone to adjust now, right?

Thankfully, when NASCAR has said in the past that everything is on the table, this was something that didn’t fully evaporate.

On Oct. 23, NASCAR CEO Jim France and Senior Advisor Mike Helton visited the 86-year-old Allison to inform him that the win that almost got away for good was being returned to him.

Allison is now credited with 85 career Cup victories, breaking a tie with former rival Darrell Waltrip, and giving him sole possession of fourth on the all-time wins list.

The break in Allison and Waltrip’s tie is both ironic and a reminder of their legacy on the sport. Once fierce rivals that fought battle after battle in the 1980s, they were always tied together by virtue of winning the same number of races. Though that fact is statistically different now, it doesn’t take anything away from the accomplishments either one racked up en route to Hall of Fame careers.

Allison’s win total for 1971 now returns to 11, made even more impressive by the fact of how many cars he won with. In addition to his win in the Mustang, Allison won in a Mercury Cyclone, Dodge Charger and Ford Torino. It further proves the versatility of one of NASCAR’s greatest champions.

At 86 years old, Allison’s impact on the sport continues to be carried on by the decision. A driver who was in the limelight of the famed 1979 Daytona 500 fight that brought NASCAR national recognition, as well as the 1983 Cup champion, Allison survived brutal accidents and won a heartwarming 1988 Daytona 500 that featured the first-ever father-son 1-2 finish at the Cup level with Davey Allison. NASCAR wouldn’t be where it is today without the Hueytown, Ala., native. And while his appearances are few and far between as he has aged, Allison has remained an ambassador for the sport for decades.

Part of what made Allison beloved to the fans was his memory, something that was affected by an accident at Pocono Raceway in 1988. In spite of that, Allison was not one to forget the revocation of his Bowman Gray win. He made that evident in a statement to veteran motorsports journalist Rick Houston years ago.

“I got 85 wins, and the record book shows 84,” Allison said. “Nobody at NASCAR has the authority to [make the correction], I guess. I really wish that I could get that one win, because it’s important to me. It would be important to anybody who won it.

“I always thought they gave my win to Richard Petty, and the Pope’s not gonna take anything away from Richard Petty. So I figured it was lost forever. But if they didn’t give it to anybody, I won the race and I have the trophy and I got the money that day, so why shouldn’t I get credit for the win?”

Allison was absolutely right. Why not? After all, Tiny Lund, Charlie Glotzbach and Elmo Langley received credit for the other combined races that season. Additionally, given how much dedication, sweat, tears and sometimes even life-or-death commitment a driver makes to being a NASCAR driver, who wouldn’t want credit for a race where they finished first legitimately?

Fortunately, NASCAR finally listened. In a day and age where the sanctioning body has received much criticism of its officiating, they finally got one right. It may have taken 53 years, but the credit is deserved for actually listening and not wiping this issue off the table, one that should have never been there to begin with.

Now, if you are hoping for the same thing to happen with other controversies, such as Ricky Rudd being penalized for spinning Davey at Sonoma Raceway in 1991 or Regan Smith finally being recognized as the winner of the 2008 fall race at Talladega Superspeedway, I wouldn’t hold my breath.

Allison’s win was in a whole different category, solely because that race had a vacancy in the winner’s column. What does make this intriguing, though, is that it further validates the “never say never” nature of NASCAR, even if it does take half a century.

It may seem like a small thing this amount of time later, but this issue was certainly important to Allison and his family. As one of the giants of the motorsport’s history, it was only fair to give him the credit he deserved. And with NASCAR returning to the grounds of Bowman Gray for The Busch Light Clash in 2025, it is a fitting way to honor an absolute legend as we return to the site of one his biggest question marks.

The question begs: should we call Allison NASCAR’s oldest “winner” now? You can be the judge of that.

Luken Glover

Luken Glover joined the Frontstretch team in 2020 as a contributor, furthering a love for racing that traces back to his earliest memories. Glover inherited his passion for racing from his grandfather, who used to help former NASCAR team owner Junie Donlavey in his Richmond, Va. garage. A 2023 graduate from the University of the Cumberlands, Glover is the author of "The Underdog House," contributes to commentary pieces, and does occasional at-track reporting. Additionally, Glover enjoys working in ministry, coaching basketball, playing sports, and karting.