History

Davey Allison

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Davey Allison, like his father, was born in South Florida and became the second-generation star of the “Alabama Gang.” Davey was eldest of four children of the Hall of Fame driver Bobby Allison and wife Judy. A good all-around athlete but his racing genes kicked in after his high school graduation and his decision to go racing led him to Birmingham International Raceway for his first start in 1979. In just six starts he won his first race.

By 1983, Allison was a regular on the ARCA circuit with an eye to racing against his dad at the NASCAR Cup level. In ’83, he swept both ARCA races at Talladega Superspeedway to prove to the home fans that they something to look forward to. Allison won ARCA Rookie of the Year in his first full ARCA season in 1984 and was runner-up in the points championship. In July, 1985, Allison made his NASCAR Cup Series debut at Talladega and scored a top-10 finish.

Allison’s Daytona 500 history is one of the most unusual in the race’s storied history. Allison would finish second in a pitched battle with his father Bobby in 1988. In 1992, his most successful season in the Cup Series, Allison avoided a big multi-car crash on Lap 92 of the 500 to become the second Allison to win the Great American Race.

Though Allison’s career in NASCAR spanned only nine years, his achievements during that stretch of time were impressive. In 191 Cup Series starts, he won 19 races, with 92 top-10 finishes, and 14 poles. Allison’s last great achievement was the International Race of Champions (IROC) series championship in 1993. Allison was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1998 and named one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers in the same year.