Tag Archives: Davey Allison

It may be the greatest season NASCAR has ever had. The 1992 season was one that changed the sport in many ways. Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Richard Petty was in the midst of his fan appreciation tour, marking the end of his 35-year career. Petty made the announcement during …

Denny Hamlin got a huge jump on the final restart, then drove off into the sunset like the rest of the field was on tricycles.

I keep hearing comments on television that Mark Martin might be the best NASCAR driver who has never won a Cup championship. That may well be true, and I have a LOT of respect for Mark. We were friends while he was in ASA and I was working in that series, and I’ve always liked him. I would really like to see him win a Cup title before his career is finally over. One of the things I like most about his staying in racing is the way he says it’s not about winning a championship. I’m sure he’s honest in that. You can’t fault a passion for the sport, and with Mark, he is staying in it is because he simply loves to race, and getting a competitive ride was too big an opportunity to turn down. And I believe at this point he may be one of the best NASCAR drivers who have never won that title.

Editor's Note: For Part One of Matt's retrospective on Davey Allison, click "here.":https://frontstretch.com/mmclaughlin/25947/ Robert Yates Racing and the team's talented young driver Davey Allison made their official debut at the 1989 Daytona 500. Things got off to an inauspicious start. Davey was running well when Geoff Bodine got into his rear bumper and sent the 28 car spinning. The car rolled but came down on all four wheels, and Allison limped off to the pits, where the crew was able to repair the car well enough to get him back out there for points.

If there was ever a child born to be a race car driver, it was Davey Allison. If there was ever a race car driver who never forgot his roots, and always had a few moments to sign an autograph, answer a question or smile for a photo with a fan, it was Davey Allison. And if there was ever a hero of the sport who left us too soon, it was Davey Allison. Perhaps it was only natural Davey wanted to drive race cars since before he could say the word. His father, Bobby, was one of NASCAR's greatest stars, and the titular head of the storied Alabama gang. His Uncle Donnie was also one of the all time greats of the sport. Allison's earliest memories of childhood were riding with his dad in an old pick up truck, looking over his shoulder at a beat up old modified racer, and thinking that old car had to be the most beautiful thing in the world.

The truthfulness of the legend of the Talladega Curse is lost to time and memories, but certainly there have been enough odd and tragic incidents at the track to give even a sober man pause. As the story is told, there were a bunch of folks none too happy about Big Bill France's decision to build his racetrack on the property he had bought. Among them were local hunters who said it was the best fox hunting area in the world; but the legend actually pins the curse on a local Native American tribe who considered the acreage sacred ground. The tribe supposedly sent their medicine man to ask France not to build there, but he refused to relocate and instead began construction in the late 1960s. As a result, the angry medicine man then invoked a curse on the new speedway… and no doubt was fined $5,000 by NASCAR for cursing.

This list of drivers I never saw but wish I had is about as unscientific as you’re going to get. I’ve not restricted myself at all in terms of criteria, and in a couple of cases, I quote from sources that know much more than I. Where relevant, I’ve explained my reasoning, so you know I'm just not pulling these things right out of thin air. Some choices are obvious and others may surprise you; so if you think I’m missing someone, write in and tell me why.

Forget the Indy 500 rumors; Sam Hornish Jr. is finally starting to make some noise in the Sprint Cup Series. In Saturday night’s “Sprint Showdown” event that featured three rookies, Hornish proved the lone bright spot after Patrick Carpentier wrecked his Charter Communications Dodge early while Regan Smith faded to the back of the pack. Left alone as the sole rookie contender, the No. 77 Mobil One Dodge made sure to shine; he was the fastest car on the track at the end of the event, overtaking David Ragan in the final laps to snag the second and final transfer spot for the All-Star Race.

Robert Yates Racing, and the team's talented young driver Davey Allison made their official debut at the 1989 Daytona 500. Things got off to an inauspicious start. Davey was running well when Geoff Bodine got into his rear bumper and sent the 28 car spinning. The car rolled but came down on all four wheels, and Allison limped off to the pits, where the crew was able to repair the car well enough to get him back out there for points. Allison finished 25th in that years 500. After the race Davey had some harsh words for Geoff and a short scuffle broke out. It was just the beginning of a lot of frustration for what amounted to a new team going through some teething pains. There were some bright spots, like a sixth at Rockingham and a 2nd at Darlington, but there were also an uncharacteristic amount of engine failures that season, as Yates tried to adjust to his dual role as team owner and engine man, both of which are full-time jobs.

If there was ever a child born to be a racecar driver, it was Davey Allison. If there was ever a racecar driver who never forgot his roots, and always had a few moments to sign an autograph, answer a question or smile for a photo with a fan, it was Davey Allison. And if there was ever a hero of the sport who left us too soon, it was Davey Allison.