June 19, 1988

Bobby Allison and younger brother Donnie, along with Red Farmer, set up shop in the racing hotbed of Hueytown in the early 1960s and became known as the “Alabama Gang.” That group later would include Neil and David Bonnett, and Hut Stricklin, who married Donnie Allison’s daughter. Bobby Allison won his first Grand National race in 1966 and remained competitive up until the end of his driving career when he suffered life-threatening and career-ending injuries during a 500-mile event at the Pocono Raceway in Pennsylvania. Over the course of his career, Bobby Allison amassed 84 career victories and 58 pole positions in NASCAR’s top division. He was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 1984, the Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1992 and the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1993.

Read more at Encyclopedia of Alabama.

Allison family NASCAR personalities, from left: father and son Donnie and Kenny Allison, and son and father Davey and Bobby Allison. (Encyclopedia of Alabama/Courtesy of Bobby Allison Racing Inc.)

Donnie (far left) and Bobby Allison (wearing helmet) fight Cale Yarborough following the Daytona 500 in February 1979 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Yarborough was involved in a wreck with Donnie Allison near the end of the race. (From Encyclopedia of Alabama, photograph by Ric Feld, courtesy of the Associated Press)

NASCAR legend Bobby Allison was a two-time winner at Talladega during the 1970s. (Encyclopedia of Alabama, photograph from The Birmingham News)

Trophies, uniforms and other memorabilia belonging to NASCAR Hall of Fame member Bobby Allison are displayed during the Hall of Honor unveiling at the NASCAR Hall of Fame on May 24, 2011 in Charlotte, N.C. (Photo by Jason Smith/ Getty Images for NASCAR)

Bobby Allison poses prior to the 2011 NASCAR Hall of Fame induction ceremonies at the Charlotte Convention Center on May 23, 2011 in Charlotte, N.C. (Photo by John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR)

For more on Alabama’s Bicentennial, visit Alabama 200.