Fifth-three years after he won the race and 13 years after Bobby Allison was inducted into the Hall of Fame, NASCAR has recognized Allison’s 1971 win at Bowman Gray Stadium.
The move comes a few months before the NASCAR Cup Series returns to Bowman Gray Stadium in February 2025 for the first time since Allison’s disputed victory.
“For 53 years, the Myers Brothers Memorial was the only race run by NASCAR that did not have an official winner,” said Jim France, NASCAR chairman and CEO, in a statement. “As we began preparations for the upcoming Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium, the topic of that August 6, 1971 race returned to the forefront.
“We felt it was the right thing to officially recognize Bobby’s win and honor him as an 85-time NASCAR Cup Series winner. We are grateful for Bobby’s lifetime contributions to NASCAR.”
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That 1971 race at Bowman Gray was one of six that season that featured a combined field of NASCAR Grand National cars and those in the Grand American Series. Allison drove a Mustang from the Grand American Series to the victory.
After complaints from competitors, NASCAR determined that the event would not have an official winner listed. And hadn’t until Wednesday when France and Mike Helton, senior advisor to NASCAR, visited the 86-year-old Allison and presented him a plaque recognizing Allison as the winner of that event.
The decision by NASCAR gives Allison 85 career Cup victories, moving him into sole possession of fourth on the all-time list and past Darrell Waltrip, who had 84 career wins.
The decision also means some slight changes will need to be made to at the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Allison’s spire in the Hall of Honor will have to be updated to note his new win total. Allison was among those selected in the second Hall of Fame class in 2011.
