In
Memory of...
Davey
Allison
1961-1993
Davey Allison was born Feburary 25, 1961, and with his father Nascar legend Bobby Allison, he was destined to be a great driver. At the age of 12, he started working in his father's shop sweeping floors, at 18, using equipment from the same shop, he built a 1967 ChevyNova, and started racing at local tracks around Hueytown, Alabama. By 1983, he had moved up to the ARCA series where he got his 1st pole, and his 1st win at Talladega. This was the same year he started his 1st Busch Series race at Rockingham. 1984 saw him win the ARCA Rookie of the Year award, and the 1st Bill France Triple Crown award. In his 1st Winston Cup start driving the Hoss Ellington Lancaster Tobacco Chevy, he started 22nd and finished 10th. In 1985, he won 4 poles and had 6 wins as he continued to be successful in the ARCA series. He also started 3 more Winston Cup races for Hoss Ellington. He drove in 5 races in 1986 for the Sadler Brothers, and 1 for Junior Johnson, in the #12 Budweiser Chevy. In 1987, things begin to come together for davey, he signed on with the Ranier-Lundy race team, who had a Ford Thunderbird, sponsored by Texaco. In his rookie year, he claimed the 2nd starting spot for his 1st Daytona 500, making him the 1st rookie to ever start on the front row there. As the 1987 season came to a close, Davey had amassed 2 wins, both in the month of may at Talladega, and Dover, 5 poles, 9 top 5's, and 10 top 10's, which heped him win the 1987 Winston Cup Rookie of the Year title. He also became the first rookie to win 2 superspeedway races. Still with Harry Ranier in 1988, and with Texaco as his sponsor, Davey finsihed 2nd to hi dad, Bobby, in the 1988 Daytona 500. Battling money problems, Ranier had decided to sell the team, and davey kept pushing crew chief Robert Yates to buy the team. Yates finally gave in and did so, as the finished the season with 2 wins, 3 poles, 12 top 5's, and 16 top 10's. Winning Talladega, and Daytona in 1989, he finished up this season with a new paint scheme,(black with gold numbers) and earned 1 pole, 2 wins, 7 top 5's, 13 top 10's, had married wis future wife Liz, and celebrated the birth of a daughter Krista. In 1990, he notched his 7th win at Bristol, becoming the only driver that had won there pitting on the backstretch, win #8 came at Charlotte. With Larry McReynolds coming aboard as crew chief in 1991, Davey captured 2 poles, 5 wins, 12 tpo 5's, and 16 top 10's. His son Robbie was also born that same year. 1992 started off as Davey's year, he won the Daytona 500, and along with Bobby, became the second father-son duo to win that race(Lee and Richard Petty were the first). At Bristol, he sustained injuries after an oil line broke, sending him hard into the wall, during this time also, his grandfather "Pop" Allison died. The next week, Jimmy Hensley qualified his car for him, and and with 87 laps to go, Davey grabbed the lead and won dedicating that win to his grandfather. At Pocono, Davey was involved in the worst crash of his career, after an 11 somersault crash, he sustained a broken forearm, dislocated, and shattered wrist, a bruised face(impact with his helmet during the flips),and a broken collarbone. In August, Davey lost his brother Clifford in a crash at Michigan. Davey had been in and out of the points lead that year, and with a win at Phoenix, he regained the lead, going into the final race at Atlanta. Unfortunately, a wreck with Ernie Irvan, ended Davey's hopes of a title that year as he watched the closet championship fight in history being fought between Alan Kulwicki, and Bill Elliott, with Alan winning the championship that year. In 1993, he won his last race at Richmond. In July the worst had yet to happen, Davey, and Red Farmer were flying to the Talladega Superspeedway, and while landing in the infield. the helicopter shot up 25 feet in the air, spun counterclockwise, andcrashed to the ground. Sustaining head injuries from that crash, we lost Davey the next day. At the next race, Dale Earnhardt claimed victory, and with a "polish victory lap", circled the track, carrying a #28 flag. Even thoughhe never won a Winston Cup Championship, Davey was in every sense of the word a "champion". We all miss you Davey.