53 years after the race, NASCAR awards victory to Bobby Allison

Bobby Allison won the Myers Brothers Memorial at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, on Aug. 6, 1971. He got the trophy in Victory Lane.

But it wasn’t until Wednesday that NASCAR announced it had changed the Alabama Gang driver’s official victory total to reflect the outcome, awarding a win to the Hueytown legend that had been denied by the record book for more than half a century.

“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’s chairman and CEO, in a release from the racing organization. “As we began preparations for the upcoming Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium, the topic of that Aug. 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.”

The controversy over Allison’s victory arose because he was driving a Grand American car in the 250-lap race, not a Grand National car. Some NASCAR races at the time had the two series on the track simultaneously, and Allison drove in both series. That day at Bowman Gray, Allison was in his smaller Ford Mustang of the Grand American class as he led the final 138 laps after Richard Petty in a Plymouth had led the first 112. They were the only drivers who finished on the lead lap.

By getting credit for a Cup victory, Allison now has 85 on his career list, moving him out of a tie with Darrell Waltrip and into sole possession of fourth place for NASCAR Cup Series wins. Petty holds the record with 200 victories, followed by David Pearson with 105 and Jeff Gordon with 93.

Allison competed in the Cup Series as it went from Grand National to Winston Cup from 1961 through 1988.

From his base in Hueytown, Allison became known as one of the original members of the Alabama Gang, along with Donnie Allison and their friend Red Farmer. All three men are now in the NASCAR Hall of Fame, as is Bobby Allison’s son Davey Allison.