NASCAR has addressed a 53-year-old controversy by granting racing legend Bobby Allison his 85th career Cup Series win. The announcement retrospectively awards Allison the contested victory from the race held on August 6, 1971, at Bowman Gray Stadium. This comes more than five decades after the race concluded without an official winner due to a dispute over car classifications.
The 1971 race at Bowman Gray Stadium included vehicles from both the NASCAR Cup Series and the Grand American series, an uncommon mix that led to a cloud of controversy. Bobby Allison, opting to race a Grand American Ford Mustang, led 138 of the 200 laps and crossed the finish line first.
His close rival in the race, Richard Petty, finished just behind in second. Despite his triumph on the track and his presence in Victory Lane, the victory was never recorded as a Cup Series win by NASCAR. The contentious issue lay in the fact that Allison, though competing in a race within the Cup Series calendar, was driving a car not classified as a standard Cup vehicle. This nuanced distinction left the race without a declared winner.
Allison, now 86, has long held the belief that his official count should stand at 85 Cup wins instead of 84. This new acknowledgment puts him in fourth position on NASCAR’s all-time wins list.
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The decision by NASCAR is not only significant for Allison’s standing in the sport’s history but also symbolic as Bowman Gray Stadium is set to make its return to the NASCAR Cup schedule in 2025. The stadium, often referred to as “The Madhouse” due to its tight track and chaotic races, will host ‘The Clash,’ kicking off the season with an exhibition race. This will mark the first Cup race at this venue since the controversial event more than fifty years ago.
For Allison, who won the NASCAR Cup title once in 1983 and became a Hall of Fame inductee in 2011, this official recognition further cements his place among the pantheon of NASCAR greats.
As the 2025 season approaches, NASCAR fans can look forward to reliving history at Bowman Gray Stadium with ‘The Clash.’
Jim France explained in a statement:
“For 53 years, the Myers Brothers Memorial was the only race run by NASCAR that did not have an official winner. As we began preparations for the upcoming Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium, the topic of the 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.”
