It took 53 years for NASCAR to officially declare Bobby Allison as the winner of a 1971 race at Bowman Gray Stadium. At the time, due to protests from drivers including Richard Petty, officials decided the race would not have an official winner recorded, leaving Allison unacknowledged until October 24, 2024.
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In a bid to increase the number of competitors in both the NASCAR Cup Series—known back then as the Grand National—and the briefly run Grand American Series for ‘pony cars,’ NASCAR officials had decided that six races in the 1971 season would be combination events, accommodating both divisions.
However, right after the first race of the season — the Myers Brothers Memorial 250 in 1971 at Bowman Gray Stadium — controversy brewed among the drivers and teams.
They argued that a victory by a Grand American car should not be included in the Grand National records, citing that the Grand American Series cars held an unfair advantage in these mixed events. Petty was vocal in his disapproval, suggesting the series should be separate.
He asserted, “They ought to send them home and leave them. If we’re running Grand National races, let’s run Grand National cars. If we’re running Grand American races, let’s run Grand American cars,” before promptly exiting the track.
The decision prevented Allison from being credited with what would have marked his 25th career victory, bringing his total to 85 wins. With this adjustment, Allison now ranks fourth on the all-time NASCAR Cup Series win list, surpassing fellow NASCAR Cup Series champion and Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip, who has 84 race wins.
Today, NASCAR announces its recognition of Bobby Allison as the official winner of the 1971 NASCAR Cup Series race at Bowman Gray Stadium.
Allison, who drove a Grand American car to victory that day, now counts this win toward his NASCAR Cup total, bringing him to 85 career… pic.twitter.com/SJbT5QYirh
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) October 23, 2024
NASCAR officials disclosed that NASCAR CEO and Chairman Jim France, along with Vice Chairman Mike Helton, made a personal visit to the 2011 Hall of Fame inductee on Wednesday to inform him of the revision in the official history books.
Why did NASCAR revisit a decision made over half a century ago?
NASCAR reversing a previous ruling isn’t unprecedented. For instance, in the 2022 Pocono race, Denny Hamlin initially celebrated his 49th victory and Kyle Busch finished second. However, both were later disqualified after failing the post-race inspection, and Chase Elliott was declared the winner.
Likewise, this year just before the Las Vegas race in the Round of 8, Alex Bowman, originally a contender, was disqualified for a car weight discrepancy during the post-race technical inspection. Joey Logano was then elevated to Bowman’s spot in the next round.
The discussion to rectify Allison’s record intensified recently when Bowman Gray Stadium was chosen as the venue for the 2025 NASCAR Cup season’s Clash exhibition race. NASCAR Chairman and CEO Jim France explained, “For 53 years, the Myers Brothers Memorial was the only race run by NASCAR that did not have an official winner.”
He added, “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.”
It will be fascinating to see which other current drivers manage to join the elite group of the most victorious drivers in the history of the NASCAR Cup Series.
