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“World Lost a Hero Today”: NASCAR World Mourns Death of Icon Bobby Allison

Rahul Ahluwalia
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The defending Winston Cup points champion Bobby Allison checks out the newspaper during qualifying trials for the Nashville Pepsi 420 NASCAR Grand National race at Nashville International Raceway on July 13, 1984

The defending Winston Cup points champion Bobby Allison checks out the newspaper during qualifying trials for the Nashville Pepsi 420 NASCAR Grand National race at Nashville International Raceway on July 13, 1984. © Greg Lovett / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

NASCAR Hall of Famer and one of the most recognized faces of old-school NASCAR, Bobby Allison has passed away at the age of 86. Known to have raced alongside some of the sport’s greatest personalities such as Richard Petty and Michael Waltrip, Allison was one of the last pillars of old-fashioned stock car racing in the current day and age.

Allison amassed a total of 85 victories throughout his career in the sport along with the 1983 championship to his name, racing over three decades in NASCAR. Along with his impressive roster of victories, Allison had the sport’s crown jewel events figured out as well. He had three Daytona 500 victories and four instances of triumph during the prestigious Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.

A few lesser-known facts about the legend of the sport include his two appearances in the famed Indianapolis 500 in 1973 and 1975, paired with Roger Penske’s open-wheel racing outfits at the time. Allison was also credited with the accolade of winning the NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver Award six times, further elaborating on his rapport with the fans.

As news broke about the legend’s demise, he has been reported to have left the world peacefully in his sleep at home. Several from the stock car racing fraternity poured in with their wishes to the late racer and his family. “Rest in Peace legend,” wrote an unofficial fan page surrounding Joe Gibbs Racing’s #54 entry in the Cup Series driven by Ty Gibbs.

“Sincere condolences to the NASCAR family,” chimes in another fan, paying his respects to the late driver and his family. “World lost a hero today,” wrote another person, while several others paid their respects and wrote, “May he rest in peace.”

“He had been in declining health”

A statement from Bobby Allison’s family confirmed the 86-year-old’s demise at home in his sleep while also giving further details to the fans surrounding the sad news. As per the report, Allison’s health had been on a decline for the past few years, with the Allison family urging NASCAR fans to keep supporting the late legend’s home church, Saint Therese Catholic Church in Mooresville, North Carolina.

The family also seeks support from the fans towards the International Motorsports Hall of Fame Preservation Society and the Victory Junction Gang Camp in light of the sad news.

Fans at the upcoming title decider at Phoenix Raceway can also expect a few minutes spared for the sport’s legend as the 2024 season comes to an end. The event goes live on Sunday at 3:00 pm ET.

About the author

Rahul Ahluwalia

Rahul Ahluwalia

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Rahul Ahluwalia is a NASCAR Content Strategist and Journalist at The SportsRush. Hailing from a Journalism and Mass Communication background, Rahul's love for automobiles transformed into his passion for all things racing. With over 1200+ articles under his belt covering a mixture of NASCAR and F1, he has realized his calling in the world of motorsports with actual first hand experience behind the wheel to back it up. He has competed in several autocross events as well as rallycross-style competitions to hone his skills behind the wheel and better understand the mindset of a racecar driver, allowing him to further improve his writing as well. He also has an editorial background with respect to racing and has eye for stories which otherwise go unnoticed. Rahul is also an avid sim racer indulging in various disciplines such as rallying and oval racing during his free time. Having begun his motorsports journey at the start of 2020, he turned his passion into his work allowing him to delve deeper into the ever evolving and world of cars and motorsports. Apart from racing, Rahul also has sound technical knowledge of the automotive industry and automobiles in general. Having grown up playing video games such as Need for Speed, Forza Motorsport and Gran Turismo, it is easy to see where the love for racing and machines inculcated in the first place.

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