"He was a supreme talent behind the wheel" - NASCAR honors late Bobby Allison in heartfelt tribute video

NASCAR honored the late Bobby Allison in a video tribute after his passing last week. Allison competed in NASCAR from the 1960s to the late 1980s and made a huge impact on the sport.

Allison was known as one of the best drivers in NASCAR. He won over 80 races in the Cup Series. He is also one of only 10 drivers to win all four of NASCAR’s biggest races, the Daytona 500, Winston 500, Coca-Cola 600, and Southern 500.

In a video posted on November 17, NASCAR celebrated the life and work of the late legend.

"Bobby Allison was a fierce competitor known for his versatility behind the wheel and ability to win wherever and whenever he wanted. Allison will forever be remembered as one of NASCAR's Elite talents. (00:00)"

"Allison was a supreme Talent behind the wheel, a legend who dedicated his life to the pursuit of Motorsport excellence. (00:47, )"

Miami native Alison moved to Hueytown, Alabama, with his brother Donnie and close friend Red Farmer and dominated the regional racing scene. This trio became known as the "Alabama Gang."

Overall, Allison had 85 Cup wins over 25 years, including three Daytona 500 victories. He was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2011 and was celebrated as one of the sport's 75 greatest drivers in 2023.

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Bobby Allison's popular fight that helped NASCAR gain media attention

One of Allison’s best wins was the 1988 Daytona 500, where he finished first, beating his son Davey in second.

Another popular race was the 1979 Daytona 500, where Bobby Allison, his brother Donnie, and rival Cale Yarborough got involved in a crash. Donnie was in the lead when Yarborough tried to pass him and they collided on the last lap.

Bobby, who was two laps behind, won the race and stopped to check on Donnie. Yarborough accused Bobby of causing the crash and hit him with his helmet, cutting his nose and lip.

"He (Yarborough) lunged at me and hit me in the face with his helmet. Cut my nose, my lip, blood is dripping in my lap and I thought, ‘I’ve got to get out of the car and address this right now or run from him the rest of my life.’ So I got out of the car and the guy got to beating on my fists with his nose,” Allison said.

The fight introduced many people to NASCAR on TV during a snowstorm. Both Donnie and Bobby agreed that the fight helped get NASCAR more attention.