DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — NASCAR today announced its recognition of Bobby Allison as the official winner of the NASCAR Cup Series Myers Brothers Memorial at Bowman Gray Stadium on August 6, 1971. The NASCAR record books have been updated to reflect Allison in sole possession of fourth place on the all-time Cup Series wins list with 85 wins.
“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 chairman and CEO. “As we began preparations for the upcoming Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium, the topic of that August 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.”
Earlier today, France and Senior Advisor to NASCAR Mike Helton visited with Allison to inform him of the news.
The race was one of six that season that featured a mix of Grand National (Cup Series) cars and smaller Grand American cars. Allison, who competed in both series at the time, chose to drive his Grand American Ford Mustang and won the race, leading 138 of 200 laps. Despite being presented the trophy in Victory Lane, the win never counted towards Allison’s Cup Series total.
With Allison’s win total updated to 85, he now only trails fellow NASCAR Hall of Famers Richard Petty (200), David Pearson (105) and Jeff Gordon (93).
Allison, who was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s second class in 2011, is a five-time NASCAR champion – Cup Series (1983), Modified Division (1964, ’65) and Modified Special Division (1962, ’63). He won the Daytona 500 three times (1978, ’82, ’88), holding off his son and fellow NASCAR Hall of Famer Davey Allison in his final career victory – creating one of the most memorable moments in NASCAR history. In 2023, Allison was named one of the 75 Greatest Drivers in NASCAR history.
About NASCAR: The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 14 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR sanctions races in three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR Xfinity Series™, and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series™), four international series (NASCAR Brasil Series, NASCAR Canada Series, NASCAR Mexico Series, NASCAR Whelen Euro Series), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour) and a local grassroots series (NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series). The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in five cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races annually in 11 countries and more than 30 U.S. states.
- By Josh Hamilton / NASCAR Communications
