NASCAR ends 53-year feud with big announcement

NASCAR has addressed a 53-year controversy by awarding racing legend Bobby Allison his 85th career Cup win. The ad retrospectively awards Allison the contested race victory 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 featured vehicles from both the NASCAR Cup Series and the Grand American Series, an unusual mix that caused a cloud of controversy. Bobby Allison, who chose to race a Ford Mustang Grand American, led 138 of the 200 laps and crossed the finish line first.

His next rival in the race, Richard Petty, finished in second place. Despite his triumph on the track and his presence in Victory Lane, the win was never recorded as a Cup Winners’ Cup win by NASCAR. The contentious issue lay in the fact that Allison, although 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 believed his official tally should be 85 Cup wins instead of 84. This new accolade puts him fourth on the all-time wins list NASCAR.

NASCAR’s decision is not only significant for Allison’s place in the sport’s history, but also symbolic, as Bowman Gray Stadium will return to the NASCAR Cup schedule in 2025. The stadium, often known as “The Madhouse” due to its closed tracks and chaotic racing, it will host ‘The Clash’, who will start the season with an exhibition race. This will be 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 Famer 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 subject of the race returned to the forefront . We felt it was the right thing to do to officially recognize Bobby’s win and honor him as an 85-time NASCAR Cup winner. We are grateful for Bobby’s lifetime contributions.”