 |
Davey AllisonAmerican NASCAR driver
Date of Birth: 25.02.1961
Country:  USA |
Content:
Biography of Davey Allison
Davey Allison was an American NASCAR driver, born on February 25, 1961, in Hollywood, Florida. He was the eldest of four children of famous race car driver Bobby Allison and his first wife Judy Allison. The family later moved to Hueytown, Alabama, where Davey's father, uncle Donnie Allison, family friend Red Farmer, and Neil Bonnett formed the renowned "Alabama Gang" in auto racing.
Early Life and Career
Although Davey initially had a passion for sports, particularly football, he eventually followed in his family's footsteps and chose a career in racing. After finishing high school, he began working for his father's team and spent his free time working on his own race car, a Chevy Nova, with the help of his friends.
Davey's racing career began in 1979 at the Birmingham International Raceway, where he won his first race on his sixth start. He became a consistent winner at the Birmingham International Raceway and by 1983, he was competing in races for the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA). In 1984, he was named the ARCA Rookie of the Year and finished second in the championship standings. During this time, he also married his first wife, Deborah Allison.
Success in NASCAR
In the following years, Davey continued to compete in ARCA events and achieved eight victories, including four at Talladega Superspeedway. He also began appearing in lower division NASCAR races and in July 1985, he was given the opportunity to drive a car in the Winston Cup race at Talladega 500 by car owner Hoss Ellington. Davey qualified Ellington's Chevrolet and finished 10th in his first Winston Cup race. This impressive performance led to more opportunities to compete in the Winston Cup in 1986.
In May 1987, Davey Allison became the first rookie since Ron Bouchard in 1981 to win a Winston Cup race, defeating legendary driver Dale Earnhardt. Just 28 days later, he achieved another victory in the Budweiser 500 at Dover International Speedway, becoming the first rookie with two wins. In 1987, Davey participated in 22 of the 29 Winston Cup races, winning two, finishing in the top five nine times, and in the top ten ten times.
Challenges and Tragedy
The following year started with challenges for Davey. The team faced financial difficulties, cars were breaking down, and his father Bobby Allison was involved in a serious accident that nearly cost him his life. Fortunately, the second half of the year was more successful, and Davey resumed winning races. The team was also sold to Robert Yates. However, Davey's marriage did not survive the challenges, and he and Deborah divorced at the end of the season.
Despite the difficult start, Davey's best years with Robert Yates Racing came in 1991 and 1992. Throughout his nine-year career, he competed in 191 Sprint Cup Series races, winning 19 times, finishing in the top ten 92 times, and earning 14 pole positions. He also participated in 86 Nationwide Series races, earning $6,724,174.
In August 1992, Davey tragically lost his younger brother Clifford during a training accident. Then, on Monday, July 12, 1993, Davey flew in his newly acquired Hughes 369HS helicopter to Talladega Superspeedway to watch David Bonnett, Neil Bonnett's son, prepare for his debut in the Busch Series. Red Farmer, another legendary driver and family friend, accompanied him on the flight. Unfortunately, the helicopter crashed during landing. Neil Bonnett was able to rescue Farmer, who suffered broken bones, but Davey could only be extracted by arriving paramedics. He sustained severe head injuries and passed away the following morning, July 13, 1993. Thousands of people attended his farewell service. He was survived by his wife Liz and their two children, daughter Krista Marie and son Robert Grey.
