NASCAR Overturns Controversial 53-Year-Old Race Result

October 23, 2024
3:51 pm

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Kauy Ostlien

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What’s Happening?

Keeping with all the shocking storylines of October, NASCAR has overturned a ruling from over 50 years ago. Wednesday afternoon, NASCAR declared Hall of Famer Bobby Allison the winner of the 1971 Myers Brothers Memorial 250.

Today, NASCAR announces its recognition of Bobby Allison as the official winner of the 1971 NASCAR Cup Series race at Bowman Gray Stadium.

Allison, who drove a Grand American car to victory that day, now counts this win toward his NASCAR Cup total, bringing him to 85 career… pic.twitter.com/SJbT5QYirh
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) October 23, 2024

On Aug. 6, 1971, Bobby Allison, a member of NASCAR’s golden generation of “innovators,” entered a “pony car,” better known as a Grand American car, in the 1971 Myers Brothers Memorial 250 at Bowman Gray Stadium. This change was legal as the race was a combination event between the Grand American and Grand National Series.
Thanks to a strategic advantage in his smaller Ford Mustang, Allison led 138 laps on his way to the win. However, following the race, NASCAR announced that there would not be an official winner, and Allison lost out on the win.
This change preceeds NASCAR’s return to Bowman Gray next February for the non-points-paying clash. The 2025 Clash at Bowman Gray is on Feb. 2 and will be broadcast on Fox or FS1.
This long-awaited change is controversial due to its effect on the NASCAR record book. With this win, Allison takes sole ownership of fourth on the NASCAR Cup Series all-time wins list. Furthermore, he officially passes his bitter rival, Darrell Waltrip, on that list. The two were tied for fourth at 84 wins since Waltrip’s 1992 win at Darlington.

In a statement from NASCAR, chairman and CEO Jim France said:

“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 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.” — Jim France

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