Allison, who became full-time on the Grand National circuit in 1965, is fourth on NASCAR’s all-time wins list for his first series. He made 718 career starts, the 14th most in series history, and finished in the top five 336 times, the most of any driver outside of the legendary Richard Petty.

He was the inaugural series champion in 1983 and won 85 races during his career.

He won the Dayton 500 in 1978, 1982 and 1988 and the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway four times (1971, ’72, ’75, ’83). Allison also won the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway three times (’71, ’81, ’84).

Allison helped propel NASCAR onto the national stage both through her performance on the track and her personality off it, which added entertainment value to the sport. At the 1979 Daytona 500, his battle with Cale Yarborough in the closing laps made headlines and sparked a new era for NASCAR.

Allison was a founding member of the legendary “Alabama Gang”, a racing group founded by Allison, her brother Donnie and Red Farmer. The group has gained and lost members over the years, but all of the original members have been inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame.