Over five decades later, NASCAR legend officially recognized as winner of 1971 race

For over half a century, NASCAR’s record books refused to acknowledge Allison - or any driver in the Aug. 6, 1971 race - as the race winner, leaving a gaping hole in NASCAR’s record book. 

The controversy stems from the Mustang Allison piloted around the quarter-mile bullring on that August day, as the Grand American ‘pony car’ he was driving was not ruled as a ‘Cup Series’ car. In an effort to boost the field sizes for both the Cup Series — then called Grand National — and its short-lived Grand American Series for “pony cars” such as Camaros, Cougars, Firebirds, Javelins and Mustangs, NASCAR officials announced that six races in the 1971 campaign would be combination events for both divisions. Grand National drivers were not happy with the mixture of cars, leading to a contentious atmosphere both before and after the race, with officials eventually attempting to quell the pushback by declaring the race would not have an official winner in the record books.

Interestingly, Allison's case somehow wasn’t treated the same as that of Tiny Lund, who won the two other "combo" races that year in a Chevrolet Camaro and was allowed to keep both wins in the record book. 

“For 53 years, the Myers Brothers Memorial was the only race run by NASCAR that did not have an official winner,” NASCAR CEO Jim France said in a statement. “As we began preparations for the upcoming Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium, the topic of the 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.”

Now, over five decades since the controversy dominated the NASCAR news cycle, the 86-year old Allison can be assured that legacy is complete, and that he stands alone in fourth-place on the all-time wins list.