The NASCAR community is not without its fair share of shocking moments and jaw-dropping turn of events. Drivers turning their backs on teams, or conversely, teams not backing their drivers, or even fellow teammates wrecking each other—NASCAR has seen it all over the years. Tyler Reddick getting released from his contract with RCR a year earlier, rumored to be due to Kyle Busch‘s arrival, is one such example. However, it still comes as a surprise when a veteran driver reveals something similar from the past. 

NASCAR veteran Donnie Allison’s anecdote was enough to make even 2x Daytona 500 winner Dale Earnhardt Jr’s jaw drop. In the latest episode of The Dale Jr. Download podcast, Donnie Allison opened up about a time he had wagered everything for someone, only to be ruthlessly sacked in the end.

That one time Donnie Allison put his faith in a new team

Dale Jr listened intently as Donnie Allison recalled the one time he invested everything he had in a racing team that was brand new. It was indeed an act uncharacteristic of him, because Donnie had always expressed the desire to wager for cars that could win. A new team could provide no such guarantee.

The Alabama Gang member mentioned how he owned his own race car and shop back in Alabama when he was given a proposal. All of a sudden, he decided to take a chance despite there being no need for him to do so. He went on to talk about the origin of the DiGard Racing deal. 

“Bill Gardner came to me and said, ‘I wanna start a team’. I didn’t know him. He comes from Connecticut…” recalled Allison. He then opened up about the story behind the unique DiGard name, saying, “He had a brother-in-law named Mike DiProspero and that’s where the DiGard comes from. Everyone thought it was the product. It was not, it was the two boy’s name. Mike DiProspero and Bill Gardner.”

Allison did not, however, join this team as just a racer. He had invested in the company too much to remain just a racer. “And he tells me, ‘Okay, so we’re gonna take all your stuff and put it into the company and give you stock in the company.’ So Pat and I, we talk a little bit and we don’t know what the hell we’re doing, so I agree to it.” 

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What followed was Allison putting up everything he owned to put into the company as stocks. As payment for this, he received something he will never forget. 

Allison reveals the events that led to the ultimate betrayal

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Allison was invested in this team to the point that, when Bill Gardner felt the need to shift its office to Daytona Beach near that of NASCAR, Donnie did the unthinkable to make that possible. 

“We do all the work in that shop, build the race, I sell my house in Utah, I owned a property by the river. I sold it and moved to Daytona. Lived there for one year, ’74 to ’75,” he continued. He even recalled putting two of his race cars and all of the valuable equipment that he owned into this newly formed team. In the 1974 Daytona 500 race, Allison finished 6th. Then came the shocker.

Due to his 1975 performance being deemed unsatisfactory by Gardner, he was considered no longer necessary. “He fired me at the back of a boat,” said Allison, garnering a shocked exclamation from Dale Jr.

“HE FIRED YOU?!” Dale tried to confirm. “Yes. On the back of a boat, a yacht,” came his reply.

1975’s Daytona 500 race had been a bad one for Allison, majorly due to an engine failure. This caused him to get replaced by Darrell Waltrip. The 1978 Dixie 500 winner thus gave in his all, but sadly received a blow he didn’t see coming. 

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