Founded in the late 1940s under prohibition, Stock Car Racing has evolved over the years, spreading its wings to newer pastures and international grounds to become the sporting giant it is today. While promotion is a multi-million dollar business nowadays with funding from massive corporations, recently, Dale Earnhardt Jr’s popular Dirty Mo Media podcast showed the community a different outlook on the sport back in the 70s.
While NASCAR nation is eagerly awaiting the action at Pocono Raceway, Dale Jr rolled out yet another fascinating podcast, welcoming the 1971 Winston 500 winner to his show. Speaking on the popular Dale Jr Download podcast, the 83-year-old veteran driver joined the duo as he revealed the most rewarding race of his career, mostly due to the post-race altercation, ending things on a literal punchline!
NASCAR’s legend names his most satisfying race, mentioning the post-race beat-down in the Dale Earnhardt Jr show
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
For old-school NASCAR fans, the Alabama Gang stands above the rest just because of its fierce reputation. After wreaking havoc in NASCAR during the early 70s and 80s, the trio of Bobby Allison, Donnie Allison, and their associates developed a fierce reputation for being just as fast as the wind, spreading their legend wide across Alabama and neighboring towns.
But what made Donnie Allison stand out from the rest was his infamous altercation with Cale Yarborough in the final laps of the Daytona 500 in 1979. While “The King” took home the win that day, NASCAR was in for some bloody action as Allison and Yarborough continued their tussle even after the race, tackling and throwing looping punches on the track.
View this post on Instagram
While this incident may look like a bad moment for the sport, this particular stint spread like wildfire, bringing NASCAR to the forefront and skyrocketing the sport’s popularity across the country. Now, coming to the recent happenings, Donnie Allison recently dropped down to Dale Jr’s podcast, where he shared the most “rewarding race” and how he got fired from his team.
Speaking to Dale Jr. and Mike Davis, the veteran vividly recalled the day he got fired. July 4, 1975. Diving to the past, he said, “In 1975 in July after July 4th race at Daytona, I got fired on a back of a boat and Bill Gardner said you can’t drive anymore.” Shocked to hear this Davis asked Allison what he was doing on a boat. Then the veteran clears the scene, making more sense of the situation.
While the veteran finished the race decently, he elaborated the scene, saying, “I think I finished 6th or 7th or I was running 5th or 4th I dont know, something happened but anyway, I got fired, I get a letter, they offer me $250 from my stock in the company but the most rewarding race I ever run, I think was the Nashville 500 in Hoss’s car when I won in the black and gold car, and after the race, I walked over to Bill Gardner and I punched him in the chest hard enough to make a hole and I said, I’m the son of a bitch that can’t drive anymore.”
Though the veteran returned one to his former boss for belittling him, Bobby Allison went on to win the 1983 Winston Cup with DiGard Racing.
Throwback to the action-packed 1979 Daytona 500
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Trending
New Parents Tony Stewart and Leah Pruett Share Their Complete Family Photo, and Fans Pour in Love for Baby Stewart
Denny Hamlin’s One Final FedEx Tribute Steals the NASCAR Awards Spotlight as He Uncovers Drivers ‘Disgruntled’ Emotions
Unimpressed NASCAR Fans Call Out Chase Elliott’s 7th Consecutive MPD Award Sweep Amid Rekindled Dating Fire
F1 Community Rages at Danica Patrick’s Return as Sky Sports Snubs Ex-World Champ for Her
Ryan Blaney Risking Upsetting His Soon to Be Wife as He Reveals His Plans for the Off-Season After Failing to Defend His Title
For die-hard NASCAR fans, this is their story and their wonderful memories. Till then, Stock Car Racing was all the more confined to Southern California, but everything changed that day. Well, Donnie Allison’s legacy surrounds the infamous altercation, The Fight.
Teaming up with his older brother Bobby Allison, the Alabama siblings took on the hard-boiled Cale Yarborough, throwing haymakers at one another like a bunch of hooligans while their team members scrambled to separate the trio. This sole incident got NASCAR much-needed nationwide attention, gaining cult status across the country, and becoming the working man’s sport.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
WATCH THIS STORY: Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s insider feels disappointed about the $110 billion sponsor leaving Tony Stewart for Ross Chastain.
While this stint itself can be attributed to a fraction of Donnie Allison’s illustrious 20-year-long career, 1979 Daytona and the post-race circus will forever reverberate in fans’ hearts.