Bobby Allison is a name that is revered by NASCAR fans across all generations. With a career spanning over a quarter of a century, Allison’s on-track and off-track life had always been a matter of interest for the media and the fans. However, today, more than three decades after his last race, all of it is a pile of memories for the Daytona 500 champion.

Aged 50, a first-lap accident in June 1988, ended Bobby Allison’s distinguished racing career. The near-fatal mishap required multiple surgeries, followed by a long stretch of hospitalization and rehabilitation. The injury was so catastrophic that Allison almost died of it, forcing his family to summon a priest to prepare for his last rites.

Bobby Allison faced a lot of tragedies

However, fighting through it was not enough for Allison. A few years later, in 1992, Bobby lost his 27-year-old son Clifford during an Xfinity Series race practice in Michigan. Furthermore, before the family could come to terms with the tragedy, another unimaginable misery struck the family.

Less than a year after Clifford’s demise, news regarding his 32-year-old son Davey losing his life in an aviation accident jolted the family. Also, the death of his sons affected his relationship with his wife Judy and the couple remained estranged till they reunited in 2000.

However, this was not the end of it all. In 2015, Bobby lost his wife Judy to some unexpected post-operative complications. With a series of unfortunate incidents throughout his life, it appeared like Allison would never successfully recover from any of it. But as a devout Christian, Allison always maintained an unwavering faith in God over the years.

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In fact, in one of his conversations with journalist Don Coble, Allison had said, “I don’t get angry because Jesus Christ is my Savior.” Further, he revealed, “When Clifford died, I asked my mother how she did it. How did she hold up after losing five of her own (13) children, including two babies and a teenager? She said something that really, really helped me. She said, ‘I just gave them back to God’.”

Allison does not remember his favorite races of all time

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Now 83, Allison still has some vivid recollections of his adventures as one of the most decorated drivers in NASCAR. But just like his life, it looks like his memories are unpredictable too. Surprisingly, Bobby Allison does not remember a thing about what he calls his favorite race in NASCAR.

Throughout his career, Allison registered over 84 Cup Series race victories. However, the 1-2 finish with his son Davey Allison is what he considers his favorite. But now, it has all slipped away from his memories. While talking to Autoweek about his 1988 Daytona victory, Allison said,

“I’ve got all kinds of proof that Davey was second to me that day, but I can’t tell you anything about it. I’ve seen pictures of me and him pouring beer on each other (in victory lane). He continued,” I’ve watched the television tapes and I’ve read all about it over and over. It’s funny how I remember things that happened around that day, but nothing about the race. I really, really wish I did.”

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With the type of tumultuous life he has had, there is a lot that the 2011 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee has lost. The memory of a 1988 race merely being another unfortunate addition to it.