NASCAR awards Bobby Allison his 85th Cup Series win, resolving a half-century-long dispute.
NASCAR has addressed a 53-year-old controversy by granting racing legend Bobby Allison his 85th career Cup Series win. The announcement retrospectively awards Allison the contested victory from the race held on August 6, 1971, at Bowman Gray Stadium. This comes more than five decades after the race concluded without an official winner due to a dispute over car classifications.
The 1971 race at Bowman Gray Stadium included vehicles from both the NASCAR Cup Series and the Grand American series, an uncommon mix that led to a cloud of controversy. Bobby Allison, opting to race a Grand American Ford Mustang, led 138 of the 200 laps and crossed the finish line first.
His close rival in the race, Richard Petty, finished just behind in second. Despite his triumph on the track and his presence in Victory Lane, the victory was never recorded as a Cup Series win by NASCAR.
