Controversy and debate surrounded a NASCAR Cup Series race at Bowman Gray Stadium on August 6, 1971, for over half a century.
It was one of six races in that year featuring a mixed field with Cup cars and smaller Grand American cars. Bobby Allison chose to drive a Grand American ’70 Ford Mustang that day and ended up beating all the Cup stars, leading 138 of 200 laps with Richard ‘The King’ Petty in second place.
Despite Allison going to Victory Lane, the win was never officially recognized in the record books as he was not driving a Cup car in the mixed field.
Bobby Allison being recognized for 85 NASCAR Cup wins
Photo by: NASCAR Media
Allison, now 86 years old, has finally been granted the Cup win, breaking his tie with Darrell Waltrip. This move also retroactively makes him the first driver to win a Cup race in a Ford Mustang.
As a member of the Alabama Gang, Allison won the 1983 NASCAR Cup Series title and was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2011. This recognition comes at an interesting time as Bowman Gray is returning to the Cup schedule in 2025.
This historic short track will host ‘The Clash’, the unofficial kick-off to the season, and Allison, now the most recent Cup winner at Bowman Gray, is likely to be present when the green flag flies.
Updated All-Time Wins List
| Ranking | Driver Name | Total wins |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Richard Petty | 200 |
| 2 | David Pearson | 105 |
| 3 | Jeff Gordon | 93 |
| 4 | Bobby Allison | 85 |
| 5 | Darrell Waltrip | 84 |
| 6 | Jimmie Johnson | 83 |
| 7 | Cale Yarborough | 83 |
| 8 | Dale Earnhardt | 76 |
| 9 | Kyle Busch | 63 |
| 10 | Kevin Harvick | 60 |
