REMEMBERING DAVEY

February 25th 1961

July 13th 1993

David Carl Allison
Birthdate February 25, 1961
Birthplace Hollywood, Florida
Height 5' 9"
Weight 160 lbs
Residence Hueytown, Alabama
Wife "Liz" (formerly Elizabeth Mayson)
Children Krista Marie, December 24, 1989. Robert(Robbie)Grey, July 30,1991.

Davey Allison born Feburary 25,1961 in Hueytown,AL. Davey, the son of the 1983 Winston Cup Champion Bobby Allison, was taken from us in July,1993 just three months after Alan Kulwicki's death. Davey was the 1987 Rookie of the Year. Davey is the only rookie in history to win two races in his rookie year. He is the winner of the 1992 Daytona 500.

Coming from Hueytown, Alabama and with a father like 1983 Winston Cup Champion Bobby Allison, Davey's career selection was made from an early age. It is somewhat ironic that Davey was born the day before the 1961 Daytona 500 where his Dad made his first Winston Cup start. Racing was in his blood and at age 18 made his debut as a driver in a borrowed car. From there the sky was the limit as Davey became one of the most popular and determined drivers the Winston Cup circuit has ever known.

On the way to the Winston Cup Davey earned the 1984 ARCA Rookie of the Year, winning three races that season. He also won the very first Bill France Triple Crown Award. He made his Winston Cup debut at Talladega starting 22nd and finishing 10th driving for Hoss Ellington.

More success came Davey's way in 1985 as he had six wins and four poles in ARCA competition.

Davey also had three starts in Winston Cup driving for Hoss Ellington after David Pearson left the team.

More Winston cup in 1986 as he drove five races and finished seventh in the one race he drove for Junior Johnson and the number 12 Budweiser Chevrolet.

1987 would be his breakthrough year in Winston Cup. Now driving for Ranier/Lindy, and sponsored by Texaco, Davey began the season with a second place qualifying effort for the Daytona 500. Davey's lap at over 209 miles-per-hour made him the first rookie to start on the front row of the "Great American Race". He earned the Winston up Rookie-of-the-Year award with nine top fives, and ten top tens.

1988 and Davey was working with Harry Ranier. One of the highlights of Davey's career came when he finished second to his father at the Daytona 500. The Allison's showed in the waning laps of the 500 that family comes second when it's a dash to the checkered flags. Neither Davey or Bobby would have it any other way. Bobby's career concluded later in the year when he survived a very serious crash at Pocono. When the season was done Davey had amassed some very respectable statistics. Two wins, three poles, twelve top fives and sixteen top tens.

Although Davey had two wins, one pole, seven top fives and thirteen top tens in 1989, finishing eighth in the points, the highlight of his year was his marriage to Elizabeth Mayson in an August 30 ceremony. And to top off the year, their first daughter Krista Marie was born on Christmas Eve.

The 1990 season brought a thirteenth place finish in the points with two more wins, five top fives and ten top tens.

In 1991 Davey won a total of five points races and two non-points events on his way to a third place finish in Winston Cup points. He had two poles, twelve top fives and 16 top tens to go along with his five wins. He led all Winston Cup drivers in the number of races led (23) for more times (73). It was this year that he first won more than a million dollars ($1,732,924) for a season. And in the middle of the season, on July 30, Davey's son Robert Grey was born.

The start of the 1992 season brought frustration and fortune. After crashing the primary car in practice for the Daytona 500 the entire crew, under the direction of crew chief of Larry McReynolds, worked day and night to get the back-up ready. And in Davey's sixth Daytona 500 start he won the event. Davey and his Dad became the second father-son combination (after Lee and Richard Petty) to win the great race. But that would be one of only a few career highlights that year as Davey battled injuries and illness as well as the loss of his grandfather and brother Clifford. Despite all the adversity on and off the track Davey took the chase for the Winston Cup down to the last race where he was sidelined when he got involved in an accident with Ernie Irvan.

It was at Richmond, Virgina in 1983 where Davey won his last race. The last race he competed in was the first ever event at New Hampshire. He died on July 13, 1993 from injuries sustained in a helicopter accident at the Talladega Superspeedway.

For his career Davey had nineteen wins, fourteen poles, sixty-six top fives, winning at least two races in every year he raced on the Winston Cup circuit. He was taken from his family and racing too early. But Davey will reside in the hearts and memories of his family and all of his fans for a long time to come. A true son of Alabama, a racer for the ages

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