Today, I wanna talk about Bobby Allison’s ’85 Norris Thunderbird. What a ride!
First off, I started digging into Allison’s career. This guy was a legend, no doubt. He switched cars like I switch socks – Matador, Mercury, you name it. Even tried his hand at Indy, but luck wasn’t always on his side there. I found out he started his own Cup team in ’77, and man, did that lead to some tough times. Losing seasons? Yikes.
Then, ’88 rolls around. It’s his last season, and he switches his car number from 22 to 12. And guess what? He wins the Daytona 500! Beating his own son, Davey, to the checkered flag. That’s gotta be a story for the ages.
But it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Reading about his career, there were a lot of dark clouds. Tragedies, injuries, the whole nine yards. It’s wild to think this guy, who won 85 big-time races and became a NASCAR Hall of Famer, went through so much. And hearing he passed away recently, it really hit home. Eighty-six years old, a life full of racing, family, and everything in between.
I spent hours watching old videos and reading articles. It’s crazy to think he’s fifth on the all-time wins list in NASCAR. Eighty-five wins! Each one of those must have been a battle. And being inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2011? That’s the cherry on top. Five-time champion, too – Cup Series, Modified Division, Modified Special Division. The guy was a machine.
- Watched tribute videos: I watched a bunch of videos about Bobby. It was cool to see him in action and hear stories about his career.
- Read articles about his wins: I found a ton of articles talking about his 85 victories. It’s insane how much he accomplished.
- Looked up his Hall of Fame induction: I even checked out details about when he got into the Hall of Fame. 2011, second class. That’s history right there.
- Read about his life and family: This part was a bit tough. There was lots of information about the tragedies in his family and how he faced them.
Here’s what I did to learn more:
In the end, diving into Bobby Allison’s story was a wild ride, just like his career. This guy was a true legend, and his ’85 Norris Thunderbird is just one piece of that incredible legacy. It’s a reminder of all the highs and lows of racing, and the strength it takes to keep going.
So, that’s my deep dive into Bobby Allison and his ’85 Norris Thunderbird. It’s been an emotional and eye-opening experience, to say the least. What a story, what a life.
