Bobby Allison, a prominent figure in NASCAR known for both his remarkable achievements and immense personal loss, died on Saturday, as announced by NASCAR. He was 86 years old.

Dedicating his life to NASCAR, Allison enjoyed a celebrated career as a champion driver and earned a place in the Hall of Fame. Tragically, the sport also took from him both of his sons, who died in unfortunate accidents within a year of each other.

Inducted into the second class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, he stands among the sport’s ten most legendary figures.

Allison was the leader of the “Alabama Gang,” a celebrated group of drivers from Hueytown, Alabama. His family was deeply involved in racing; both of his sons, Davey and Clifford, followed in his footsteps, as did his brother, Donnie.

Throughout his career, Bobby was the most successful, securing three Daytona 500 victories, the 1983 Cup championship, and a total of 85 NASCAR Cup Series wins, placing him fourth on the all-time victory list.

Although he was already well-known in the late 1970s, Allison rose to national prominence during the 1979 Daytona 500, which became a historic moment for NASCAR.

During the last lap, a crash between Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison left Richard Petty to claim victory. Amid the chaos, Bobby intervened, resulting in a famous altercation with Yarborough that would be recounted for years.

Bobby humorously recalled, “Cale went to beating on my fist with his nose” regarding the infamous incident.

Following the altercation, he continued to excel, culminating in his only championship title in 1983 after numerous near-misses.

In 1987, a catastrophic crash at Talladega nearly ended his life when his car became airborne after a tire failure, tearing through the fence and narrowly avoiding the grandstands.

Although he physically recovered and raced again, the incident prompted significant safety changes, including the use of restrictor plates at both Talladega and Daytona.

Allison’s greatest achievement in 1988 was winning the Daytona 500 for the third time alongside his son, Davey, who finished second. Unfortunately, he could not recall the day due to a significant crash later that year.

Allison endured a horrific accident a few months later that left him with life-altering injuries and memory loss, preventing him from remembering his victory at Daytona.

“That one race, the one I know has to mean the most to me, is the one I can’t remember,” Allison shared in a quote for the book NASCAR Legends. “It continues to be covered up with the dust back there.”

After retiring, he struggled with the pain from his injuries and the emotional toll from losing both of his sons in tragic racing-related incidents; Clifford died during a practice session in 1992, while Davey succumbed in a helicopter crash a year later.

These devastating losses profoundly affected him.

As he reflected in 2011, he felt the grief never truly lessened, stating, “I don’t know that it will ever ease up, that it will be easier any day, less painful.”

Despite the heartache, Bobby and his wife, Judy, attempted to navigate their grief together, although they eventually divorced. However, after the death of Adam Petty in 2000, they reunited and remarried within two months.

In his later years, Allison embraced his role as an ambassador for NASCAR, taking pride in his Hall of Fame status. He often appeared at events with a bright smile, sharing his passion with fans.

This story was updated with new information.