97forever
Team Owner
Highland Memorial Gardens in Bessemer Alabama.Me and a lot of other folks down here make this trek from July 13th to August 13th every year.In this shady graveyard is where two true champions lie buried.Two local hero's.One I met only a few times,the other I drank beer with a few times more.Both great guys.To understand a little about what the Alabama Gang means to the folks down here is hard to describe.This old state has a pretty grim history from the end of world war II up until lingering problems to this very day.The last battle of the civil war was fought here,some say, a hundred years after Lee surrendered.The governor was determined,the bombs blew up churches,police dogs attacked protest marchers and Bull Connor ruled the Magic city.Old Vulcan must have turned his head in shame at the racial unrest that gripped Alabama and 'Bombingham' in the 50's and 60's.To make a long story short----Alabama didn't have much to make us proud in that era.Sure,we had our beloved Governor--even that Arkansas coach with the checkered hat---but we needed someone or something to make us a little proud.
And Florida gave him to us.Bobby Allison,that is.And the start of a NASCAR legacy that Tina Gordon and Rick Crawford fight to keep alive to this day.Bobby and his 'gang of ruffians' hit the local track and the rest is history.Red Farmer,Neil Bonnett,the whole Allison clan,Stanley Smith,Jimmy 'Smut' Means and a lot of assorted racing characters were started right around the time this state needed them most.
Bobby was--at least locally and vocally around BIR 30+ years ago----somewhat of a conspiracy theorist.Whether or not NASCAR WAS actually trying to keep folks from 'our' state out or not isnt the point.The point is Bobby seemed to think so...and let the local press know it.And the Birmingham news let the local sports fans,(that is most of the state,)know it too.
So down here,we grew up not liking Waltrip,wishy-washy on Petty,hating Cale and not interested in Pearson.If you lived in this state---you were a Bobby Allison/Red Farmer/Donnie Allison/Neil Bonnett fan---or you liked those 'sissy-little open wheel cars'as Red once described them!
When Bobby and the old gang started getting a little older,when the dust from the 16th street baptist church had finally settled and 'Bama was busy putting the past to rest,Davey and Cliff came of age.(David Bonnett did too,but he never had the luck these guys did.)
I hung around BIR as a teenager because my cousins husband was the track operator.I met almost every driver that came thru there at one time or the other.I can tell you from first hand observation:Forget the 'daddy's money' thing where those Allison boys were concerned.Both Davey and Cliff worked and worked and worked for every lap on that old track....Davey never even really did dominate that often at BIR in fact....Hut Stricklin did that along with Cliff Allison.BUt Davey won a lot.Pretty sure he won first in about his seventh start at BIR.I was there,but likely half-drunk in those younger days.I do remember the crowd went crazy!The real future of the Alabama Gang had arrived.We were thrilled to death.
Davey won at home away from home track Dega in his rookie year.The NASCAR world seemed pretty surprised..but around Hueytown the folks EXPECTED our new superstar to win...in fact local signs even read:"Congrats,Davey!But what took you so long?"I never will forget that sign!
Our hopes were always high for Davey.We literally loved those guys.But it came apart quickly as we all know now.Bobby and a horrible wreck...same with Stan Smith later,Neil Bonnett.Then August 13 1992.Michigan speedway and the death of Clifford.That hit the state hard.Suddenly the Alabama Gang looked like the Kennedy Curse was on it.
And 11 months later Davey died.Red was on the helicopter with him...they were going to watch David Bonnett practice.
That was July 12th,1993.The next day Davey Allison died.They buried him ten years ago today.
And I just got back from the cemetery earlier.His gravestone is remarkably simple:
'David Carl Allison,feb.25,1961-july 13,1993
DAVEY
'A true champion,loving husband and father'
We love and miss you guys back home.The old track just ain't the same.
