Clifford Allison

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For the British racing driver, see Cliff Allison.
Clifford Allison
Born(1964-10-20)October 20, 1964
Hueytown, Alabama, U.S.
DiedAugust 13, 1992(1992-08-13) (aged 27)
Michigan International Speedway
Brooklyn, Michigan, U.S.
Cause of deathRacing accident
NASCAR Xfinity Series career
22 races run over 3 years
Best finish27th (1992)
First race1990 Goody's 300 (Daytona)
Last race1992 Fram Filter 500K (Talladega)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 2 0
Statistics current as of January 28, 2012.

Clifford Lawrence Allison (October 20, 1964 – August 13, 1992)[1] was an American stock car racing driver. Son of NASCAR champion Bobby Allison, he was a member of the "Alabama Gang". He was killed in a crash during practice for a NASCAR Busch Series race at Michigan International Speedway in 1992.

Life and career[edit]

Son of the legendary Bobby Allison, nephew of Donnie and brother to Davey, Clifford Allison was raised in Hueytown, Alabama and was a member of stock car racing's "Alabama Gang".[2]

Allison was seen as "crazy wild" by his relatives,[3] and his brother stated he believed Clifford had the greater talent of the two younger Allisons.[4] After marrying young, he worked in a coal mine in Kentucky for a period in the 1980s, but soon returned to Alabama and shortly after was divorced. He was then briefly crew chief for his father's Busch Series race team before the team was disbanded in 1988.[5] By that time remarried,[6] Allison started his racing career in earnest in the early 1990s, competing in ARCA and NASCAR Busch Series events; he began the 1990 season competing for rookie of the year in the Busch Series, driving for Frank Cicci,[7] but was released after the season's seventh race for poor performances.[8] Allison drove for Clint Folsom on a limited basis in 1991,[9] while in 1992 he joined team owner Barry Owen, intending to run the majority of the series schedule.[10]

Allison's best finish in professional stock car racing came in an ARCA race at Texas World Speedway in April 1992, where he finished second.[11]

Death[edit]

During practice for the Detroit Gasket 200, a Busch Series race at Michigan International Speedway in August 1992,[4] Allison spun in turn four, hitting the concrete wall with the driver's side;[12] he died shortly thereafter while in transit to hospital.[13] He was the first of two Allisons to die within the space of eleven months; his brother perished in a helicopter crash at Talladega Superspeedway the following year.[14]

Bobby Labonte and Richard Lasater were the first to reach the accident scene. It was reported that the driver's seat was "ripped from its moorings" in the accident and Allison was unrestrained in the crash.[15]

NASCAR officials disputed that there was significant equipment failure. "The integrity of the car's safety features were there," NASCAR vice president Les Richter said. "The seat had moved a bit, but it was not flopping around. The car hit the wall almost absolutely flush, and that's one of the worst kinds of accidents."[16]

On August 23, The Atlanta Constitution reported that according to "a driver who tried to assist Allison after the crash and a crew chief in the Grand National Series who requested anonymity, the cause of the fatal head injury was a broken seat, which prevented the safety harness from working properly and allowed Allison to be pitched into the car's roll cage."[17]

In January 1996, Allison's estate filed a lawsuit against NASCAR, Michigan International Speedway, car-owner Barry Owen, helmet and harness manufacturer Simpson Performance Products, and seat builder Brian Butler. It was alleged that the faulty equipment and poor inspections turned a crash that should have been survable into a fatal injury. A judge excused NASCAR, Michigan, and Owen from the lawsuit but Simpson and Butler failed to respond to the lawsuit and were held financially responsible for Allison's death.[18]

Motorsports career results[edit]

NASCAR[edit]

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Busch Series[edit]

NASCAR Busch Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 NBSC Pts
1990 Frank Cicci Racing 34 Buick DAY
13 		RCH
DNQ 		CAR
29 		MAR
25 		HCY
DNQ 		DAR
17 		BRI
25 		LAN SBO NZH HCY CLT DOV ROU VOL MYB OXF NHA SBO DUB IRP ROU BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR CLT NHA CAR MAR 53rd 488
1991 Folsom Racing 23 Buick DAY
DNQ 		RCH CAR
28 		MAR VOL HCY DAR
14 		BRI
6 		LAN SBO NZH CLT DOV ROU HCY MYB GLN OXF NHA SBO DUB IRP ROU BRI DAR RCH DOV CLT NHA CAR MAR 61st 350
1992 Owen Racing 91 Olds DAY
29 		ATL
40 		NHA
37 		27th 1372
9 CAR
17 		RCH
16 		MAR
17 		DAR
24 		BRI
15 		HCY LAN
24 		DUB NZH
13 		CLT
26 		DOV
9 		ROU MYB GLN
20 		VOL
Chevy TAL
17 		IRP ROU MCH
Wth 		NHA BRI DAR RCH DOV CLT MAR CAR HCY

References[edit]

Citations
  1. ^ "Motorsport Memorial - Clifford Allison". Motorsport Memorial. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  2. ^ Allison 2005, p.55.
  3. ^ Golenbock 2006, p.289.
  4. ^ a b Golenbock 2006, p.309.
  5. ^ Golenbock 2006, p.290-291.
  6. ^ Golenbock 2006, p.291.
  7. ^ Mitchell, Charlie (February 6, 1990). "LaJoie establishes own racing team". The Hour. Norwalk, CT. p. 25. Retrieved 2013-09-14.
  8. ^ Pearce, Al (April 13, 1990). "An Allison Loses His Grand National Ride For Poor Early Showings". Daily Press. Newport News, VA. Archived from the original on 2014-01-08. Retrieved 2013-09-14.
  9. ^ "Bobby, Junior honored by Hall of Fame". The Daytona Beach News-Journal. Daytona Beach, FL. February 13, 1991. p. 7B. Retrieved 2013-09-14.
  10. ^ "Clifford Allison - 1992 NASCAR Busch Grand National Series Results". Racing-Reference. USA Today Sports Media Group. Retrieved 2013-09-14.
  11. ^ Golenbock 2006, p.292.
  12. ^ Golenbock 2006, p.310.
  13. ^ Clifford Allison dies in practice run crash, The New York Times, 14 August 1992.
  14. ^ Hinton, Ed (July 26, 1993). "Requiem For A Racing Man". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2012-01-28.
  15. ^ "Michigan Wreck Kills Clifford Allison". Anniston Star. (Alabama). Associated Press. August 14, 1992. p. 17.
  16. ^ "Driver Handles Loss from Behind Wheel". Charlotte Observer. (North Carolina). Associated Press. August 15, 1992. p. 22.
  17. ^ "Equipment Failure". Atlanta Constitution. (Georgia). Associated Press. August 23, 1992. p. 65.
  18. ^ "Allison Ruling Declared". The Daily Times. (Maryland). Associated Press. January 24, 1996. p. 18.
Bibliography
  • Allison, Donnie; Jimmy Creed (2005). Donnie Allison: As I Recall... Champaign, IL: Sports Publishing. ISBN 1-59670-060-2.
  • Golenbock, Peter (2006). Miracle: Bobby Allison and the Saga of the Alabama Gang. New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0-312-34002-8.

External links[edit]

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