DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Bobby Allison finally got his victory from Bowman Gray Stadium, more than five decades after he took the checkered flag and the trophy.
On Wednesday, NASCAR formally recognized the 86-year-old Allison as the winner of the Meyers Brothers Memorial on Aug. 6, 1971, at the track in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The sanctioning body updated the record books to reflect it, giving Allison 85 career victories on NASCAR’s top circuit and moving him into fourth on the all-time wins list, out of a tie with Darrell Waltrip.
The race was one of six during the 1971 season that featured a mix of top-tier Grand National (currently the Cup Series) and Grand American cars. Allison, who competed in both series at the time, chose to drive his Grand American Ford and won the race while leading 138 of 200 laps. Despite celebrating in victory lane, the win never counted toward Allison’s Cup Series total.
Until now.
“For 53 years, the Myers Brothers Memorial was the only race run by NASCAR that did not have an official winner,” said Jim France, NASCAR chairman and CEO. “As we began preparations for the upcoming Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium, the topic of that August 6, 1971, race returned to the forefront.
“We felt it was the right thing to officially recognize Bobby’s win and honor him as an 85-time NASCAR Cup Series winner. We are grateful for Bobby’s lifetime contributions to NASCAR.”
Bowman Gray Stadium will host the preseason exhibition clash next Feb. 2.
France and longtime NASCAR executive Mike Helton visited Allison on Wednesday and told him of the news and presented him with a plaque commemorating the victory.
With Allison’s updated win total, he now only trails fellow NASCAR Hall of Famers Richard Petty (200), David Pearson (105) and Jeff Gordon (93).
Allison was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s second class in 2011. He was a three-time winner of the Daytona 500 and won the 1983 Cup Series championship.
Muniz lands Truck Series ride
LANDIS, N.C. — Former “Malcolm in the Middle” star Frankie Muniz is set to continue his NASCAR career with a full-time ride in the third-tier Truck Series in 2025.
Muniz will make the jump from part-time driver to a full slate in the No. 33 Ford for Reaume Brothers Racing. He made two starts for Reaume Brothers this season in the Truck Series.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Frankie to our team full-time and to expand our relationship with Ford Performance,” team owner Josh Reaume said in a statement released Wednesday. “Their support has been invaluable, and we believe that with Frankie’s passion and our collective momentum from this year, we can make significant strides in the upcoming season.”
Muniz is scheduled to compete in another Truck Series race Saturday at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
He competed twice this season in NASCAR’s second-tier Xfinity Series, including the opener at Daytona International Speedway.
The 38-year-old Muniz, who starred on “Malcolm in the Middle” from 2000 to 2006, said he was confident the team could “achieve great things together. I can’t wait to get started.”
The actor-turned-race car driver also has competed in the ARCA Series, one of the lower rungs on the NASCAR feeder system.
Muniz entered 14 races in 2006 in the Formula BMW USA series, and the following year, he moved up to the Champ Car Atlantic Series. He continued racing until 2009, when a crash left him with injuries that led to him stepping away.
A longtime racing enthusiast, Muniz drove the pace car for the 2001 Daytona 500, a race in which seven-time Cup Series champion Dale Earnhardt was killed on the final lap.