Bobby Allison, RIP

[NickHolt]

I had the good fortune of meeting and talking with Bobby several times at TWS over the years.  He was a big-time racer that didn't act like one.  In fact, he was so down to earth that you couldn't help but like him even if you weren't a fan.  

I have several pics of him at TWS that I will post later.

One day he showed up with Clifford who was having trouble with the handling.  At the time, I was working with Rick Rapp who had impressed Bobby a great deal.  He admired the guy who could go fast with brains instead of money.  Believe it or not, Bobby told Davey to go visit with me for some suspension tips! Are you kidding me?  I asked him what he was running and it was stuff that was way, way oversprung for the road course.  I think he took some of my advice, but they left before we had a chance to talk.

Nick

[ron.brown11]

On 11/12/2024 at 3:53 PM, NickHolt said:

I had the good fortune of meeting and talking with Bobby several times at TWS over the years.  He was a big-time racer that didn't act like one.  In fact, he was so down to earth that you couldn't help but like him even if you weren't a fan.  

I have several pics of him at TWS that I will post later.

One day he showed up with Clifford who was having trouble with the handling.  At the time, I was working with Rick Rapp who had impressed Bobby a great deal.  He admired the guy who could go fast with brains instead of money.  Believe it or not, Bobby told Davey to go visit with me for some suspension tips! Are you kidding me?  I asked him what he was running and it was stuff that was way, way oversprung for the road course.  I think he took some of my advice, but they left before we had a chance to talk.

Nick

Not surprised at all Nick that they would listen to you. You'd already proved that your stuff worked on the local & regional area. Back then, racing wasn't so "closed loop" like it is today. Cup drivers were still running late models a lot, when not at a Cup race. Nobody, not even Cup engineers, have all of the answers. If they did, their car would win every week.

I'll bet that you were at the Friday & Sat night double header put on at SAS in 1988. I can't remember if they called it the Have-a-Tampa or Southeast Tour. Clifford Allison was there, as was Freddy Friar and several locals. Skoal was the sponsor, and they were handing out Skoal Bandits smokeless tobacco pouches. Basically chew in a pouch. Yeah, that crap was nasty, but then I didn't like cigarettes either. I had been in SA for 5 weeks straight, as I was attending the NCO Academy at Lackland. Because of those races, I didn't get back to Del Rio until about 4am on Sunday. My wife wasn't amused that after being gone that long, I went to the races instead of going home after graduating. Our son was 2 at the time, and she too worked. It was pretty quiet at home for a couple of weeks. Needless to say, there was no cuddling for a while. Like I've said on here before, it took me a while to get my priorities in order. But she still loves me, I think..

[ron.brown11]

Just now, ron.brown11 said:

Not surprised at all Nick that they would listen to you. You'd already proved that your stuff worked on the local & regional area. Back then, racing wasn't so "closed loop" like it is today. Cup drivers were still running late models a lot, when not at a Cup race. Nobody, not even Cup engineers, have all of the answers. If they did, their car would win every week.

I'll bet that you were at the Friday & Sat night double header put on at SAS in 1988. I can't remember if they called it the Have-a-Tampa or Southeast Tour. Clifford Allison was there, as was Freddy Friar and several locals. Skoal was the sponsor, and they were handing out Skoal Bandits smokeless tobacco pouches. Basically chew in a pouch. Yeah, that crap was nasty, but then I didn't like cigarettes either. I had been in SA for 5 weeks straight, as I was attending the NCO Academy at Lackland. Because of those races, I didn't get back to Del Rio until about 4am on Sunday. My wife wasn't amused that after being gone that long, I went to the races instead of going home after graduating. Our son was 2 at the time, and she too worked. It was pretty quiet at home for a couple of weeks. Needless to say, there was no cuddling for a while. Like I've said on here before, it took me a while to get my priorities in order. But she still loves me, I think..

I hit enter too fast. I always respected Bobby Allison, both as a racer and as a person. The tragedies that he endured would have killed most, but he never seemed to let it show in public. Honestly, I was surprised that he didn't pass fairly quickly, after Judy passed in 2015. That's one tough dude.. 

[HiTech]

 WHAT was the name of that race   at sas . i i htink it was a 250  lap race .. clifford was there    i   walked down  pit road after the race ..  and met clifford  we takled about his dads wreck  a bit and other things   for some time  . i found a down to earth    young man    normal  and nothing special  attitiude  .. ..  i was sad when he  lost life a few months later i  became a fan  ,and  wanted to  see him grow .. 

[ron.brown11]

13 hours ago, HiTech said:

 WHAT was the name of that race   at sas . i i htink it was a 250  lap race .. clifford was there    i   walked down  pit road after the race ..  and met clifford  we takled about his dads wreck  a bit and other things   for some time  . i found a down to earth    young man    normal  and nothing special  attitiude  .. ..  i was sad when he  lost life a few months later i  became a fan  ,and  wanted to  see him grow .. 

It just hit me. It was sanctioned by the All Pro Series. Skoal had something to do with the name, as they were everywhere handing out products. At the Friday night race, I couldn't go to the pits. I had a couple of GIs with me, that was their first ever race. On Sat night, I just wanted to get home before dawn, as I was already in enough trouble. (See above) For the life of me, I can't think of who won either night, but I don't remember Clifford having a good weekend. Not saying he didn't, I just can't recall it. But it was a good weekend of racing. 

[NickHolt]

I asked before taking these pics.

The first one is of him and another interested spectator standing on the wall checking the times of whatever "lower class" was on the track at the time.  It was like he was watching the Cup cars at Daytona or something. A  genuine racer genuinely interested in other racers.

[HiTech]

On 11/15/2024 at 1:29 PM, ron.brown11 said:

It just hit me. It was sanctioned by the All Pro Series. Skoal had something to do with the name, as they were everywhere handing out products. At the Friday night race, I couldn't go to the pits. I had a couple of GIs with me, that was their first ever race. On Sat night, I just wanted to get home before dawn, as I was already in enough trouble. (See above) For the life of me, I can't think of who won either night, but I don't remember Clifford having a good weekend. Not saying he didn't, I just can't recall it. But it was a good weekend of racing. 

heck i didnt even know who was racing  .  got off work and drove from corpus  get there just in time  to go green ..  after  the  race was when i saw cliffords name on his car .and he was alone standing next to it . i didnt even know of him  at the time ..     but  found  him  to  be down to earth .. no  big head on him ..  .. as for bobby at tws  i was in the stands  ..  1991 my wife would not let me go race prosedan  .she was two weeks  from having our son  . the car was ready  bit nio driver .. so i let irene wilky   take up there and race it .she had  never been  in pinto before and had to learn shifting it   at the shop after mid night   getting  the seat  fitted for her short legs   and then loaded and off to tws  . first women  to qualify  at tws   in prosedans  . i think maybe the first to even race tida  pro sedans  .. i think 12th  is where is where she  started  in a car she never drove  on a racetrack she  never been  to . . she did good after he learned not to shift  till 8000 rpm. she made the news all over from what was said ... ithink she made it uo to 8th  on the last lap and bill labarge did not want her beating  him  and moved  her off the track and she finished i think where she started ..    NO ONE KNEW SHE WAS  david leonards old 12   car . even david once he noticed the car said this car has never  finished a race  at tws .the motor would blow up  .. well not mine she smart mouth  to david . .. i built some good motors ... that weekend i was going to meet bobby .. . didnt get to go  baby  on the way .. ..

[NickHolt]

On 11/16/2024 at 6:43 PM, HiTech said:

.. i built some good motors ... that weekend i was going to meet bobby .. . didnt get to go  baby  on the way .. ..

Now that baby has a baby of his own.  Congrats, Grandpa!

[HiTech]

6 hours ago, NickHolt said:

Now that baby has a baby of his own.  Congrats, Grandpa!

 YEP DIDNT  think of that   .. .  i had to  figure out  how could such a good looking  nice as all get out the bestest man i know   a wonderful  outstanding in the community  everyone likes him   even on here  grand dad  get her to smile at him  yesterday  and then make her cry after the smile .. . .... then i found out  later she was  hungry .. i didnt have  the pair of  tools to feed her  thats  for sure ..  do u   nick ..

[HiTech]

1 minute ago, HiTech said:

 YEP DIDNT  think of that   .. .  i had to  figure out  how could such a good looking  nice as all get out the bestest man i know   a wonderful  outstanding in the community  everyone likes him   even on here  grand dad  get her to smile at him  yesterday  and then make her cry after the smile .. . .... then i found out  later she was  hungry .. i didnt have  the pair of  tools to feed her  thats  for sure ..  do u   nick ..

 oh  and she wont be a racecar driver .. 

[NickHolt]

I figured you'd have her pre-registered for my next Suspension Seminar! LOL

[HiTech]

On 11/19/2024 at 6:38 PM, NickHolt said:

I figured you'd have her pre-registered for my next Suspension Seminar! LOL

i bet she woud better at it than i