It’s often seen as a bit of a bummer when a race driver is best remembered for a race they didn’t win. Maybe they were famous for a dustup, a crash, or even getting benched. But that’s not the story for Donnie Allison, the latest addition to the Hall of Fame. Donnie’s career was nothing to sneeze at. He followed in the tire tracks of his brother, Bobby, zooming from local track hero to nabbing 10 wins in the NASCAR Cup.

Yet, the race that sticks out in people’s minds is the 1970 Motor Trend 500 at Riverside International Raceway. Recently, Kenny Wallace took a trip down memory lane, recalling a 1970 race where Donnie Allison showed true grit. Despite being three laps behind, he crossed the finish line in fourth place. That’s the kind of comeback story that turns heads and keeps a racer’s name alive in the racing world, probably becoming a contributing factor in getting honors like the Hall of Fame.

The grit and glory of Donnie Allison in a race marred by tragedy

The 1970 season opener, the Motor Trend 500 at Riverside, was quite the spectacle. Dan Gurney, not in his usual Wood Brothers ride but steering a Petty Engineering Plymouth Superbird, snagged the pole with a speed of 112.060 mph. David Pearson in the Holman-Moody Ford was hot on his heels, starting second. The starting lineup was a who’s who of racing greats, with A.J. Foyt, Bobby Allison, and LeeRoy Yarbrough rounding out the top five. Donnie Allison, the man of the hour, rolled off the grid in eighth.

Parnelli Jones, in a Wood Brothers Mercury, was the speed demon of the day, with a blistering 113.310 mph. He blazed to the front, leading by lap 43 and looking unstoppable until a clutch issue on lap 168 knocked him out of contention.

The lead was like a hot potato—Pearson, Ford, Petty, and the gang all had their hands on it. Donnie Allison made his move, leading from laps 45 to 64, then handed it over to Foyt. He wasn’t done yet, though, snatching the lead again on lap 85, only to lose it to David Pearson on the 87th lap.

But the race wasn’t all glory. It was scarred by two brutal crashes. Buddy Young, a rookie, rolled his car in a horrifying accident caused by an oil spill from Dick Brooks’ blown engine. Then, on lap 94, Jim Cook’s attempt to dodge a pile-up ended in a direct hit with the wall, his car mangled and transmission flung far from the wreckage. Cook suffered multiple head injuries and broken limbs, a stark reminder of the sport’s dangers.

A.J. Foyt emerged victorious, clocking an average speed of 97.450 mph. Donnie Allison finished a strong fourth, which effectively proved his racing chops. The race was recently reminisced about by Kenny Wallace, where he wrote, “Did I read this right. Finish fourth and he was three laps down ?”

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However, this wasn’t his only claim to fame. He’s also known for the 1979 Daytona 500’s infamous finish, where a scuffle with Cale Yarborough left a mark on more than just the track; it changed how Donnie viewed Yarborough forever. Still, no matter what, the 1970 race truly showcased why Donnie Allison is getting a tip of the hat with a Hall of Fame induction. This is probably why fans are currently finding themselves longing for the golden era of NASCAR, where races like that were the norm.

Nostalgia for NASCAR’s Golden Era

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Kenny Wallace himself was left shaking his head in disbelief at the thought of a driver clinching fourth place while lagging three laps behind. This sparked a wave of nostalgia among fans, yearning for the times when feats like that were part and parcel of racing.

One fan couldn’t help but reminisce with a grin, “Old school racing 😁”, while another brought up the race where “Ned Jarrett won the Southern 500 by 14 laps in 1965. “The good old days.” The sentiment of racing being more authentic back then echoed among enthusiasts, with one stating, “Racing was real back in those days.”

Not all reflections were without a hint of critique, though. One fan, hinting at modern racing’s evolution, quipped, “These are the “good ol’ days” that those who circumvented evolution talk about.” The discussion turned to the Lucky Dog rule, with a fan pointing out, “It was like that back then. How many races did Petty win when he was the only one on the lead lap? Lucky Dog rule makes for a more competitive field. Or at least the illusion of one. But the level of competition in Cup, is really staggering compared to other series.”

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Another fan chimed in, highlighting the no-nonsense approach of the past. He wrote, “No lucky dogs, no free pass, no team orders. You actually had to earn your lap back. Hard for people to understand today that there were no participation trophies back in the day.”

This trip down memory lane continued with others fondly recalling, “That was back in the good old days when racing was so good L O L,” “Those days of yesteryear when races were not choreographed,” and “The good old days of stock car racing were better and more competitive than what we have now.”