NASCAR legend Bobby Allison has been awarded his 85th career Cup Series win - 53 years after the race took place.
For over half a century, controversy and debate surrounded a NASCAR Cup race at Bowman Gray Stadium on 6 August, 1971.
It was one of six races that year featuring a mixed field with Cup cars and the smaller Grand American cars.
Allison chose to drove a Grand American Ford Mustang that day and ended up beating all of the Cup stars, leading 138 of 200 laps with Richard Petty a few seconds behind in second place.
While Allison went to Victory Lane and hoisted the trophy like any other week, the win was never actually recognised in the record books.
In fact, no one was awarded the Cup win for that race despite it being an official part of the 1971 schedule. As Allison wasn't driving a Cup car in the mixed field, it meant that he wasn't credited as a Cup Series winner.
Allison has not been quiet on his views on the race, having been adamant about having 85 Cup wins, not 84.
It's even more important since being granted that win would break a tie with another NASCAR Hall of Famer. Now, at 86 years old, Allison takes sole possession of fourth on the all-time wins list after being tied with Darrell Waltrip since 1992.
Allison, who won the 1983 NASCAR Cup title, was also inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2011.
The declaration of a winner for the 1971 contest also comes at some interesting timing as Bowman Gray - the site of this controversial race - is returning to the Cup schedule in 2025. The historic short track in Winston-Salem, North Carolina will host 'The Clash' in 2025, which serves as the unofficial kick-off to the new season.
It will be the first Cup race at Bowman Gray since that controversial 1971 event where Allison didn't get credit for a win that was rightfully his.
Updated All-Time Wins List
| Ranking | Driver Name | Total wins |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Richard Petty | 200 |
| 2 | David Pearson | 105 |
| 3 | Jeff Gordon | 93 |
| 4 | Bobby Allison | 85 |
| 5 | Darrell Waltrip | 84 |
| 6 | Jimmie Johnson | 83 |
| 7 | Cale Yarborough | 83 |
| 8 | Dale Earnhardt | 76 |
| 9 | Kyle Busch | 63 |
| 10 | Kevin Harvick | 60 |
