30 Days in May: No. 12, Bobby Allison, 1973 Sunoco DX McLaren/Offy

 

Majeske collection

In 1973, Bobby Allison matched his car number by starting 12th, but completed only
one lap and finished 32nd. 

Welcome to our monthlong countdown celebrating notable drivers and cars from the Indianapolis 500!

It’s always great when a star driver from another discipline takes on the challenge of the Indianapolis 500. Unfortunately, mechanical problems sidelined Bobby Allison from the get-go and he finished 32^nd after just 1 lap in his debut in 1973. The NASCAR ace returned in 1975, but the results weren’t much better as Allison finished 25^th in that race. On the other hand, Bobby’s brother Donnie did quite well in his two Indianapolis 500 appearances. Donnie Allison finished fourth in 1970 and sixth in 1971, completing 399 out of a possible 400 laps.

 

Majeske collection

Bobby Allison was the fastest rookie in the 1973 Indianapolis 500.

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