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

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

 

Majeske Collection

NASCAR star Bobby Allison had a tough debut in the Indianapolis 500.
He dropped out after one lap of the 1973 race to finish 32nd.

30 Days in May: No. 12, Bobby Allison, 1973 Sunoco DX McLaren/Offy. 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 set a qualifying record for Indianapolis 500 rookies
in 1973 with a four-lap average of 192.308 mph.

 

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