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30-435: The series was conceived in 1996 by Donald, Kenny, and Ronald Allison, the sons of former NASCAR driver Donnie Allison . The vehicles were designed to be 3/4 size stock cars. Kenny Allison said that the cars were designed to be decently affordable and have decent maintenance costs yet be a class that fans can relate to. The cars began to compete regularly in 1998 with the formation of a national series. The national touring series

60-667: A possible date switch for 2009 with one of its tracks. He proposed a move that involved the fall Atlanta race and the Pepsi 500 , the Labor Day weekend race held at Auto Club Speedway . Doing so would give the Fontana, California track a race in the Chase for the Championship and also make the three races that precede the beginning of the Chase closer to each other geographically. Prior to the realignment,

90-680: A television and radio commentator; has also been involved in his sons' Ronald, Donald and Kenny Allison's "Allison Brothers Race Cars" and the "Allison Legacy Race Series" as a consultant to the series and to many up and coming race drivers such as Joey Logano , Trevor Bayne , Regan Smith , John Hunter Nemechek and several others ( key ) ( Bold  – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics  – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led. ) ( key ) ( Bold  – Pole position. * – Most laps led. ) ( key ) ( Races in bold indicate pole position ) Dixie 500 The Ambetter Health 400

120-463: A track's permanent lighting system. In 2001, the race was scheduled as the season finale, however, it ended up being the second-to-last race. The New Hampshire 300 was postponed from September 16 to the Friday after Thanksgiving, due to 9/11 . Beginning in 2002 the race was moved to mid-October as NASCAR elected to hold its final race at Homestead-Miami Speedway instead of Atlanta. The 2003 race started

150-459: A tradition of night qualifying at Atlanta, which has carried over to the spring race as well. In 2006, the race start time was changed from 12:40 pm. EDT to 2:55 pm. EDT to finish the race at night. Driver complaints erupted because of the track's troublesome situation where the sun can get into the driver's eyes in Turn 1, including leading to a crash during the time the sun sets in that area of

180-471: A tubular chassis with a fiberglass body. Body styles include a Ford Thunderbird and Chevrolet Monte Carlo . The vehicle is 60 inches (150 cm) wide, 12.5 feet (3.8 m) long, 42 inches (110 cm) high, with an 80 inches (200 cm) wheelbase. The chassis is powered by a Mazda B2200 2.2-liter engine. The chassis must weigh 1,425 pounds (646 kg) (without the driver) and it utilizes 7-inch-wide (18 cm) Goodyear tires. As of August 2004,

210-585: Is a NASCAR Cup Series stock car race held at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia . Daniel Suárez is the defending race winner. This race was originally Atlanta's second race of the season and was run as a late-season event for much of its history. From 1987 until 2001, the race was scheduled in November as the final race of the NASCAR season. From 2002 until 2008, the race was moved to October in favor of awarding

240-655: Is often used as a development series by Late Model drivers. Drivers who have used the Allison Legacy Series on their way to NASCAR include Trevor Bayne , Kelly Bires , Erik Darnell , Joey Logano , David Ragan , Regan Smith , and Brian Vickers . Chad McCumbee won the 2001 national championship and rookie of the year; he repeated as champion in the following season. Timmy Hill won the 2009 U.S. national championship after winning ten races. Donnie Allison 1971 Winston 500 Winner 1970 Firecracker 400 Winner 1970 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of

270-404: Is perhaps best remembered for his involvement in a final-lap crash and a subsequent fight with Cale Yarborough in the 1979 Daytona 500 . He was leading the race on the final lap with Yarborough drafting him tightly. As Yarborough started to go below Allison, he attempted to take the inside lane away but Yarborough hit Allison from behind first and got Allison sideways. Yarborough made contact with

300-627: Is run out of the Allison Brothers shop at Salisbury, North Carolina . By 2004, eight regional touring series had formed in the United States, including the Maine Legacy Series which had Canadian dates in Quebec and Nova Scotia . The cars are typically raced on road courses and 0.5 miles (0.80 km) or less short tracks . Feature events are typically 50 laps or less. The series uses

330-729: The 1971 Allison drove the No. 84 Purolator Filters Coyote - Ford V8 , finishing 6th in the Indianapolis 500 . He also raced in the Rex Mays 150 at Milwaukee State Fairgrounds Speedway , the Schaefer 500 at Pocono International Raceway , and the California 500 at Ontario Motor Speedway , retiring from both. Allison was again ineligible for points. Allison, who lives in Alabama and North Carolina , has been

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360-545: The Winston Cup Championship, the race is widely regarded as one of the greatest NASCAR races of all time. Alan Kulwicki , who finished second in the race, edged out Bill Elliott , the race winner, by leading one more lap in the race. Kulwicki won the NASCAR Winston Cup title by a then-record margin of only 10 points. The 1998 race was run mostly at night after a long rain delay; despite the inexperience with

390-446: The 1978 Dixie 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway . Allison would suffer serious injuries at the 1981 Coca-Cola 600 , this would end his career in NASCAR for the most part. Allison would only race fourteen more Winston Cup races (he would also fail to qualify four times for races during this time) from 1982 to 1988. Allison also won the 1967 NASCAR Grand National Rookie of the Year . Allison

420-530: The COVID-19 pandemic (and it was the first Cup Series race to be postponed due to the pandemic). In 2021, the race was held as scheduled in March as the fifth race of the season. From 1987 until 2001, the race was scheduled as the final race of the NASCAR season, and thus was typically the event in which the champion was decided. Several times, however, the championship had already been clinched prior to this race, rendering

450-512: The Labor Day weekend race for the Cup Series and became the second race of the season (after the season-opening Daytona 500 ). In 2020, it was moved from being the second race of the season to being the first race after the west coast swing (the races at Las Vegas , Phoenix and Fontana ), making it the fifth race of the Cup Series season. However, the race would end up being run in June that year due to

480-563: The Year International Motorsports Hall of Fame (2009) Donnie Allison (born September 7, 1939) is an American former driver on the NASCAR Grand National/ Winston Cup circuit, who won ten times during his racing career, which spanned from 1966 to 1988. He is part of the " Alabama Gang ", and is the brother of 1983 champion Bobby Allison and uncle of Davey Allison and Clifford Allison . He

510-421: The accident and started to hit Bobby while Bobby was still in his car. At that point, a fight ensued. As the 1979 Daytona 500 was the first live flag-to-flag nationally televised NASCAR race, the finish and the post-race squabble were a ratings dream for CBS. Richard Petty , who was over half a lap behind at the time of the crash, went on to win the race. The fight made headlines all across America . The publicity

540-426: The championship. On lap 117 of 328, eight cars had dropped out of the race (including teammate Neil Bonnett in an intentional start and park ). That meant Earnhardt could finish no worse than 34th and had effectively clinched the title before the race had reached the halfway point. The 1992 race marked the final race for Richard Petty , and coincidentally, the debut for Jeff Gordon . With six drivers eligible for

570-479: The final race weekend to Homestead-Miami Speedway and became part of what is now the NASCAR Chase for the Championship in 2004. In 2009, Atlanta swapped fall race dates with Auto Club Speedway and the race was moved to Labor Day weekend. From 2011 to 2020, this was Atlanta's only Cup Series race date as its spring race was moved to Kentucky Speedway and run later in the year. In 2015, the race lost its place as

600-399: The lights, newly installed for an Indy Racing League race, NASCAR and the teams agreed to attempt finishing the race at night. It was shortened to 221 laps because it was after 11:00 p.m. EST and NASCAR wanted to "get the fans out at a decent hour". The 1999 Cracker Barrel 500 also ended at night. This would mark a springboard of sorts at finishing delayed races at night by utilizing

630-422: The race anticlimactic. In some cases, the championship would be decided the moment the points leader took the green flag to start the race – effectively clinching enough championship points by finishing last or better. Other times the championship might be decided early or mid-race, well before the checkered flag. For instance, in the 1993 race, Dale Earnhardt needed to finish 34th or better to mathematically clinch

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660-510: The race at Auto Club Speedway (previously on Labor Day weekend) to Atlanta's spot on the schedule at the end of October, the AMP Energy 500 at Talladega Superspeedway was moved to that spot after previously being at the beginning of October, and the aforementioned Pepsi 500 was moved to the beginning of October in Talladega's old spot. In 2015, Atlanta's lone race date moved to the second week of

690-673: The season in early March, with the Bojangles' Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway returning to its traditional Labor Day weekend date. Atlanta will be run on a Sunday afternoon. This event used to be called the Oral-B USA 500, and this event used to be aired on ESPN for 6 years preceding the Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway and the Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway On July 10, 2022,

720-520: The side of Allison's car and it put him in the grass. He came back to hit Allison side to side and as both drivers tried to regain control, their cars made contact several times and finally locked together and crashed into the outside wall in turn 3. After the cars settled in the infield grass, Allison and Yarborough were in a heated conversation when, Bobby Allison , who finished laps down after his earlier collision with his brother, pulled over and to check on his brother, but Yarborough accused him of causing

750-561: The teams raced in the Sharpie 500 at Bristol the week before Labor Day, then traveled cross country to California for the Pepsi 500, and then came back across the country to run the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond the following Saturday. Smith's offer to have Atlanta as the Labor Day weekend race was accepted and was officially announced by NASCAR on August 19, 2008. However, instead of moving

780-585: The track announced that Ambetter would be the title sponsor of the race starting in 2023. The company, owned by Centene Corporation , was the title sponsor of the Xfinity Series race at New Hampshire (another Speedway Motorsports -owned track) in 2021 and the Cup Series race at New Hampshire in 2022. QuikTrip , one of the two title sponsors of the race since 2015, announced prior to the 2022 race that it would be their last year as title sponsor. Folds of Honor,

810-523: The track between Jeff Gordon and Jamie McMurray, led to the abandonment of the 3 pm start after this race. During the race's history as the second in Atlanta, it had been rumored to be either eliminated or moved several times in recent years. On February 29, 2008, it was reported that Bruton Smith , the president of the track's owner, Speedway Motorsports , was talking with International Speedway Corporation (the owner of numerous other NASCAR tracks) about

840-453: The vehicles were estimated to cost around $ 16,800 by Stock Car Racing Magazine . Racing enhancements including an aluminum radiator, adjustable front suspension, aluminum front hubs, a quick-change rear end, steel racing wheels, and coil over shocks and springs. An aluminum racing seat, 5-point harness, and window nets are required for safety. Drivers in the series are part-time, including children who are old enough to have jobs. The series

870-657: Was inducted in the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2009. He was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame on January 19, 2024. Before racing in the Grand National Series, Allison, like his brother Bobby, drove modified stock cars. Allison managed to get ten wins in NASCAR Cup Series competition with his first coming at the 1968 Carolina 500 at Rockingham Speedway and his final coming at

900-542: Was instrumental in the growth of NASCAR. Allison first raced in the USAC Championship Car Series in 1970 . Driving the No. 83 Greer Eagle 67 - Offenhauser for Ansted-Thompson Racing in the 1970 Indianapolis 500 , he finished 4th and won the 1970 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year Award. He would have finished 20th in points, but because he was using a NASCAR license, he was ineligible for points. For

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