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NASCAR greats Bobby and Donnie Allison, Red Farmer going into Nashville Fairgrounds Hall of Fame

mike organ, nashville tennessean
·2 min read

NASCAR Cup Series greats Bobby and Donnie Allison along with Red Farmer are included in the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway Hall of Fame Class of 2022.

The class was announced Saturday before the Music City Triple 50s races at the historic track.

The Allison brothers and Farmer were founding members of the Alabama Gang, a group of NASCAR drivers who set up shop in Hueytown, Alabama. Each enjoyed great success on the NASCAR circuit in general and at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway specifically.

The defending Winston Cup points champion Bobby Allison checks out the newspaper before qualifying trials for the Nashville Pepsi 420 NASCAR Grand National race at Nashville International Raceway July 13, 1984.
The defending Winston Cup points champion Bobby Allison checks out the newspaper before qualifying trials for the Nashville Pepsi 420 NASCAR Grand National race at Nashville International Raceway July 13, 1984.

Bobby Allison, 84, from Miami, Florida, won nine premier division championships at the Fairgrounds, Donnie Allison, 82, won five and Farmer, 89, a Nashville native, had nine career wins there.

Bobby Allison won 84 NASCAR Cup Series races including three Dayton 500s and joined the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2011. He was the NASCAR champion in 1983.

Donnie Allison had 10 NASCAR Cup Series wins, 78 top-five finishes and was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2009.

Flookie Buford, left, the defending Fairgrounds Speedway point champion, and top driver Donnie Allison check the time of other drivers during time trials for the Permatex 200 at the track April 22, 1972.
Flookie Buford, left, the defending Fairgrounds Speedway point champion, and top driver Donnie Allison check the time of other drivers during time trials for the Permatex 200 at the track April 22, 1972.

Farmer had three top-10 finishes in 36 NASCAR Cup Series races from 1953 to 1975.

He was the three-time NASCAR Late Model Sportsman champion (1969-71) and inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2021.

Also in the 2022 class is Howard Johnson, Steve Spencer and Darryl Sage.

Johnson is an engine builder and mechanic who has spent more than 45 years working with several track champions, including two-time Daytona 500 winner Sterling Marlin.

Spencer had 15 wins at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway in the premier division including the 1977 NASCAR Late Model Sportsman championship.

After spending three years in the NASCAR Cup Series, Spencer became an analyst for the Nashville Racing Network in the early 1980s.

He returned to the Fairgrounds in the 1990s to compete in the Late Model Stock Car Division.

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Driver Red Farmer, left, receives the winner's trophy from starter Herb Lewis after winning the feature modified stock race at the Fairgrounds Speedway Sept. 20, 1961.
Driver Red Farmer, left, receives the winner's trophy from starter Herb Lewis after winning the feature modified stock race at the Fairgrounds Speedway Sept. 20, 1961.

Sage had 11 career wins at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway in the premier division. He was one of the most popular drivers at Nashville starting out as a youngster. He is the youngest driver to ever start a NASCAR Cup Series event at Daytona at the age of 16.

The class will be inducted on Oct. 26 during the annual All American 400 at the venue.

Reach Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 or on Twitter @MikeOrganWriter.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: NASCAR greats Bobby and Donnie Allison, Red Farmer going into hall of fame