Davey Allison is remembered as a racing legend and for being one of NASCAR’s 50 greatest drivers, for his 1992 Daytona 500 win, as well as the exceptional talent he displayed while behind the wheel of his No. 28 Texaco-Havoline Ford.
Allison, who would have turned 60 years old on Thursday, February 26, 2021, was only 32 years old when he died following a helicopter crash in the infield of the Talladega Superspeedway. Allison was rushed to the hospital unconscious, with a broken pelvis, injured lung, and serious head injury. Sadly, he never regained consciousness and died the next day on July 13, 1993. His death was met with widespread mourning from fans and throughout the entire NASCAR community, including other racers like Dale Earnhardt.
His wife, Liz Allision took to Twitter to post photos commemorating him. She captioned the post with a heartfelt message saying,
“Davey would be 60 today. In my heart, he will always be 32 years old…young, vibrant and smiling that big smile. Lots of emotions today..dreams lived, dreams crushed, memories made and the sadness of what couldn’t be. He would want us to dream big, live life, love lots.”
Davey would be 60 today. In my heart, he will always be 32 years old…young, vibrant and smiling that big smile. Lots of emotions today..dreams lived, dreams crushed, memories made and the sadness of what couldn’t be. He would want us to dream big, live life, love lots. pic.twitter.com/1CE8BavTjj
— Liz Allison (@Lizallison28) February 25, 2021
In the years since his death, Allison’s legacy has continued on. He was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2019 and named to the newest inductee class of the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America earlier this month.
For an in-depth look into Allison’s final racing season, watch the video below.