Chase Elliott shows off his skills flying a multi-million dollar plane with his girlfriend to Sweden

Chase Elliott shows off his skills flying a multi-million dollar plane with his girlfriend to Sweden

Less than three weeks after learning he was credited with a long-awaited 85th victory on NASCAR’s all-time wins list, NASCAR Hall of Famer Bobby Allison died Saturday at 86.

Allison made the news on Oct. 23 when NASCAR decided to credit his 1971 victory at Bowman Gray Stadium as an official Cup Series victory, a recognition Allison sought for more than 53 years.

The additional win moved him to sole possession of fourth on NASCAR’s all-time wins list. NASCAR CEO Jim France and senior advisor Mike Helton visited Allison at his home in North Carolina to inform him of the news.

Though Allison was not well at the time, he was said to have understood the significance of the moment. The trio posed for a photo, with a big grin on Allison’s face as he held a certificate in honor of the achievement.

It was one last win in a life full of them for Allison, but NASCAR gave him both the highest of highs and lowest of lows.

On the track, Allison made his mark with excellence: Three Daytona 500s, the 1983 Cup championship and those 85 wins (only Richard Petty, David Pearson and Jeff Gordon have more). Allison also led the “Alabama Gang,” a group of drivers from Hueytown, Ala.

But racing took the lives of Allison’s two sons, less than one year apart — his younger son Clifford in a crash at Michigan International Speedway and his older son Davey in a helicopter crash while trying to land at Talladega Superspeedway.

Nevertheless, Allison endured the heartache and developed a reputation as one of the kindest, most fan-friendly drivers.