How Bobby Allison's 1987 Horrific Talladega Crash Led to Birth of Restrictor Plate Races

had qualified second at 211.797 mph and was running in the lead draft on race day when his Buick went into a 180-degree snap spin resulting from a blown engine.

There has rarely been a braver flagman than Harold Kinder, on the stand the day Bobby Allison’s Buick lifted off in the trioval bend at Talladega and came flying toward him at the start/finish line. He didn’t exactly stand his ground, but Kinder kneeled as low as he could into the flagman’s nest, hung out a caution flag and resolutely alerted drivers to what looked like impending doom.

It had already been apparent that the 110-inch wheelbase cars could take off once over 190 mph as evidenced byBut this was something entirely different due to the faster speed of the draft at Talladega, averaging 208 mph on this day. Journalists watched from the glassed-in press box atop the grandstand and were horrified as Allison’s car sailed into the air. Due to the sight lines, the Miller High Life Buick looked as if it would clear the fence and land somewhere in the capacity crowd.

When asked later that day if the cars were going too fast at Talladega, Allison replied, “How fast is too fast?” Allison’s son Davey apparently enjoyed the high speeds as well, winning the race shortened by 10 laps due to the time it took to repair the fence and fading light.

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