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Hall of Fame sprint car racing driver Bobby Allen has passed away at the age of 81.
He was 81 years old at the time of his passing.
Hall of Fame driver Bobby Allen has passed away at the age of 81.
Allen was a highly accomplished karting driver during his teenage years.
He is best known for his victory at the 1990 Knoxville Nationals and owned the Shark Racing sprint car team alongside his grandson Logan Schuchart.
Ashton Torgerson was one of the drivers for their team.
During his teenage years, Allen excelled in kart racing.
His father, Joe, had experience in stock car racing, which inspired Allen to start racing half midgets at the age of 12.
As he matured, Allen aspired to compete with the best drivers in the sport.
“I’m from Miami, and Jim Rathmann was an Indy car driver from Miami. That’s who I drove some of the go-karts for,” Allen shared with SPEED SPORT in 2020.
“I earned quite a bit of money for a kid of 16 or 17; and being around an Indy car driver made me want to go to Indianapolis.”
“At that time, sprint cars were the path to Indianapolis, so I packed up and headed to Pennsylvania, where they raced sprint cars three to four times a week.”
Although Allen never competed in the Indianapolis 500, he achieved significant success as a sprint car driver.
He was inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1988.
Allen earned the nickname "Scruffy" for his rebellious nature and hands-on approach to racing.
He built his own chassis and engines while racing and also determined his own setups.
“I’ve always had a bit of a rebellious streak,” he admitted.
“Okay, maybe a lot.”
Estimates suggest that Allen won over 275 sprint car races, with 46 victories coming from the All Star Circuit of Champions.
Six of his All Star victories were achieved during his championship season in 1980.
Allen’s most significant victory, the Knoxville Nationals, had a profound impact on his life.
“I was just a guy who loved racing and going fast. Every race felt the same to me; you just wanted to win,” Allen reflected.
“I didn’t fully grasp the significance of winning the Nationals until years later when people started talking about it – the prestige it carries.
“That’s when I began to realize just how monumental that win was.”
What were Bobby Allen's major achievements in racing?
Bobby Allen is best known for his victory at the 1990 Knoxville Nationals and for winning over 275 sprint car races, including 46 with the All Star Circuit of Champions. He was inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1988.
What inspired Bobby Allen to become a race car driver?
Bobby Allen was inspired by his father, Joe, who had experience in stock car racing. He started racing half midgets at the age of 12 and was motivated by his admiration for Indy car driver Jim Rathmann, whom he had the opportunity to drive go-karts for.
