Clifford Allison

Son of the legendary Bobby Allison, nephew of Donnie and brother to Davey, Clifford Allison was raised in Hueytown, Alabama and was a member of stock car racing's "Alabama Gang".Allison 2005, p.55.

Allison was seen as "crazy wild" by his relatives,Golenbock 2006, p.289. and his brother stated he believed Clifford had the greater talent of the two younger Allisons.Golenbock 2006, p.309. After marrying young, he worked in a coal mine in Kentucky for a period in the 1980s, but soon returned to Alabama and shortly after was divorced. He was then briefly crew chief for his father's Busch Series race team before the team was disbanded in 1988.Golenbock 2006, p.290-291. By that time he remarried,Golenbock 2006, p.291. Allison had started his racing career in earnest in the early 1990s, competing in ARCA and NASCAR Busch Series events; he began the 1990 season competing for rookie of the year in the Busch Series, driving for Frank Cicci,{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1916&dat=19900206&id=iiBJAAAAIBAJ&pg=3442,808422|title=LaJoie establishes own racing team|last=Mitchell|first=Charlie|date=February 6, 1990|work=The Hour|page=25|accessdate=2013-09-14|location=Norwalk, CT}} but was released after the season's seventh race for poor performances.{{cite web|url=https://www.dailypress.com/1990/04/13/an-allison-loses-his-grand-national-ride-for-poor-early-showings/|title=An Allison Loses His Grand National Ride For Poor Early Showings|last=Pearce|first=Al|date=April 13, 1990|work=Daily Press|access-date=2013-09-14|location=Newport News, VA|archive-date=2014-01-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140108224039/http://articles.dailypress.com/1990-04-13/sports/9004120302_1_davey-allison-s-brother-clifford-allison-mike-swaim|url-status=live}} Allison drove for Clint Folsom on a limited basis in 1991,{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1901&dat=19910213&id=-1QgAAAAIBAJ&pg=5411,7347255|title=Bobby, Junior honored by Hall of Fame|date=February 13, 1991|work=The Daytona Beach News-Journal|page=7B|accessdate=2013-09-14|location=Daytona Beach, FL}} while in 1992 he joined team owner Barry Owen, intending to run the majority of the series schedule.{{cite web|url=http://www.racing-reference.info/drivdet/alliscl01/1992/B|title=Clifford Allison - 1992 NASCAR Busch Grand National Series Results|work=Racing-Reference|publisher=USA Today Sports Media Group|accessdate=2013-09-14}}

Allison's best finish in professional stock car racing came in an ARCA race at Texas World Speedway in April 1992, where he finished second.Golenbock 2006, p.292.

During practice for the Detroit Gasket 200, a Busch Series race at Michigan International Speedway in August 1992, Allison spun in turn four, hitting the concrete wall with the driver's side;Golenbock 2006, p.310. he died shortly thereafter while in transit to hospital.[https://www.nytimes.com/1992/08/14/sports/auto-racing-clifford-allison-dies-in-practice-run-crash.html Clifford Allison dies in practice run crash], The New York Times, 14 August 1992. He was the first of two Allisons to die within the space of eleven months; his brother perished in a helicopter crash at Talladega Superspeedway the following year.{{cite magazine|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1138324/index.htm|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121203025931/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1138324/index.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 3, 2012|title=Requiem For A Racing Man|last=Hinton|first=Ed|date=July 26, 1993|magazine=Sports Illustrated|accessdate=2012-01-28}}

Bobby Labonte and Richard Lasater were the first to reach the accident scene. It was reported that the driver's seat was "ripped from its moorings" in the accident and Allison was unrestrained in the crash.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-anniston-star-clifford-allison-crash/128830699/ |work=Anniston Star |location=(Alabama) |agency=Associated Press |title=Michigan Wreck Kills Clifford Allison |date=August 14, 1992 |page=17}}

NASCAR officials disputed that there was significant equipment failure. "The integrity of the car's safety features were there," NASCAR vice president Les Richter said. "The seat had moved a bit, but it was not flopping around. The car hit the wall almost absolutely flush, and that's one of the worst kinds of accidents."{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-charlotte-observer-clifford-allison/128830617/ |work=Charlotte Observer |location=(North Carolina) |agency=Associated Press |title=Driver Handles Loss from Behind Wheel |date=August 15, 1992 |page=22}}

On August 23, The Atlanta Constitution reported that according to "a driver who tried to assist Allison after the crash and a crew chief in the Grand National Series who requested anonymity, the cause of the fatal head injury was a broken seat, which prevented the safety harness from working properly and allowed Allison to be pitched into the car's roll cage."{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-atlanta-constitution-clifford-alliso/128830758/ |work=Atlanta Constitution |location=(Georgia) |agency=Associated Press |title=Equipment Failure |date=August 23, 1992 |page=65}}

In January 1996, Allison's estate filed a lawsuit against NASCAR, Michigan International Speedway, car-owner Barry Owen, helmet and harness manufacturer Simpson Performance Products, and seat builder Brian Butler. It was alleged that the faulty equipment and poor inspections turned a crash that should have been survivable into a fatal injury. A judge excused NASCAR, Penske Speedways (Michigan track ownership), and Owen from the lawsuit but Simpson and Butler failed to respond to the lawsuit and were held financially responsible for Allison's death.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-times-clifford-allison-lawsuit/128830882/ |work=The Daily Times |location=(Maryland) |agency=Associated Press |title=Allison Ruling Declared |date=January 24, 1996 |page=18}}

Allison had three children at the time of his death, Brandon, Tanya, and Leslie. Widow Elisa is currently an author.

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

;Citations

{{reflist|2}}

;Bibliography

{{refbegin}}

• {{cite book|last=Allison|first=Donnie|author2=Jimmy Creed|title=Donnie Allison: As I Recall...|year=2005|publisher=Sports Publishing|location=Champaign, IL|isbn=1-59670-060-2}}
• {{cite book|last=Golenbock|first=Peter|title=Miracle: Bobby Allison and the Saga of the Alabama Gang|year=2006|publisher=St. Martin's Press|location=New York|isbn=0-312-34002-8}}

{{refend}}

• {{Racing-Reference driver|Clifford_Allison}}
• [https://www.elisaauthor.com/ Clifford's widow Elisa Sproule, an author]

{{Frank Cicci Racing}}

{{Bobby Allison Motorsports}}

{{Allison racing family}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Allison, Clifford}}

Category:1964 births

Category:1992 deaths

Category:People from Hueytown, Alabama

Category:Sportspeople from Jefferson County, Alabama

Category:Racing drivers from Alabama

Category:NASCAR drivers

Category:ARCA Menards Series drivers

Category:American Speed Association drivers

Category:Sports deaths in Michigan

Category:Racing drivers who died while racing

Category:Alabama Gang