“He kept me from winning” - Cale Yarborough’s old foe Donnie Allison recalls famous 1979 Daytona 500 brawl

Late NASCAR Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough's old foe Donnie Allison is seemingly still not over losing the 1979 Daytona 500. A collision with Yarborough on the final lap kept Allison from winning the Great American Race.

The 1979 Daytona 500 is one of the most significant races in NASCAR history, as it was the first race that was televised flag-to-flag live to the American audience. Donnie Allison was poised to win the race after taking the white flag, but the opportunistic Cale Yarborough swerved to the inside before both traded paint and ended up wrecking each other.

Allison, who failed to reach the victory lane in the prestigious Daytona 500 during his career, reflected on the iconic 1979 moment after Yarborough's recent death. The 2024 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee said on SiriusXM radio:

"No, he kept me from winning the Daytona 500. Winning for the third time, I should have won it. I'm sitting in the infield, wrecked in turn four, three-quarters of a mile from the start-finish line."

Donnie Allison also touched on the post-race altercation with Cale Yarborough, stating that he and his brother Bobby Allison didn't "gang up" on Cale. He said:

"You see all the stuff in the papers on what happened, [all the reports got no idea]...I saw a thing in the paper yesterday from Jenna Fryer, it stated that we ganged up on him. We didn't gang up on him!"

The 84-year-old NASCAR veteran narrated the happenings on the infield:

"I got out of the car after the wreck and we had a few choice words, Bobby showed up and Cale went over and I was standing 20-25 feet away. Cale hit Bobby... and I ran and grabbed Cale by the arm and I spun him around I said 'You wanna fight, I'm the guy you be fighting with' and by that time Bobby got out and that's how that actually happened."

Donnie Allison recalled that in the aftermath of the incident, all three drivers were fined $6000 while he and his brother were put on probation.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. pays tribute to the late Cale Yarborough

Former NASCAR driver-turned-broadcaster Dale Earnhardt Jr. mourned the loss of Cale Yarborough, who passed away on January 1 at the age of 84.

Dale Jr. penned an emotional note on X (formerly Twitter) paying tribute to the three-time NASCAR Cup champion's personality. He wrote:

"Sad news about the passing of Cale today. A legend behind the wheel for sure, but he had a personality, grit, and swagger that attracted fans around the world to him and to Nascar. He truly made the sport far better for being a part of it. My heart goes out to his family."

Tributes from the NASCAR community and the wider motorsports world have also been pouring in, paying homage to Cale Yarborough's contributions to the sport.