Sunday 3rd May 1987

An infamous day in NASCAR history. Bill Elliott earlier in the week had qualified his #9 Coors-Melling Ford Thunderbird at a record 212.809 mph (a record which still stands today) for the Winston 500 at the Talladega Superspeedway. Davey Allison qualified third, while father Bobby started second alongside Elliott in the #22 Miller Buick. Bobby Allison on lap 22 hit a piece of debris, cutting his right-rear tyre, turning the car sideways, lifting it into the air, and crashing vertically into the spectator fence near the start finish line. The car landed back on the track and collided with a number of other competitors. Davey was ahead of his father at the time. Bobby Allison was not injured, but the crash slightly injured several spectators and the race was red-flagged for two hours and thirty-eight minutes. This incident led to the requirement of smaller carburettors, and later, carburetor restrictor plates on engines at Daytona and Talladega to reduce the top speeds.