Allison vs. Petty among NASCAR precedents

When NASCAR said “Boys, have at it” and encouraged them to police themselves on the track it didn’t necessarily want one competitor to punt another into the air at 195 mph.

What it wants are things fans say it hasn’t had for quite some time – intense, no-quarter racing and heated rivalries.

What it wants is the kind of racing fans saw in 1972, when two top drivers rammed and slammed each other and established a heated feud. NASCAR didn’t do a single thing to stop it – no suspensions, no fines and no probations. It let the drivers police themselves. And the fans loved it.

No one called NASCAR boring. Fans eagerly and willingly showed up for races week after week just to see what would happen next.

Of course, NASCAR wasn’t on TV back then. But if it were rest assured there wouldn’t be any concerns over dwindling ratings.

In 1972, Bobby Allison hooked up with team owner Junior Johnson. Allison figured he had his best chance to win the first championship of his career.

But Richard Petty, the 1971 champ, stood in the way. He had long since been the dominant driver in NASCAR.

Allison and Petty had never been the best of friends.

By autumn of 1972 they were the only drivers in contention for the championship.

At Richmond in early September, Allison and Petty ran circles around the competition. But as they did so, they ran into each other – repeatedly.

With 100 laps to go, Petty knocked Allison wide in the second turn. Allison rammed Petty’s rear bumper in the third turn, knocking his Plymouth atop the guardrail.

Amazingly, Petty slid back onto the track and held the lead. He went on to win the race.

NASCAR saw it all and did nothing.

The fans loved it. Two weeks later at Martinsville, the duel continued. Over the last 50 laps fans saw some of the most exciting competition of the season.

Allison was the leader with Petty on his rear. Going to Allison’s inside, Petty ran over the curb and slammed into the side of Allison’s Chevrolet, knocking the gas cap loose.

When it noticed the cap dangling by its chain NASCAR black-flagged Allison. He ignored it and the cap was replaced during a pit stop.

Allison desperately tried to catch Petty and hit the cars of Ben Arnold and Ed Negre in the process. It was to no avail as Petty won again.

After the race NASCAR fined Allison $500 for ignoring the black flag. It was the proverbial slap on the wrist.

Allison stoked the fire.

“The other guy wrecks me and knocks off my gas cap and yet I get fined for ignoring the black flag,” he said.

The feud, once denied by both Allison and Petty, was undisputedly real.

And the fans loved it.

It all came to a head just a week later at North Wilkesboro.

Again, Allison and Petty dominated as they put the field four laps down. They raced nose-to-tail and swapped the lead an incredible 10 times over the final 39 laps.

The fans loved it.

Things got violent over the last three laps. Allison crowded into Petty in an effort to take the lead. Petty clipped the wall in the third turn. He came back and again he and Allison collided. This time Petty’s car hit the guardrail.

Petty was three car lengths behind Allison on the last lap. The right-side tires on Allison’s Chevy were rubbing and the car was smoking heavily – so heavily that the driver’s compartment filled with smoke.

In the first turn, Allison swerved to miss parts of both the front and rear bumpers of Petty car, which were in the middle of the track. The maneuver allowed Petty to retake and hold the lead and the victory.

NASCAR could have come down hard on either driver in any of the aforementioned races. It could have thrown cold water on the rivalry that had been established between two feuding drivers.

But instead, other than a piddling fine, it did nothing.

And the fans loved it.

Over the years there have been similar episodes among drivers named Waltrip, Earnhardt, Wallace, Elliott, Bodine and more.

However, a year ago, it’s likely NASCAR would have never allowed them to occur – not to mention the mayhem created by Allison and Petty.

Seems now it’s more willing to let the drivers police themselves and if that means whacking each other on the track and speaking disparagingly afterward, so be it.

Sure, lagging attendance and TV ratings are reasons for this. But there’s another one, one that is far more important.

The fans love it.