Clifford Allison
- August 13, 1992
- 27 years
- racing crash
About Clifford Allison
Clifford Allison, 27, American racing driver, racing crash.
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Full Biography
|Robert Clifford Allison (October 20, 1964 – August 13, 1992) was an American stock car racing driver. Son of NASCAR champion Bobby Allison, he was a member of the "Alabama Gang". He was killed in a crash during practice for a NASCAR Busch Series race at Michigan International Speedway in 1992.
Life and career
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 was seen as "crazy wild" by his relatives, and his brother stated he believed Clifford had the greater talent of the two younger Allisons. 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. By that time he remarried, 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, but was released after the season's seventh race for poor performances. Allison drove for Clint Folsom on a limited basis in 1991, while in 1992, he joined team owner Barry Owen, intending to run the majority of the series schedule.
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.
Death
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; he died shortly thereafter while in transit to hospital. 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.
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.
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."
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."
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.
Allison had three children at the time of his death, Brandon, Tanya, and Leslie. Widow Elisa is currently an author.[citation needed]
Motorsports career results
NASCAR
(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)
Busch Series
Content from Wikipedia — licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clifford_Allison
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 15 questions
Questions drawn from Clifford Allison's archived record and the sources above.
1.What was the date of birth of Robert Clifford Allison?
- A.January 1, 1960
- B.August 13, 1992
- C.October 20, 1964correct
- D.December 25, 1965
Robert Clifford Allison was born on October 20, 1964.
Source: biography header
2.In which Alabama city was Clifford Allison raised?
- A.Hueytowncorrect
- B.Mobile
- C.Talladega
- D.Birmingham
Clifford Allison was raised in Hueytown, Alabama.
Source: Life and career section
3.Who was the father of Clifford Allison?
- A.Barry Owen
- B.Frank Cicci
- C.Bobby Allisoncorrect
- D.Clint Folsom
Clifford Allison was the son of NASCAR champion Bobby Allison.
Source: biography header
4.For which team owner did Clifford Allison begin competing in the 1990 Busch Series?
- A.Frank Ciccicorrect
- B.Barry Owen
- C.Brian Butler
- D.Clint Folsom
Clifford Allison began the 1990 season driving for Frank Cicci in the Busch Series.
Source: Life and career section
5.Where did Clifford Allison achieve his best professional stock car racing finish?
- A.Michigan International Speedway
- B.Texas World Speedwaycorrect
- C.Talladega Superspeedway
- D.Daytona International Speedway
Clifford Allison's best finish in professional stock car racing was second at Texas World Speedway in April 1992.
Source: Life and career section
6.During which event did the crash occur that resulted in the death of Clifford Allison?
- A.The Kentucky Coal Classic
- B.The Alabama 500
- C.The Detroit Gasket 200correct
- D.The Busch Series Finals
Clifford Allison was killed during practice for the Detroit Gasket 200 at Michigan International Speedway.
Source: Death section
7.Which two individuals were the first to reach the accident scene after Clifford Allison crashed?
- A.Les Richter and Brian Butler
- B.Bobby Labonte and Richard Lasatercorrect
- C.Frank Cicci and Barry Owen
- D.Donnie Allison and Davey Allison
Bobby Labonte and Richard Lasater were reported to be the first to reach the accident scene.
Source: Death section
8.What specific equipment failure was alleged by some to have caused the fatal head injury to Clifford Allison?
- A.A failed fuel pump
- B.A punctured tire
- C.A broken seatcorrect
- D.A detached steering wheel
Reports indicated the fatal head injury was caused by a broken seat that prevented the safety harness from working.
Source: Death section
9.Who was the NASCAR vice president that disputed claims of significant equipment failure regarding Clifford Allison's car?
- A.Barry Owen
- B.Brian Butler
- C.Les Richtercorrect
- D.Clint Folsom
NASCAR vice president Les Richter stated that the integrity of the car's safety features were present.
Source: Death section
10.In what year did Clifford Allison's estate file a lawsuit concerning his death?
- A.1993
- B.1998
- C.1992
- D.1996correct
In January 1996, the estate of Clifford Allison filed a lawsuit regarding his death.
Source: Death section
11.Which of the following parties was held financially responsible for the death of Clifford Allison in the 1996 lawsuit?
- A.Penske Speedways
- B.NASCAR
- C.Simpson Performance Productscorrect
- D.Barry Owen
Simpson and Butler failed to respond to the lawsuit and were held financially responsible for the death.
Source: Death section
12.How many children did Clifford Allison have at the time of his death?
- A.One
- B.Two
- C.Four
- D.Threecorrect
Clifford Allison had three children, Brandon, Tanya, and Leslie, when he died.
Source: Death section
13.What is the profession of Clifford Allison's widow, Elisa?
- A.Lawyer
- B.Authorcorrect
- C.Race car driver
- D.Race team manager
Clifford Allison's widow, Elisa, is an author.
Source: Death section
14.What was the name of the group of racers that included Clifford Allison?
- A.The Kentucky Coal Crew
- B.The Michigan Drivers Alliance
- C.The Cicci Racing Team
- D.The Alabama Gangcorrect
Clifford Allison was a member of the Alabama Gang.
Source: Life and career section
15.What happened to Clifford Allison's brother one year after Clifford Allison's death?
- A.He retired from racing
- B.He perished in a helicopter crashcorrect
- C.He became a NASCAR official
- D.He won the Busch Series championship
Clifford Allison's brother perished in a helicopter crash at Talladega Superspeedway the year after Clifford died.
Source: Death section
People who died on August 13
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