Darrell Waltrip is again tied for third all-time in career wins after NASCAR disallowed Bobby Allison’s claim to an additional win. Darrell Waltrip’s place in the NASCAR record book has shifted again. The record for all-time victories will be revised to put the Franklin resident back in a third-place tie with Bobby Allison at 84 wins apiece, NASCAR Vice President Jim Hunter said. Hunter said a ”computer glitch” resulted in a change to the records last year that awarded Allison one more win than Waltrip. ”As long as they don’t take any wins away from me, I don’t care,” Waltrip said yesterday at the NASCAR Nextel Media Tour. Both remain behind Richard Petty (200 wins) and David Pearson (105). Allison for decades has claimed that he owned a 1971 victory at North Wilkesboro, N.C., for which he was never credited. NASCAR had ruled that win didn’t qualify as a victory in what was then the Grand National Series [now Nextel Cup]. Said racing historian Bob Moore: ”Bobby was driving a Mustang in what was then the Grand American Series. NASCAR needed to fill out the field at North Wilkesboro that day and invited him to enter the car in its Grand National race. After Bobby won the race he was told it didn’t count as a Grand National win.” Allison appeared to have won the argument. Last year NASCAR’s media update book listed Allison with 85 wins and Waltrip with 84. ”There had been some discussion with NASCAR about changing the record,” Moore said. ”Apparently the editor of the update book thought a decision had been made to give Bobby the win and printed the revised record.”(Tennessean)(1-26-2005)
