The Allisons

You can't really "Know Your NASCAR" without knowing the fundamentals, so meet the famous Allison family.

As the driving force of the famed "Alabama Gang," brothers Bobby and Donnie Allison are the patriarchs of a racing family that continues to churn out drivers after five decades.

Raised for the most part in Miami, the Allison brothers took a trip to Alabama in the late 1950s after a few years of racing in the Sunshine State. Bobby came home after one weekend with more money than he'd ever pocketed after a race at the Florida tracks. He talked his friend and mentor Red Farmer into moving to Alabama -- Donnie, too -- and in a Montgomery minute the three were winning races all over the Southeast. Thus, the Alabama Gang was born.

Bobby, one of NASCAR's 50 greatest drivers of all-time, still lives in Hueytown, Ala.

He was the 1983 Winston Cup champion and a three-time Daytona 500 winner. He is tied for third place among all-time NASCAR winners with 84 victories and was voted NASCAR's Most Popular Driver six times. He won 600 short track races and was the IROC Series champion in 1980. He was the first driver to earn more than $100,000 in a single Winston Cup event, in the 1982 Daytona 500. His inductions into various Halls of Fame are numerous.

Donnie, now a resident of Salisbury, N.C., took to racing alongside Bobby from the beginning, and went on to compete in every type of race car created. Donnie was a 10-time winner in Winston Cup, including victories in the 1970 Firecracker 400 at Daytona and the 1978 Atlanta 500.

Current driver Tony Stewart perhaps got some inspiration from Donnie, who is considered the most accomplished "cross-over" driver -- from stock cars to Indy-cars -- in history. He finished fourth in the 1970 Indy 500 and went on to Charlotte that same weekend and won the World 600.

Donnie won more than 500 short track races throughout his career. He was NASCAR's 1967 Rookie of the Year, the 1970 Indy 500 Rookie of the Year and the 1970 Sportsman Series Most Popular Driver.

Donnie has been crew chief for Hut Stricklin, his son-in-law, as well as Joe Nemechek, and spends time as a consultant for fledgling teams. He has advised drivers including Bobby Hamilton, Ricky Craven and his nephew, the late Davey Allison.

As part owner of Allison Brothers Race Cars Inc., Donnie remains active today with his sons in the business of building racecars. Bobby's sons, the late Davey Allison and the late Clifford Allison, were born into racing.

Davey, whose son Robbie got his feet wet in 2001 in Bandelero series racing, died in a helicopter crash in 1993 at Talladega after a brief but significant tenure in Winston Cup racing.

Davey was the first rookie to line up on the front row for the Daytona 500, taking outside pole honors in 1987. After two wins in that season and leading a season-record 23 races, Davey was named Rookie of the Year. He collected 19 Winston Cup wins and 14 poles, with 66 top-five finishes and 92 top-10s in eight years in the big show.

The most memorable moment in his career -- for Davey and fans alike -- was when he finished second to his father Bobby in the 1988 Daytona 500.

Davey was inducted posthumously into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in Talladega, Ala., the National Motorsports Press Association's Stock Car Hall of Fame at Darlington Raceway and Bristol Motor Speedway's Heroes of Bristol Hall of Fame.

Clifford was Bobby's youngest son. He died in 1992 while running laps at Michigan International Speedway.

During his racing career, Clifford traced his father's tire tracks across Alabama's speedways, claiming the Montgomery International Raceway Championship in 1987. Like his Uncle Donnie, Clifford was also a crew chief -- for his father's Busch Grand National team in 1988.

Before his death, Clifford was poised to break into NASCAR's top circuits after successful stints in Late Models, the ARCA series and the NASCAR All-Pro Series.