Reid Spencer

RELATED: Untold stories of Earnhardt✙s ✙98 win | The meaning of a penny A few days after the 1979 Daytona 500, Donnie Allison's wife, Pat, called him to the phone. Hello? Allison said. He didn't recognize the voice on the other end of the line and asked who it was. The caller didn’t identify himself but claimed that he had a film showing a wreck involving Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison in 1979, which put NASCAR racing on the map. The wreck in question involved Richard Petty winning the Daytona 500 after Donnie Allison was taken out of contention for victory by Cale Yarborough. The two drivers were dueling for the lead when Yarborough ran into Allison, causing him to spin and crash on lap 198. Petty came from a half-lap down to win the race, while Donnie and Bobby Allison fought near the backstretch after Richard Petty passed them. Track emergency workers tried to break up the fight but were unable to do so before Yarborough was fined $6,000 for his role in causing the wreck. Donnie Allison disputes Yarborough's version of events and claims that he ran himself into the apron while trying to pass Donnie. He also notes that NASCAR initially saw things differently but eventually placed him on probation after an appeal hearing was held between races at a Red Roof Inn in Atlanta. Bobby Allison appealed his own fine, and the day before the hearing, he received a mysterious phone call from someone claiming to have evidence of Yarborough's guilt. The caller didn’t identify himself but claimed that Donnie had seen five different films showing the wreck from various angles. He also noted that NASCAR executives Les Richter and Bill Gazaway were among those hearing the appeal. Donnie Allison was able to view three of the films, which he says showed Yarborough running into him intentionally. However, he claims that one film didn’t show anything at all and another only showed a brief moment before Donnie spun out. He also notes that NASCAR executives disagreed with his version of events and placed him on probation for the rest of the season. The Allisons were able to recoup their fines after five races, but they never received all of their money back. Bobby claims he is still owed $2,000 by NASCAR.