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Tim Walker's Personal Journey and NASCAR Connection

18:38
30:33
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At 18:38 in

Bobby Allison's 1979 Daytona 500 Car: The Race That Changed NASCAR Forever! (Unrestored Survivor)

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What happens here

Tim Walker recounts his personal story of meeting Bobby Allison as an 11-year-old in February 1972 at Daytona. This encounter, facilitated by his father's bold attempt to enter the pit area, marked a turning point in Tim's life, igniting a lifelong passion for motorsports and forging a deep friendship with Bobby Allison. Tim's father's mishap of falling while trying to enter the pits led to him inventing the 'score pan' (a mud flap to protect against debris), a humorous and memorable detail from that day. Tim emphasizes Bobby's personal qualities, highlighting that Bobby cared about people and was approachable, giving Tim his home phone number—a gesture that significantly impacted Tim's confidence and life trajectory.

Goal: Understand the personal connection to the car's history.

Tools and materials

  • Vintage Bobby Allison Photo N/A — Illustrating Tim's early interaction with Bobby Allison

What they say

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bit that car pretty much was uh put back the short track car you you guys are are great I appreciate everything y'all doing and and I want to put something together uh you know as soon as we can and that's why I'm that's why I'm here now Greg because if we don't keep it alive it'll it'll just perish forever and you know I've looked up to you and for many many years and I was just telling Mitchell here that in 78 and especially 79 when y all did the photo shoot out there in the on the uh in the front in the Grass at Daytona I was there I walked out with Bobby and oh yeah and I I couldn't believe that I was out there and that guard wasn't chasing me oh it was it was incredible and you know the effort that we had in 79 we had a lot better race car that was a we had we had approximately about 15 18 more horsepower uh which was a bu you know back back in the day cuz you know we fighting rules and everything you know m uh and and and we don't want to get into the deal about the highport heads or or that kind of thing I going I going about that manone I head probably for for about three years you know I really like about what you guys and and and and men and what y'all doing uh it is keeping it going right is keeping it going and keeping it accurate you know Bobby and I have traveled thousands of miles together oh and when he talked about your dad he loved you and your dad very much we love we Y and and you know you know how special Bobby is to me so he saved he saved my life and he became more of a father than my real father I had been hanging around Bobby in the races since 1972 February 6 16th 1972 that's when my life changed and it became a way of life this period um struggled in the early days of Miami with uh schooling and and amongst other things um but at the time that I met Bobby I was 11 years old in 1972 February and it just became into a friendship ever since then we we used to go up there with my dad said in 1972 he had underground pipe supply company that he was a Salesman for and he approached me at like Christmas uh in 71 said hey guys my brother and I how would you like to go to Daytona and watch the race and I said that would be fantastic but the one thing that I or nor my brother will ever forget is my dad said on the way up boys do you know I know the Allison I thought to myself oh boy dad started drinking early the the funny part is is I was determined to find Bobby Allison and as it happened I guess it was uh the Wednesday we were up there…

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