Larry McReynolds pens heartfelt tribute to Davey Allison on the anniversary of his passing

Larry McReynolds paid tribute to NASCAR legend Davey Allison on the 31st anniversary of his death. The Fox Sports racing analyst went to X on Saturday to share what Allison meant to him.

“So hard to believe 31 years ago, we lost a great race car driver, an amazing person and I lost my best friend!” McReynolds wrote. “I think about him in some way everyday!”

So hard to believe 31 years ago, we lost a great race car driver, an amazing person and I lost my best friend! I think about him in some way everyday! #NASCAR https://t.co/b0y0lY3rDN

— Larry McReynolds (@LarryMac28) July 13, 2024

Fans also shared their thoughts on Allison to McReynolds. One person wrote, “He was always my favorite. I was absolutely gutted when he died. I always wonder what would have become of him had he lived.”

Another person added, “Yes it is hard to believe. Davey was my driver, you were my crew chief and Yates was my team. Y’all had that special bond that we as fans don’t see anymore.”

McReynolds was Allison’s crew chief in 1991, and the two won 11 races together, including the 1992 Daytona 500. Allison competed in 191 Cup Series races and earned 19 wins with 92 top-10 finishes. He was named Winston Cup Series Rookie of the Year in 1987, named one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers in 1998, selected as one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers in 2003 and was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2019. Allison died on July 13, 1993, after being involved in a helicopter accident that happened inside the infield at Talladega Superspeedway.

Larry McReynolds speaks on Davey Allison’s legacy

In 2021, McReynolds spoke to Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic about Allison’s lasting legacy. “It’s hard to pin it down to one thing, but if I could gather a group of young drivers today and get them in a room and talk to them and show them what Davey Allison represented to me, he was the poster guy for how a driver should be,” McReynolds said. “Nothing to do necessarily about driving a race car, which he was an amazing race car driver, but he was just one of those guys that got it. He understood the importance of our race fans. He understood the importance of media accessibility.”

McReynolds continued: “I mean, you look at the 1992 season that we went through, he had every reason to be a very bitter guy, even though we won a lot of races that year, including the Daytona 500, and had a shot at the championship. Davey got beat to pieces that year. And, you know, he always was positive, he always was upbeat. He understood how you needed to embrace the race fans.”