Larry McReynolds remembered Davey Allison on what would have been the NASCAR legend’s 65th birthday. Allison, born in 1961, died in a helicopter crash on July 13, 1993. More than three decades later, the impact he left on his longtime crew chief remains deeply personal.

On Wednesday (February 25) morning, McReynolds shared a message on X, reflecting on the friend and driver who shaped his career:

“Good Morning! I woke up this morning thinking about my best friend and a driver that impacted my career so much, Davey Allison, who would have turned 65 years old today! I still miss him so very much! #RIP 🙏🙏🙏🙏”

Davey Allison’s life and career were defined by speed and resilience. In 191 NASCAR Cup Series starts, he earned 19 wins, 66 top 5s, and 92 top 10s. He won the 1992 Daytona 500 and was one of the sport’s brightest stars before his sudden death at age 32.

Davey was more than numbers. He was the son of NASCAR Hall of Famer Bobby Allison and part of the famed Alabama gang. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2019 and connected with fans in a way few drivers ever have. Larry McReynolds and Allison formed one of the most competitive pairings in the 1990s.

McReynolds joined Robert Yates Racing in 1991 to lead the No. 28 team. From that point until mid-1993, he and Allison won 11 races together. They swept the Winston All-Star Races in 1991 and 1992 and nearly won the title in 1992, before crashing in the final race at Atlanta.

Their 1992 run in the iconic No. 28 car included a Daytona 500 victory. For McReynolds, the bond was personal as much as professional. After Davey Allison’s death, McReynolds stayed with the No. 28 team. He worked with Ernie Irvan during another turbulent stretch. Later, he became Dale Earnhardt’s crew chief in 1997 and remains widely recognized for his Daytona 500 victory in 1998.

But for McReynolds, the foundation was built with Davey Allison.

When Larry McReynolds said Davey Allison was “still my inspiration”

In 2020, Larry McReynolds revisited some of the hardest moments of their time together. One memory centered on Davey Allison’s violent 1992 crash at Pocono and the days that followed. He recalled walking into the hospital room with team owner Robert Yates. The injuries were severe. Allison’s face was swollen from the impact forces. Yet the driver’s first words were not about pain.

McReynolds remembered Allison looking at them and saying he would be back in the car at Talladega. Allison even had his hand on the shifter with Velcro when he attempted to start the race weekend. A brief rain caution allowed the team to make a driver change. They still finished third and regained the points lead.

Weeks later, tragedy struck again when Allison’s brother Clifford, aged 27, died in a crash in Michigan. McReynolds admitted that he and Yates were prepared to pull Allison from the race and send him home. Instead, Allison refused.

“Yeah, my brother was killed today. I’ve got a hole in me that burns when the wind blows. But I’m here to do a job and I’m going to do my job and we’re going to win this race on Sunday and we’ll go back and take car of business in Hueytown,” McReynolds recalled Allison said. (32:11 onwards)

Larry McReynolds said that moment defined him:

“It took Davey, who had this horrendous crash at Pocono, who just had lost his brother, it took him to get Robert, and I straightened out… we were the ones ready to… put somebody else in it to let him go home and grieve his brother’s loss. But that’s why even today he’s still my inspiration.”

Through injury, grief, and pressure, Davey Allison remained committed to racing. The 191 starts and 19 wins only tell part of the story. The resilience told the rest. Even now, Larry McReynolds says that the standard still guides him.