KNOXVILLE, Iowa — In 1990, Bobby Allen scored one of the most surprising upsets in the history of the Knoxville Nationals.
Now, 31 years later, the two-car World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series team that Allen fields for his grandson Logan Schuchart and son Jacob Allen will recognize Allen’s accomplishment during this week’s 60th running of the NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals at Iowa’s Knoxville Raceway.
The Shark Racing cars were unveiled on Tuesday afternoon in front of the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum. Schuchart, who finished second during the 2019 Knoxville Nationals, the last edition prior to the pandemic, will qualify his No. 1s machine on Wednesday, while Allen hits the track on Thursday in his No. 1a sprint car.
Bobby Allen remembered his triumphant night at Knoxville in a story that was published in the August 2020 edition of SPEED SPORT Magazine.
“I always borrowed money from everybody and owed people money to race. I’d start every year way in the hole and then I’d pay them back. All those people that I owed money to, they were glad to come down there and congratulate me, and I could tell them they’d get their money next week,” Allen said with a big laugh. “No, I’m kidding, but there is a little bit of truth to that. Everybody wanted to see me win. It was like a fairy tale.”
Bobby Allen was on hand for Tuesday’s car unveiling along with Schuchart and Jacob Allen.