**NASCAR Resolves 53-Year-Old Controversy, Declares Bobby Allison Winner of 1971 Race**

After more than five decades of dispute, NASCAR has finally settled one of its oldest controversies, officially naming Hall of Fame driver Bobby Allison as the winner of the 1971 Myers Brothers 250 held at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C. The announcement was made public on Wednesday afternoon.

NASCAR's leadership, including CEO and chairman Jim France and vice chairman Mike Helton, personally visited Allison to deliver the news, according to Zack Albert's report on NASCAR's website. This decision puts an end to the long-standing uncertainty surrounding the race's outcome, which had left the 1971 event without an official winner for 53 years.

The controversy originated from a dispute over the type of car Allison drove during the race—a Ford Mustang—which was deemed to provide him an unfair edge over his competitors on the stadium's quarter-mile track. The 1971 Myers Brothers 250 was part of NASCAR's brief experimentation with races that included both Grand National cars and muscle cars from the Grand American series. Allison's triumph in his Mustang resulted in runner-up Richard Petty lodging a formal complaint; subsequently, NASCAR stripped Allison of the victory.

With this reinstatement, Allison moves ahead of Darrell Waltrip to claim sole possession of fourth place on the Cup Series's all-time wins list. The recognition not only rectifies a historic dispute but also cements Allison's legacy in NASCAR history.