JUST READ SOMETHING THAT I DID NOT KNOW ABOUT THIS DRIVER

As most of us are avid followers of drivers and their quests and especially if they are one you kinda feel like you know some of his accomplishments, kinda like Tim Leeming and Richard Petty,kinda....

Did you know that one Nascar driver,only one now, has been successful with the Indy / world 600 by competing in both the same year?

Yup one driver finished 4th at Indy and then won the World 600 all in the same year. That feat belongs to the one and only "Donnie Allison" Now you know who the most successful driver who competed in both races is

Yep... and Donnie was named Rookie of the Race for his showing in that 1970 Indy 500. It would take 23 more years after Donnie's run before another rookie, Nigel Mansell, would complete all 500 miles at Indy.

And the designer of the car Donnie drove at Indy, A.J. Watson, passed just this week.

One side note... in 1970 there were six days between Donnie's World 600 win and his fourth place Indy 500 finish.

Perry,I knew about the 1971 race but I guess I was out to lunch in 1970...

Both are great and Donnie is a hell of a man especially back then. Iknew them when they transplanted to Alabama. These old stories just get better with age ..When Bobby was in Middle Ga we got about a minute or two when someone didnt have a camera or mike stuck in Bobbys face,but he said in a few short words he really missed the days of yesteryear racing like we did now those were some great ================================ memories

By the way...

Following Donnie Allison as Indy's Rookie of the Year the following year - 1971 - was a former stock car driver, Denny Zimmerman of Glastonbury, Connecticut.

Denny was one of the original "Eastern Bandits" - coming south in the early 60s with Eddie Flemke, Rene Charland and Red Foote to race NASCAR Modifieds at Richmond's Southside Speedway. Denny kept his NASCAR modified in the Richmond shop of NASCAR owner Junie Donlavey, right beside the #90 Modified Ford driven for Junie by Richmond's Sonny Hutchins. I'm sure our Ray Lamm remembers the car in Junie's shop. Don't know if Denny raced anywhere else Indy week, but he'd given up stock cars for sprint cars. However, we were very happy to see a former NASCAR Modified driver who kept his car in Richmond claim Indy Rookie honors for his 8th place initial outing in Speedway, Indiana.

AND... Donnie made it back to Indy for the awards dinner that night in 1971 after driving in the 600!

It was a big jump for Denny Zimmerman to go from NASCAR modifieds at Virginia's Fredericksburg Speedway and Southside Speedway to the Indy 500, but just 9 years after the story below, he was Indy's Rookie of the Year. Ironically, some guy named "Bob" Allison of West Hollywood, Florida was racing at Fredericksburg, Va. along with Denny!

And....

Denny Zimmerman, 1971 Indy Rookie of the Year and former NASCAR modified driver, is the only Indianapolis 500 competitor to have made it to the finals of the Soap Box Derby in Akron, Ohio!

And, just in case TMC-Chase is reading this thread, so far as I can guess, Denny Zimmerman is the only former NASCAR Modified Driver and Indy 500 Rookie of the Year to race in the SCHAEFER 500 !!!

You are so right i remember when he did it