The original Alabama Gang is together again in the NASCAR Hall of Fame after Donnie Allison’s enshrinement on Friday night.

His brother Bobby Allison and Red Farmer preceded Donnie Allison into the stock-car shrine. Donnie Allison completed the Hueytown racing trio in the NASCAR Hall of Fame by entering with the Class of 2024, along with Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus.

Davey Allison, Bobby’s son and Donnie’s nephew, also is a member of the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

After accepting his NASCAR Hall of Fame ring from presenter Jimmy Creed, Donnie Allison said, “All I can say is, ‘Wow.’” But he actually did say more about his career in NASCAR and other motorsports disciplines and his role as driver, mentor and racing ambassador.

Allison made his debut on NASCAR’s Cup Series in 1966 and raced for the last time on that circuit in 1988, although a wreck during the 1981 World 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway left him with multiple injuries that curtailed his racing career.

The Rookie of the Year for NASCAR’s top series in 1967, Allison competed in 242 Cup races during that span and won 10, including two victories at Alabama International Motor Speedway, the track that’s now called Talladega Superspeedway.

Allison played a central role in what’s often called one of the most important races in NASCAR history, which Allison said was incorrect. The 1979 Daytona 500 “was the most important” race in NASCAR history, he said.

Allison and Cale Yarborough wrecked battling for the lead on the final lap, then ended up squaring off out of their cars in NASCAR’s first nationally televised race. Allison said he didn’t actually fight with Yarborough (although Bobby Allison was there for that), but he was “three-quarters of a mile from the start-finish line, not winning the Daytona 500 for probably the third time I should have won it.”

NASCAR’s top series wasn’t Allison’s sole racing focus. He raced in other NASCAR divisions, in stock-car races sanctioned by other organizations and beyond the stock-car discipline. In 1970, Allison finished fourth in the Indianapolis 500 a week after winning the World 600. Allison won the Rookie of the Year Award for the Indianapolis 500 that year and still has the highest combined finish for the drivers who have tackled the holiday double.

The introduction for Allison’s induction called him the “epitome of a race-car driver,” but Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. said Allison “had such a great impact on this sport outside of race cars.”

While Allison’s induction speech touched on some of the luminaries of NASCAR’s past, such as Banjo Matthews, Leonard Wood, A.J. Foyt and Hoss Ellington, he also has a contemporary connection, calling himself “really, really lucky to work with some extremely good young men.” Allison mentioned Joey Logano, Trevor Bayne, Regan Smith, John Hunter Nemechek and Ricky Hendricks among the drivers he’d had the pleasure to mentor.

But that was role that Allison embraced while still driving. During her acceptance of the Landmark Award, Janet Guthrie included Allison among those she thanked, saying he “offered some invaluable tips” at her NASCAR debut race, the 1976 World 600.

Allison already is a member of three Alabama-based halls of fame – the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, the Alabama Auto Racing Pioneers Hall of Fame and the International Motorsports Hall of Fame.

In addition to the Allisons and Farmer, NASCAR Hall of Fame members with Alabama roots include Anniston’s Red Byron and Fort Payne’s Tim Flock.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.