Red Farmer Recounts Unthinkable Tragedies with the Allison Family 

I agree with a lot of the commenters. This is one of the best interviews yet. Red is a wonderful person. At 89 he relates to everyone. Thank you for having him on.

Red Farmer is a national treasure. He could be on this show every week for 5 years and still have tons of stories to tell

I am amazed at how sharp Red is at his age. Absolutely a living legend!

If this man calls you a friend you are truly a blessed person.

If watching this interview with an old school racer doesn’t bring a tear to your eye, I don’t know what would. NASCAR 2001 and before had so many great losses, incredible injuries, and tough old guys to deal with it all. I think this is on of Dale’s best interviews. Red Farmer, you have someone who has new respect for you and how you came up in the sport. Thank you.

So moving. What an amazing man. Quick note: Ed Hinton wrote a wonderful piece about Bobby's struggles, including an estrangement and divorce from his wife Judy and how, when Adam Petty was killed, they put aside their differences and went together to visit Kyle and Pattie and, later, remarried.

Dale knows just how to get an emotional story out of a guest without it being exploitive. When emotions start to come out, he stays with it just long enough, to allow the full story to be told, which seems just long enough for it to be a bit therapeutic for the guest, then he moves things along with a respectful and courteous, unabrupt segue, that eases the emotional guest, giving them a chance to regain their composure. Dale is actually a very elegant, caring and aware interviewer. He balances the emotions of his guest, with the job of presenting as much info and insight, without ever crossing the line of bad taste. He's a Rockstar at this!

"I don't know how you do it". A statement in regards to Red's ability to be there for people. Just like losing your fingers in the prop of an airboat and having to drive yourself to the hospital. Because you have to.

Without question the most difficult episode I've watched. To see the pain that Red still feels from the losses of Clifford and Davey broke my heart!

I am 78 years old, my advise when you get this old, "do not slow down or old age will catch you". That is what Red does, always has something to do that needs to be done, and he is going to get it done. When the going gets tough, the tough gets going.

This has to be one of the best if not the best interview in the history of this show. Red is one of the last true pioneers in racing. Amazing how sharp he still is.

Red Farmer is a national treasure to the motor racing world. Not only for what he’s done on the track, or what he’s experienced, but to the immeasurable impact he’s had on people.

I learned a lot about this guy and the Allisons when I got more into Nascar when I worked at Amoco Oil with the #93 Amoco car at Bill Davis Racing, and some years after with other teams. All I really knew was he was close with the family and Alabama Gang. But as I learned about him, you find out what a legend he is. Never met him. I saw him at the tracks, and even Benny Parsons told me at Talladega he was like royalty. Wow. What a fella.

This one hurt folks, I ain't gonna lie. I can not even begin to fathom what Bobby and Judy Allison endured emotionally after losing Clifford and Davey, so close together. I believe that Larry Reynolds is still emotional about the loss of Davey even now. God bless Red Farmer!

Thank you, Mr. Farmer. You're a legend. Being the greatest friend a person could have, that's your legacy.

Red has seen it all, ...all the best, and a lot of the worst. A very good man. God bless him.

Man being from Birmingham this episode has opened my eyes to so much racing history. Unbelievable how this stuff about BIR is dead, and all the racing legends from our state deserve more recognition

The story of that timeline between 1988-1994 for the Allison family and family friends is the most tragic in sports history. Bar none it makes me tear up every time. I can't imagine being Red and standing in his shoes. That kid saved Red and his life just for Bobby to get injured literally the next day, which still have life-long lasting effects. Bobby doesn't remember racing Davey at the 500. I've never heard Red and his account of the Clifford wreck and I have never heard the helicopter story from his perspective. That's horrifying. It's truly sad to see an entire prominent family and it's entire friend system get basically wiped out within a 5-6 year period. I hope Bobby is doing well. I feel for him.

I was a big Davey Allison fan. I learned so much from this terrific podcast interview.

This whole episode was amazing. I could listen to Red talk for hours.

Dale I believe if you took this to television you would win award after award after award. You have one of the best racing shows that there ever has been. Cheers.

I'm 58 years young and I remember going to BIR watching RED RACE HE WAS MY FAVORITE THAT I PULLED FOR WHEN I Was A Kid ! The Tornado that came through Pelham nearly a yr ago hit his place , remember seeing his race car trailer being towed by a wrecker on Hwy 119 , it took a Hit from the Tornado. Red is One Tough Man , to go through what he has and still be kicking ! I could listen to him talk all day long for Days with his stories !

I was 13 when Davey died. As an Alabama native, he was my guy. Met him at 'Dega several times and he was the best hero a little boy could have. I wept when he passed. I still set a moment to reflect on July 13th. It is so hard to lose a hero when you are young like I was. Genuinely the nicest guy, and I have never heard anyone say a single negative thing about him. I had the pleasure of finally meeting Liz at Talladega in 2019 when they unveiled the changes to the garage area. She took a picture with me and it is one of my most treasured items I have. The Allison family has endured a lot, and I love them all. Even when you meet them today, they are still so nice to their fans.

As a kid, Davey Allison's death had a profound effect on me, I didn't understand what death was at the time and it really was a sharp dose of reality for 6 year old me to hear about this racing legend who skirted death of a number of occasions lose his life in a helicopter crash. It's crazy Red was in that copter and he survived but Davey didn't. I will always remember six year old me saying to my late mother, "he didn't need to die like that".

Living history, what a great man. My heart absolutely broke while he was talking about Clifford. Many in the comments have said “one of the best podcasts,” no folks, it was the best. I don’t think this one will ever be topped. Red Farmer is an American treasure.

Man, that story about Clifford got me in tears

I've known who Red Farmer is for the last 18-20 years but never knew anything about his background or racing experience until recent years. I'm blown away and very intrigued listening to stories this man has to offer. I love hearing him talk about the past. He seems like a very humble man and I now have a high level of respect for this gentleman. When Red speaks, I listen. I wish I could shake this mans hand and just simply tell him "Thank you sir for being the person you are." What a true American hero! In my own beliefs and judging his character, I believe God has kept this man around this long and given him his strength to keep going at his age for good reason. What reason that may be? We don't know, but I just know the racing community as well as myself loves him! Dale Earnhardt Jr, THANK YOU, BROTHER for doing this show! I'm a crybaby myself and I shed a tear along with Red when he spoke of some of his more emotional stories he shared. This is why I love following and watching this channel. Dale, I was a hardcore fan of your father since the late 80's when I learned about racing and first saw that black #3 on one of my class mates T-shirts in first grade. Thank God for her because if that small influence I was intrigued by back then didn't exist, with the "Real Men Wear Black and Silver" T-shirt, I probably wouldn't be an Earnhardt fan. Hell, I probably wouldn't even be a race fan period, much less a mechanic or even the person I am now (wrecker driver). Dale, the whole point of my long drawn out comment here is that I literally have gained as much respect and admiration for Red Farmer (especially through this video) as I have for your father over an entire lifetime! I cant thank you and your crew enough for this video! God bless you all!

Red Farmer is a national treasure in racing. He has more knowledge than most folks can obtained in a lifetime of racing. He loves the sport and most of all loves the people. God bless Red Farmer all his days.

What a man, what an American...Thanks for everything Red.

One of the best podcasts in history. The history, the stories, the humility, just perfect. I hope I can get my father nursed back to health just to hear this historic podcast. Thanks to all involved.

There's not enough thumbs up buttons here for this man, if could I would push a million of them. God bless this man, a true angel on earth.

Thank You Dale Jr. for this interview ...as a Davy fan I know how all of your Dad's fans feel in their hearts ..... RIP #3 & #28

My heart hurts for this great man as he recounts these tragedies. Just unbelievable. I love listening to these guys about the early days and in my opinion the best days of NASCAR, this is one of the best episodes yet.

My dad and Bobby Allison where business partners when Davie passed away and it was very difficult for us but it seemed to be less difficult on Bobby some how. I got to fly in Bobby's airplane after that and it was a little crazy. He took the gas engines off and put turbo prop engines on it and it was the fastest little airplane I had ever seen. As a pilot and a A&P that was a pretty cool little airplane. But he never stopped being Bobby through losing his kids and all that. It was very hard to watch but its what made Bobby Allison how he is. I miss him and wish him all the best. He is a very good man.

Dale, this is absolutely the best episode ever! Red Farmer is everyone’s favorite, right up their with your dad and Petty! Thank you!💫

I am 67 years old and My Dad and I would watch the Alabama gang at Montgomery Motor Speedway when I was a kid! Red Farmer and the Allison’s were always so gracious with the fans. I watched Red race one night with a broken arm in a cast hanging out of the window. I also saw him leave the racetrack over the rail and disappear. What memories. Thank you Dale for this podcast.

I knew Neil his loss still makes me tear up. This was a very tragic time in racing.

Red farmer is a role model for him to keep going the way he does and it took a lot for him to recall davey’s accident which is heartbreaking to hear and to see him to tell it , god bless him

I was a big Davey Allison fan back in the early 90s. My favorite T-Bird was the #28 Havoline by Robert Yates. When he passed away after the helicopter accident. It was hard for me to root for the other driver. Davey was hard to replace for the #28 afterwards with several drivers including Ernie Irvan who almost died in the practice crash at Michigan a year after. Red Farmer still kicks ass at 90 and a Nascar HOFer.

I am a Davey Allison fan . I know why he was so great now. He was brought up in racing by the great Red Farmer!

A Gripping Interview!! How wonderful of Red to share his 75 years of racing experience. God has Blessed him and he in turn has bless us with his life experiences… Incredible!!

I loved all of those guys and still do. I was at Pocono the week after Davie died and it was such a tough loss. Losing Neal Bonnet was another terrible tragedy. I don’t know how Bobby was able to get thru all he did and was always so gracious. The Alabama gang were a great group and we’ll never see anything like the racers from that era. Red is a legend to us old NASCAR lovers.

Bobby was a good teacher. He taught me a lot when I worked there. I swept the floor with Davey in the paint booth one day even though he was already a rising star in NASCAR. He still did whatever Bobby told him but he was a little bit of a prankster. Clifford was a blast to be around.

Jr. this is one of the best interviews with a legend in racing I’ve ever seen. Thank you for having Red on your show.

What a fantastic friend anyone on earth could ever have, Red is truly a great man , hope he enjoys many years with his grandchildren in the sport he loves so much. Thanks for sharing with us all.

One of the best episodes yet! I love hearing Red tell stories. Dale’s kindness when asking questions about tragedies was touching. Mike’s point that Red has the ability to help people in hard times is true. Great video!

Red is one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet. I had the pleasure of knowing him when he was coaching Jason Jarrett in the #67 ARCA car. I never could get him to go fishing with me.

😬😬 Eshh that was a tough segment. Mike really tried to keep it going and you could tell Dale wasn't sure where or exactly how to move forward. Crazy how you remember those events as a kid, but still see the emotion weighs in Red after all these years. Bless that old guy

I'm Canadian and Bobby used to fly his plane into the local track ( Cayuga Speedway) for the odd special with his late model. The first time I ever saw him race was incredible. He drove around the outside to win the race when few would ride the fence there. He signed an autograph for me that I still have today and he started asking me a few questions about where I was from etc. He was at Daytona the couple of times I was there. I waved to him through the fence once and I was surprised when he remembered me. He was busy so we only talked for a few minutes. That has stuck with me for 50 years. I built racing engines for some local track racers years ago and I was also a Robert Yates fan and he was my hero engine builder, so when Davey started driving for Robert it was the ultimate dream team for me. I never knew Clifford or the rest of the Family well but I was sick for days after he died. Just a totally awesome young man. I was on vacation with my Family when I heard about Davey and Red. I was devastated to say the least. I left my wife and kids alone and cried like a baby against a tree. Bobby has to be the strongest man I have ever met, to go through so much tragedy and still be alive. What a great Family! There will never be racers like them again. God bless all of you.

As a Alabamaian ,myself along with many others see Red Farmer as a treasure. There's so much knowledge to be learned about racing and life from Red . As a kid the Alabama gang was my superheroes. Thank you for taking the time for this interview, I cherish it with all my heart ♥

Red Farmer is an unbelievable human being, broke my heart watching him trying to keep it together talking about all this it still hurts him.

This man DEFINES role model. From the exploits at the track to losing his fingers to an airboat, to still working on cars and being at the track at 89(!) but most importantly taking care of those that matter most to him no matter what. This is a role model if there ever was one.

My favorite podcast episode. I've watched every video and listened to every casting. RED FARMER IS STILL RED FARMER, It's not hard to realize that this man's heart is in the exact right place that I myself atleast, hope to always withstand,uphold, remain. Before politics , before negativity when you turn on your TV, before all the things that now try to tear you down, Red is what alot of what you can't find any longer. TRUE AND BLUE. He has been and will remain forever one of my heros. He puts the F in friend, F in family, and B in blue collar, thank you RED farmer for never trying to be anything except you. Sincerely from a born and raised bama boy, James Grantham.

Thank you red. Your a real stand up fella. Being someone that has lost just about every friend I ever had. I can relate to your pain and the true weight that type of thing puts on a person. It’s luggage that you can’t unpack. You’ll carry it with you every where you go until the day you leave this world. My grandpa never completed a full year of school in his life. He claimed to go all the way through school. He said He went in the front door and out the back. But being a man with such little education he sure knew a lot about life and what to say when things got bad. He told me when I was just a young boy and my best friends dad had passed away. He says “there will be many burdens, pains, sorrows and regrets along the way in your life. Some will tax you more than others. It’s how you deal with those taxes that mold you into the man you will grow to be. But no matter how hard the taxes are on you, chances are very good that there is somebody else that’s feeling more pain than you are as a consequence to losing that person. You need to be that one friend that stands strong and allow that person to lean on you because they know that you are going to be there, no matter what ” and that may not seem significant to others but I feel like red here has been the rock that the Allison’s could count on to be there. We might not always know exactly what to say, but we’re there for them when we need us. And sometimes just being there is enough. Thank you for your message today. I know how hard it is to relive those moments. Bless your heart, you are a one of s kind and I’m sure the Alison family have been thankful to have such a Rock to Lean on through all their tragedies.

I appreciate that they let Red talk, didn't interrupt him, unbelievable. You NEVER see that in interviews today. Great show.

Best podcast I have ever heard…I was a Davey fan and will always will be…thank you dale jr for everything!!!!!

Wow, what a heavy and deeply touching interview. I don't know how you guys held it together... I sure didn't. Crying in my damn coffee early in the morning. Red Farmer is a class act, and I can say the same for Dale Jr. and Mike. You guys are really getting great at drawing the stories and emotions out of your guests, you're really starting to excel as interviewers. Great job, guys. And God Bless Bobby and Judy and all the Allisons (and Red Farmer for that matter), those people have seen more tragedy than any human should have to endure.

We are not worthy enough to breathe the same air as red, a true legend. Thank you for having him on there, would love to see a part2, and part 3!!

I think this is the best one you’ve ever done. Thank you.

Hands down the "BEST" interview ever. You did exactly what you told Marty Smith to do, "Shut up and listen!" Red is an amazing man! Great job Jr with the interview!

I'm very lucky to have grown up with a couple men like Red Farmer! They weren't racers just strong men with a lot of knowledge. Men like Red are getting hard to find and that's not a good thing at all. Bless you Mr Farmer.

What a good man, Red Farmer, and the Allisons hold a special place in my heart. Bless Dale jr for having this show.

What a GREAT guy Red Farmer my god all these years have passed and you can still see he can't hardly speak about the deaths of the Allison boys that truly devastated him .....What a great friend and MAN this is one reasons NASCAR was such a great sport it was all about family and friends one of the best interviews Dale jr has had on his podcast.....GREAT !!

Best podcast that ever podded,, or cast , for that matter. Absolute solid gold. Red Farmer is a living legend. I will feel more connected to this sport, as a result of this podcast. Junior, your legacy is continuing to grow with every thing you do where racing is concerned. It's like Mr. Red said, "You never know what's going to happen ten years from now, or twenty." Keep em coming!!!

Davey, Dale, Dale jr, Bobby, Red, Donnie my top five drivers. These stories are a true gem, keep them coming!

This is awesome Jr. Everyone has always tried to comprehend the Allison's pain. Red shows us how real it is. Best podcast in a long time. Great stuff. Thank You.

Car racing is like a tall Montana mountain. Tough to climb and the exhilaration to reach the top is indescribable but the frequent fall to the valley floor is pure agony yet we dust ourselves off and head up the trail again. Thanks and congratulations Red.

Now that was a podcast, listened to the whole thing first then watched the video. We had the privilege to meet Red at Eldora about 10 years ago, what a nice man and a racer to the bone. Much respect to Red and The Alabama Gang, those guys are Real Men and Racers.

As much as I would want to see Bobby Allison on the podcast, I don't know if he could do it anymore. He lost his wife Judy six years ago, and Red mentioned here he was not doing too good, and I just think life was worn him down. When I started following NASCAR in 1972, Bobby Allison was my favorite driver; I think seeing his heart as broken as Red showed his was, would be something I couldn't stand to watch.

This is a hall of fame interview. Mr. Farmer thank you for sharing an extremely personal and painful experiences. If this doesn't touch your heart you gotta problem. Hats off to Dirty MO team you did a terrific job.

Of all the interviews I've watched, this is by far my favorite interview, listening to Red !! What an incredible man, racer and human being !

What an interview! Its painful to see Red so absolutely brokenhearted. While he is undoubtable a strong man, you just know he's broken on the inside too. I remember hearing about Davey in the news... was shocking and unbelievable. Everyone liked Davey .. he was such a nice guy. I still have a race card of Clifford's ARCA days. Can't imagine Bobby and Judy's pain... just too much for anyone to bear

Red’s the original Kenny Schrader. He’ll race anywhere!

I'm in tears just listening to red share his story Thank you for sharing this

"I just always hope that everything is going to be better tomorrow" Words to live by right there.

The end of this conversation shows the importance or waking up everyday with purpose. This was good stuff. He lost a lot of friends but he was lucky to have a lot of friends.

What a man! what stories! what a life! Bravo Red Farmer

I will tell you, Dale Jr has found a way to become the best interviewer I have ever listened to. This interview with Red Farmer was incredible. Thank you, thank you, Jr.

This episode is amazing. What a life this man has had. What a humble man he is and what a legend.

I have so many things that I love about my life, but at the top of that list is the feeling of how blessed we are to be able to LISTEN to the stories from a person like Red who has seen it all and done it all. What a treasure. You can clearly read Mike and Dales face as they drink in the words coming from Red's mouth. They were focused with laser precision. This is my favorite interview yet.

Doesn't get any better than this. 50 years ago Bobby Allison helped me at a race track....I never forgot it.

Dale thank you for having Red on your podcast. He is an icon in racing.

"I just always hope that everythings going to be better tomorrow." The most simple way we should all think. Thank you for this little lovely piece of knowledge Mr. Red Farmer!!

I will have to say that Red is the same guy when at the track as he is in this interview. Our home track now is Talladega Short Track since Green Valley closed a while back. Talked to him several times and he is a straight up racer at heart and would help you anyway possible he could.

EXCELLENT INTERVIEW. Red is blessed with vigor, great memory and motivation. Being his friend would be a true gift. God bless him.

Wow Dale Jr, I watched 3 of your podcasts this morning, two of them made me cry. What a massive human being Red Farmer is. Thanks for continuing to have the best podcasts in existence.

Thank you Dale for having Red on your show. You and Mike do an awesome job. My favorite Pod Cast.

When I first started watching these podcasts, I wondered why Mike was even there, his role seemed so small. I find he has really become and important piece of the process of getting the best interviews out of the bevy of amazing guests. This interview was a great example of how he and Dale work together to really share the stories of their guests in a very broad way. Also, Red Farmer is simply amazing. What a racing icon.

That's gotta be Dale's best Podcast ever. Not many of the good ole boys who really took racing serious and to the next level. Thanks Dale, Red

I got to meet red at bass pro shop in leeds. Near Talladega. Super nice Gentleman. He loved to tell you a story. Very humble. Best to you Red

Thanks Dale, Jr and everyone at Dirty Mo. This was an excellent interview. I've always liked the Alabama Gang and especially Red Farmer. This world could use some more Red Farmer's!

This man is absolutely incredible and reminds me SO much of my grandfather whos now 98.

Hello Dale and Mike and Red amazing interview I was lucky to see one race at Ontario Motor Speedway before it was closed. And I met Davey and got his autograph at Sonoma when he was working on his Southwest Tour car to this day I still have his autograph Wishing everyone there well Take Care

I like how he identifies with the family's loss. You can tell it affected him and how he empathize with the Allison's. He talks about their faith or religion being how they got through it. I can identify with their family. I lost my Grandma in March of 2014 and the day if her funeral my cousin had a stroke and died. 3 weeks later in April my parent house burned down with them and my sister in it. Life has been super tough since then after my ex left because she wanted half of the money they left me and took both my kids. Now she lives in a house I bought and I wonder how my parents would feel about everything they ever worked for going to prop up a millionares daughter. At least mt kids have a nice house. I feel for people like this and really admire them for their strength.

Red Farmer is a national treasure. He lived through alot of loss and tragedy and yet still lived his life to the fullest, racing til the checkered flag.

Great interview folks. Red farmer is a class act. What a story. These podcasts are amazing.

Red is still “ageless”! Great listening to all his stories as always. One of the best interviews ever.

Growing up in Birmingham this brought back a lot memories including the Iceberg Cafe he mentioned. Another great interview Dale! I’m hooked on this series!

Hope there are loads more Red's in life cause he sounds amazing.

Very inspiring man! Thanks to everyone for having him on the show. God Bless Red Farmer 👍🙏