Allen Adkins

Allen Adkins (March 29, 1929 – January 12, 1999) was an American stock car racing driver. He competed in the NASCAR Grand National Series, NASCAR Convertible Division, and NASCAR Pacific Coast Late Model Division in the 1950s. He was an inductee to the West Coast Stock Car/Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2005.

Racing career Adkins began competing in NASCAR in 1954, running four NASCAR Pacific Coast Late Model Division races, including two that were in combination with the NASCAR Grand National Series. In the combination races at Oakland Stadium and Bay Meadows Speedway, he finished third and fourth respectively. The other two races were in combination with the NASCAR Short Track Division, the first coming at Balboa Stadium where he finished twelfth, out of the race, due to a tire issue. In the season finale at Oakland Stadium, he scored his first win in the series. Despite only running four of nine races, he finished seventh in the final standings. The following season, he ran thirteen of fourteen races and finished second in points. He scored two wins, seven top-fives, and nine top-tens, as well as two poles. Four of these races were combination races with the Grand National Series. Adkins finished in the top-five in two of them, but crashed out of the other two. In 1956, Adkins focused on racing in the NASCAR Convertible Division, making thirty-three starts. Across these starts, he scored two wins, ten top fives, seventeen top-tens, and two pole positions, finishing eleventh in the standings. He made a total of six Grand National and four Pacific Coast Late Model starts as well, including competing in the Southern 500. This would be his best ranking in the Grand National Series, finishing forty-second in points. He made his final NASCAR starts in 1957 competing in two Grand National races and five Pacific Coast Late Model Division races. His final start came at the California State Fairgrounds Race Track, a combination race, where he finished thirteenth. After his time in NASCAR, Adkins continued racing modified stock cars and local short tracks, retiring from racing in the early 1960s to launch an auto parts business.

Motorsports career results

NASCAR (key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Grand National Series

Pacific Coast Late Model Division † - It is known Adkins participated in the race, winning pole and retiring with piston issues after 33 laps, but his final position is unknown