Davey Allison, NASCAR and organ donor hero to be honored at Talladega

28 years after his passing, Davey Allison’s historic number 28 and paint scheme is returning to the Talladega SuperSpeedway. The number 28 RegisterMe.org/28 Ford will be driven this weekend by NASCAR driver Joey Gase to honor Davey and to increase awareness of Organ Donation.

Here is the story via Legacy of Hope on how Davey’s organ donation nearly three decades ago is still impacting lives today.

According to Legacy of Hope, many people were not aware that Davey’s organs were donated, when his own life ended tragically, after the helicopter he was piloting crashed into Talladega SuperSpeedway in July of 1993. The donation by Allison, the beloved Hueytown, Alabama native and NASCAR Hall of Famer, helped four recipients live over 46 years cumulatively.

Joey Gase Takes the Wheel

In celebration of National Donate Life Month, Joey Gase will be taking the wheel of the number 28 RegisterMe.org/28 Ford in both the NASCAR XFINITY Series and the NASCAR Cup Series races on April 24 and April 25 at Talladega SuperSpeedway. 

Gase is on a mission to encourage people to register as organ, eye and tissue donors and to honor those that saved lives through the gift of donation, like Davey Allison.

“When Davey passed, his family knew if he could no longer continue his life, he would want to do whatever he could to help others continue theirs,” said Gase. “I want to show he was a hero both during his lifetime and after.”

Gase’s mother was an organ donor too.

“It has become a mission of mine these last 10 years to keep her legacy alive by honoring donors and donor families and to help raise awareness for organ donation,” Gase added.

“There are currently over 110,000 people on the wait list nationwide for organ transplants. When I found out Davey was a donor, I thought it would be incredibly special to be able to honor him and his family at Talladega.”

Blessing

Gase reached out to Davey’s widow, Liz, for her blessing to both run the number 28 and to honor Davey as a Donor Hero. Not only did he receive her blessing, but she also wanted to be involved and help get the word out about organ donation.

“I am very honored and proud for Davey to be remembered in this way, especially at our home track,” said Liz in a statement. 

“Davey loved racing at Talladega and always loved to hear the fans cheering for him, as the hometown favorite. Having Joey bring back the 28 and Davey’s 1993 Paint scheme will be special for so many of us. Davey would want the focus to be on Donor Awareness. A big part of Davey’s legacy is being a Donor Hero. We will be cheering Joey on and hoping to see that 28 and those familiar colors in Victory Lane one more time.”

Rooting For 28

I know one thing. I’ll be rooting for number 28 when I sit down and watch the races at Talladega this weekend. 

In honor of Davey Allison and Joey Gase’s mother, please make sure to register to be an organ, eye, and tissue donor in Davey’s honor at RegisterMe.org/28. 

Regardless of how Gase and number 28 finishes – WE will all be a winner.