A Father’s Day Dedication Glenn Allen Style

Glenn Allen Jr. with his dad. Allen Family Files

CONCORD, N.C. (June 17) – Glenn Allen Jr. logs a lot of miles on his NASCAR Busch Series driving record in one year, but Glenn Allen Sr. beats his son’s mileage by a long shot.

From his hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio, Glenn Allen Sr. travels roughly 45,000 miles during the season to his son’s races. That is an average of 1,400 miles for 32 weekends a year. His road warrior partners are Modie and Augustine Dillingham, long-time, dedicated friends of the Allen family. Allen Sr., who works for Ford Motor Company, is already on his second Ford van since his son joined the NASCAR Busch Series full-time in 1996.

“He has always been at every race,” Allen Jr. said. “He doesn’t like to fly so he gets in his van each week. Now he is spotting for me, which has worked out great. He knows what I like, and that’s been an advantage for me behind the wheel.”

Allen Sr. was also a racer in Ohio. Father and son never competed against each other because they were racing in separate divisions. However, Allen Jr. looked to his father for guidance as he built his racing career.

As an Ohio teen-ager, Allen Jr. had some career decisions to make that would transform his life. An accomplished athlete, he made All-City in Cincinnati in football, basketball, baseball, and track. In addition, Allen Jr. was an honor roll student with an “A” average, class president and student council president. With so many opportunities ahead, he chose his passion for racing.

“My dad and mom kept me focused,” Allen Jr. said. “I was involved in all of the varsity sports I could be in and racing on top of that. I thought it would be great if I could make a living driving a race car, and my parents have been very supportive of my career.”

For Father’s Day on Sunday, Allen Jr. isn’t sure what to get his father.

Maybe a third new van would be in order.