Allen's first racing experience came in
Florida at twelve years old in half midgets, and he soon moved up into
kart racing. In 1960, he won the World Champion karting event in
Nassau, Bahamas, organized by the Go Kart Club of America. The following year in 1961, he won the 100cc karting World Championship in
Milan, Italy.
Modified and supermodified racing In the early 1960s, Allen raced
modified and
supermodified racecars in Florida. In the mid-1960s, he moved north and settled in
Hanover, Pennsylvania. As Allen convinced several other out-of-state drivers to move north to join him, they became known as the "Hanover Gang".
Sprint car racing Allen built his first sprint car in 1968. He claimed over 276
sprint carwins across numerous tracks and series. He was a charter member of the
World of Outlaws sprint car series when it debuted in 1978, and finished third in the point standings that inaugural year. He recorded 30 wins in that series, joining fewer than two dozen drivers in Outlaws history who have achieved 25 or more wins. He could also claim 46 wins in the
All Star Circuit of Champions, putting him in the top 10 all-time in that series. ==Death==