TALLADEGA, Ala. -- The remaining members of the Alabama Gang may not agree on the reasons why there's not an Alabama native in NASCAR's premier series. But they know the chances of a return to glory are slim unless major changes are made.

Mobile natives Rick Crawford and Cale Gale are entered in the Craftsman Truck Series field this weekend, but unlike back in the day when the state would be represented by several stars, there are now more drivers from Las Vegas than from Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee combined.

In Donnie Allison's opinion, it's a lack of experience. For Red Farmer, it's a lack of money. For Bobby Allison, it's a lack of enthusiasm.

Donnie Allison believes its a matter of not having an adequate step-ladder to help promote an Alabama driver into one of NASCAR's top three series.

"The racing in general in Alabama has declined," Donnie Allison said Friday at Talladega Superspeedway. "There are a few dirt tracks running around here and all, but there's no big short-track program here anymore. "There's not the base of drivers coming [up through the ranks].

"Back when Bobby, Red and myself were young, we had six racetracks we'd run every week. You can build something like that. Plus, the sport has elevated itself in dollars and cents so much, a young man can't just get out of a Modified or a Late Model and get in one of these cars. It's real tough."

Farmer feels it's hard for Alabama-based drivers without an extensive resume to catch the eye of a big-time sponsor.

"The biggest problem right now, you've got $15, $20 million sponsors who don't want to put rookies in the car," Farmer said. "They want winners right off the bat. There's no minor-league connection, like you've got in baseball, with farm systems. Racing, if they don't go after and find a driver who's won a championship somewhere and give him a shot, they won't get it.

"There's not a NASCAR short track in Alabama that I know of, so the opportunities just aren't there."

Bobby Allison remembers when local drivers had the enthusiasm and drive required to make a career out of stock-car racing.

"The people here have not put in the needed effort to advance them to that point in their careers," Bobby Allison said. "In other places around the country, somebody has put in the extra effort to get their foot in the door.

"It always took that. It always took personal sacrifice and effort to get involved in NASCAR racing. Way back in the old days, it was a lot more regional, so it was easier to make that move. But even at that, the people who did it put in a lot of personal effort into it."

Still, Farmer believes there are talented drivers with Alabama roots.

"There's quite a few out there that could make it if they had the opportunity," Farmer said. "They just don't have any successful short-tracks around here, right now. Birmingham's struggling, Huntsville's struggling, you've got Pensacola and Mobile.

"They just don't have the training grounds, let's put it that way. There's probably some drivers over at Talladega Dirt Track that could make it if they got a chance to get in a car and prove themselves."

Still, there's at least one more Allison in the pipeline: Justin Allison, Donnie's grandson.

"My grandson's 15 and he's doing extremely well," Donnie Allison said. "Hopefully he decides that's what he wants to do and we can get back there."