Lawrence Neil Bonnett, later known as Neil Bonnett, later part of the notorious “Gang of Alabama”, was born on July 30, 1947, in Hueytown, Alabama. During his eighteen year career he raced in 362 races with eighteen wins, 156 top tens and pole positions. His first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race was in the 1974 Winston Cup Series, Nashville 420 at Nashville and he earned his first win at the 1977 Capital City 400 in Richmond, Virginia while driving for the Harry Hyde team. / Jim Stacy Racing. earning another win in the same year at the Los Angeles Times 500. Viewers expected the following year to be Neil’s year, but due to financial and equipment problems for the team, many of the cars he raced experienced problems and had to withdraw. 1979 saw him driving for the Woods Brothers Racing team, taking three wins. He won NASCAR’s longest race, the World 600 in 1982 and 1983 and also the Busch Clash (now the Bud Shootout) in 1983 and 1984. He joined Junior Johnson’s team in 1984 and had one of his best seasons in 1985 when he finished fourth in the points standings.
On April 1, 1990, he was in a near-fatal accident in Darlington, South Carolina, during the TranSouth 500. His car hit water barrels at the pit stop, and Neil suffered broken ribs, a broken sternum, and amnesia, forcing him to recover and retire from racing. for three years. During this time, Neil became a color television commentator (color analyst) with TNN, CBS sports and TBS Sports. A sports commentator is the person who assists the main commentator by completing any time when the game is not in progress. In motorsports coverage, the Color Analyst provides expert analysis and background information such as stats, strategy, and injury reports. He was also the host of the show “Winners” for TNN. Neil was a very popular TV commentator and presenter, but despite this, racetrack appeal was never far away and he began testing cars for his friends Dale Earnhardt and Richard Childress in 1992. In 1993, Neil was awarded the He was cleared to race again and was promised a car for the 1993 Diehard 500 at Talladega Superspeedway but, unfortunately, his car spun, went airborne and collided with the spectator fence. He was not injured and finished the race in the CBS broadcast booth. He was also driving in the final race of the season at Atlanta, but was canceled after three laps, supposedly because the engine had blown, but as he was teamed with Dale Earnhardt, the points leader in this season’s championships; it might have been to secure the three points necessary for Dale to win the season’s championship. This was his last start in the championship. Disappointing, but Neil wasn’t put off because he had secured a car and sponsorship for at least six races in the 1994 season, including the season-opening Daytona 500, but on February 11, 1994, during the first session practice for the 1994 Dayton 500, his car suffered a right front tire failure in the fourth turn of the track. His car hits the outer wall almost head-on. Neil was taken to Halifax Medical Center but it was discovered that he had died at the scene of the accident. He is buried in Pleasant Grove Cemetery, Forest Grove Memorial Gardens. He left behind a widow, Susan, a son, David (also a NASCAR driver), and a grandson, Justin. Neil has been honored as one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers, inducted into the National Auto Racing Press Association Hall of Fame in 1997, and inducted into the International Racing Hall of Fame in 2001. A road named “Allison -Bonnett Memorial Drive” in his hometown is honored by him, along with fellow driver Davey Allison, who died in 1993.
Neil also raced in the International NASCAR Racing Champions during 1979, 1980 and 1984 finishing second twice. Neil’s career also spanned film and television as he appeared in the television movies Bandit; Bandit Goes Country and the Daytona 500 and the big screen movies at Stoker Ace and Days of Thunder. Neil was considered one of the most likeable and popular drivers in NASCAR history.