Lawrence Neil Bonnett (July 30, 1946 – February 11, 1994) was an American NASCAR driver who compiled 18 victories and 20 poles over his 18-year career. Bonnett was a member of the Alabama Gang, and started his career with the help of Bobby and Donnie Allison.

Feb 14, 2021 · Neil Bonnett was a beloved NASCAR driver and color commentator, but a devastating car crash on the racetrack took his life in 1994.

Neil Bonnett was born in the Birmingham suburb of Hueytown, Alabama on July 30, 1946. Neil began his NASCAR career as a protégé of 1983 Winston Cup champion Bobby Allison, working on the team’s cars.

Feb 11, 1994 · Neil appeared in the 1983 film Stroker Ace and the 1990 film Days of Thunder. He also hosted the TV show Winners for TNN from 1991 to 1994. He was a color commentator for CBS, TBS, and TNN in the years until his death.

Feb 11, 1994 · Outside the cockpit, Bonnett developed a career as a television commentator for race broadcasts and hosted his own show, "Neil Bonnett's Winners" on The Nashville Network. He was fatally injured in a crash during practice for the 1994 Daytona 500.

Feb 12, 1994 · Bonnett was racing again, at age 47, after three years away to recover from severe head injuries suffered at Darlington International Raceway in September, 1990. He was too far beyond his prime years as a racer to be out there.

Bonnett was one of the most affable drivers in NASCAR Winston Cup Series history, earning 18 series victories during his 18-year career. Among his 18 wins were back-to-back victories in NASCAR's longest (miles) race -- the Coca-Cola 600 (1982,'83).

Feb 12, 1994 · Four years after he suffered a devastating concussion in one crash and a year after an abortive comeback was sidetracked by another, stock-car driver Neil Bonnett was killed while attempting...

Apr 21, 2022 · The team was gearing up for the first Cup race of the season in Daytona Beach, Florida when Neil Bonnett lost his life in a fluke crash. Post-crash reports indicate that a shock mount broke as he headed into the high-banked fourth turn at Daytona International Speedway.

Mar 27, 2023 · Neil Bonnett (1946-1994) was a popular racecar driver from Birmingham, Jefferson County, who won 18 National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) events in the 1970s and 1980s.