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Tag: Neil Bonnett

  • In Memoriam – Those Time has Forgotten

    In Memoriam – Those Time has Forgotten

    On Feb. 18, fans young and old remembered the loss of NASCAR legend, Dale Earnhardt, who was killed in a last-lap crash at Daytona international Speedway in 2001. However, few fans realize that there were fatalities before Earnhardt, that occurred at Daytona. These were drivers also wanting victory at one of the greatest tracks of all time. Let’s take a moment and remember those drivers as well.

    Habe Haberling – Feb. 21, 1961
    During practice for the 250 mile Sportsman Modified race, Haberling lost control of his car in the NASCAR Sportsman Modified Series, spun sideways and rolled over several times. He did not survive the crash.

    Donald MacTavish – Feb. 22, 1969
    On Lap 9 of his Grand National Series DIS debut, MacTavish collided with another car and hit the outside wall where a metal guardrail sheared the front end of his car off. He was fully exposed when hit by another car, killing him instantly.

    Talmadge “Tab” Prince -Feb. 19, 1970
    During the second 125 qualifying race for the 500, his engine gave way sending his car into a slide. When another car spun after hitting the oil, it was sent head-on into Prince’s driver side door. Prince was killed instantly.

    Raymond “Friday” Hassler – Feb. 17, 1972
    On lap 19 of the first 125 lap qualifying race for the Daytona 500, another car cut a tire and Hassler was collected in the crash. He died of his injuries.

    Don Williams – May 21, 1989
    Williams was racing in the Sportsman 300, February 17, 1979, a Late Model Sportsman Division when there was a fiery crash ahead of him. Williams tried to avoid the crash but was collected sending him hard into the wall. He suffered head and chest injuries which put him into a semi-comatose condition where he lingered for the next 10 years.

    Benny Richard “Ricky” Knotts – Feb. 14, 1980
    Knotts was racing in the first 125 qualifying race when he lost control of his car and crashed into the outside wall. His car then collided with another car sending Knotts across the infield where the passenger side of his car slammed into the concrete wall. His seat mount had broken, killing him instantly.

    Bruce Jacobi -Feb. 4, 1987
    On Feb. 17, 1983, Jacobi came to DIS Speedweeks with no ride for the Daytona 500 but he was confident that once there he would find one, which he did, with a smaller independent team. During the first 125 qualifying race, he lost control of the car coming out of Turn 2. When his car hit the infield grass it began flipping wildly causing massive head injuries. Jacobi would be in a semi-comatose state until his eventual death four years later.

    Francis Affleck – Feb. 7, 1985
    Affleck was originally from Montreal Canada but moved to Charlotte in 1977 to further his joy of racing late models. It was during a practice run for the ARCA 200 race that his car got loose between Turns 1 and 2, sending the car airborne and barrel rolling seven-eight times. There was a problem with the window safety net and Affleck was partially ejected from the car and pinned underneath. He did not survive his injuries. Affleck was the first ARCA driver to be killed at DIS. Because of what happened with the window netting, NASCAR changed the construction of the nets for the ARCA and NASCAR Series cars so that the drivers would be held inside the car safely.

    Joe Young – Feb. 13, 1987
    Racing in the NASCAR Dash Series, Young was collected in a multi-car crash and hit almost head- on by another car tearing his car apart. He sustained multiple injuries and passed away as a result.

    Slick Johnson- Feb. 14, 1990
    During the ARCA Series season opener, Young was involved in a multi-car incident taking several hard separate hits causing a crushed chest and basal skull fracture. He died three days after the accident from his injuries.

    Joe Booher – Feb. 12, 1993
    Driving in the NASCAR Dash Series season opener at DIS, Booher was running mid-pack when he accidentally clipped another car losing control of his own car and hit the wall. His car was hit in the right front by another car; that driver was critically injured as well. Booher passed away at the hospital from head and internal injuries.

    Neil Bonnett- Feb. 11, 1994
    During the first practice session for the Daytona 500, witnesses said that Bonnett lost control of his car in Turn 4, swerved down toward the apron and back up the track crashing almost head-on into the outside wall. Bonnett did not survive the injuries sustained in the crash.

    Rodney Orr – Feb. 14, 1994
    Only three days after the tragic loss of Neil Bonnett, DIS would suffer another tragedy. Rodney Orr was practicing for the second 125 qualifying race when he spun into Turn 2 sending his car airborne hitting the outside wall and catch fence with the roof of the car, killing him instantly. It was later determined that the car was uncontrollable after a mounting stud broke.

    With each fatality, NASCAR would be able to understand what happened, what went wrong and what should be changed for the safety of the drivers and the fans. NASCAR has done a fantastic job of keeping up to date with the latest safety measures. Dale Earnhardt was the last NASCAR fatality, and hopefully, that status will never change.

  • Hot 20 – Would reducing the dangers of Daytona also reduce its thrills?

    Hot 20 – Would reducing the dangers of Daytona also reduce its thrills?

    We want drivers and fans to be safe. We want action that is anything but safe. It might sound hypocritical, but deep in our hearts, we know it to be true.

    Talladega concerned some drivers. Kyle Busch says it was “pretty dangerous for all us drivers.” That may have been true. He also said it “wasn’t very exciting.” That is false. For fans, watching drivers inches apart at up to 200 mph, where disaster is only a sneeze away, is pretty damned exciting.

    Personally, it is the threat of a wreck that is more exciting than the actual carnage. The boys and girl are doing something I do not have the ability to perform nor, to be honest, the courage to attempt. It appears to be dangerous and, according to Kyle, that is because it is.

    We want the danger. Yet, we also want to see Kyle climb out of his Xfinity car unscathed at Daytona. We wanted to see Dale Earnhardt, Adam Petty, and Kenny Irwin Jr. step out of their wrecks. We want to see the crushing hits in the NFL, but it appears their helmets cannot prevent the devastation of long-term brain injuries. We want the fights and the hard hits of the NHL, yet the mounting evidence of long-term head trauma has brought rule changes to make the sport safer.

    Does reducing the danger also reduce the excitement for the fans? It has to. Hall of Famers Sprague Cleghorn, Eddie Shore, Rocket Richard, and Gordie Howe would have had to play differently to avoid lifetime suspensions in today’s NHL. Some used their sticks, some their elbows, and some just beat the crap out of their opponents. Seeing a receiver take the hit just as he receives the ball, slamming straight to the ground or doing mid-air flips upon impact, is a great visual, but it has to take a toll on the human being involved. Does anyone remember Lawrence Taylor’s sack of Washington Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann that broke the pivot’s leg in two places? Pretty amazing. Pretty devastating. For safety sake, change is required, change is happening, and more change is coming.

    Deaths have happened in most sports, but very few at the highest level. Ray Chapman of the Cleveland Indians died in 1920 after being struck in the head by a pitched ball. Bill Masterton of the Minnesota North Stars struck his head on the ice and died in 1968. In football, AFL players Howard Glenn and Stone Johnson died in the 1960’s due to neck injuries. Chuck Hughes of the Detroit Lions suffered a fatal heart attack in a game in 1971. Then there is professional boxing. Then there is motorsports.

    Joe Weatherly, Fireball Roberts, Tiny Lund, J.D. McDuffie, Neil Bonnett, John Nemechek, and Carlos Pardo remind us that we cannot build more durable humans, nor dismiss the heartbreak of their loss. Pit road is safer, yet only after the Southern 500 in 1960 cost the lives of mechanics Paul McDuffie, Charles Sweatlund, and official Joe Taylor. We lost crewman Randy Owens at Talladega in 1975. Yet, we liked the excitement of those old cars, the open faced helmets, and the speeding down pit road. We still do, but not at that price.

    If NASCAR gets too safe, might it cause fans to wander off seeking new distractions, new outlets for their thrills and emotions? It could. It may have already taken place to some degree. I love watching the action at Daytona and Talladega, watching those who can do what I cannot, or will not, even attempt. I watch what I enjoy, and often we can not say exactly what it is that caused us to lose interest. I loved hockey, the hard-nosed 1960’s, the violent 1970’s, and the grace and majesty of the 1980’s, but it is rare to find me sitting through an NHL game today. Many once loved NASCAR; they had it bad and could not get enough of it. Today, the tracks no longer even release attendance figures and grandstands are being torn down. Sports of all kinds are trying to increase the “fan experience,” all but admitting the action on the field is no longer enough.

    Saturday night should be enough. It is Daytona, the Firecracker 400 as it was known until 1989. A race that has meaning, a race that has tradition, a race that has high speeds and, yes, a race that has a measure of danger.

    May our Hot 20 and the rest provide us with excitement and, despite our barbaric nature, a safe event.

    1. KYLE BUSCH – 3 WINS (452 Pts)
    No new rules to slow down the cars at Daytona, and Kyle isn’t happy about that.

    2. CARL EDWARDS – 2 WINS (510 Pts)
    Has run good at Daytona, has run bad, but has never won there.

    3. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 2 WINS (506 Pts)
    Tried out an IndyCar at Road America, and plans to run Indianapolis…some day.

    4. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 2 WINS (469 Pts)
    Daughters cannot listen to team radio…because sometimes daddy says bad words.

    5. KEVIN HARVICK – 1 WIN (562 Pts)
    Sixteen races, 13 Top Tens. Some have more wins, no one has more points.

    6. KURT BUSCH – 1 WIN (527 Pts)
    Formula 3000 is just one step below F-1…and could be in Kurt’s future come December.

    7. JOEY LOGANO – 1 WIN (493 Pts)
    If Tony and Denny had crashed on last Sunday’s final lap, guess who would have won.

    8. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 1 WIN (469 Pts)
    Tony, Tony, Tony…but did anyone notice Martin finished fifth? Did not think so.

    9. MATT KENSETH – 1 WIN (430 Pts)
    He did not have Chris Osborne as his eyes in the sky in February. He will on Saturday night.

    10. DENNY HAMLIN – 1 WIN (421 Pts)
    With Tony Stewart behind him at Sonoma, Denny thought for a second he was Ron Thornton.

    11. CHASE ELLIOTT – 473 PTS
    Good talent, good car, equals good results.

    12. DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 413 PTS
    Newman, McMurray, and Junior battled on the track, only to face de-feet in the sky.

    13. RYAN NEWMAN – 402 PTS
    The winner.

    14. AUSTIN DILLON – 400 PTS
    I am trying to remember how his Daytona race finished last year. So is he.

    15. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 398 PTS
    If a pissed off Stewart is a motivated Stewart, does that make Jamie his personal Tony Robbins?

    16. KASEY KAHNE – 385 PTS
    If you think Kasey’s season sucks, please consider Clint’s situation.

    17. RYAN BLANEY – 382 PTS
    New rule change locks even unchartered teams into Chase races…but they have to be Chasers.

    18. A.J. ALLMENDINGER – 365 PTS
    Damn rolling tire.

    19. TREVOR BAYNE – 361 PTS
    You might remember that he has won at Daytona before.

    20. KYLE LARSON – 355 PTS
    Do you remember when everyone was gushing over Kyle and Trevor?

    30. BRIAN SCOTT – 205 PTS
    Sometimes holding down 30th gets you recognition…at least for this week.

    32. TONY STEWART – 196 PTS (1 win)
    As Kyle did before him. Now cue the Jaws theme.

  • For Andy Lally, NASCAR Has Always Been His First Love

    For Andy Lally, NASCAR Has Always Been His First Love

    Andy Lally, known as one of the best road racers in the world with three Rolex 24 Hour at Daytona wins under his belt, has always had just one dream. He has always wanted to run the NASCAR circuit.

    “This is where I’ve always wanted to be,” Lally said of his foray into the NASCAR ranks. “My first race car toys, everything I’ve ever watched on TV was always NASCAR. This was my first love and always where I wanted to go.”

    [media-credit name=”CIA Photography/TRG Motorsports” align=”alignright” width=”240″][/media-credit]Lally grew up idolizing many of the NASCAR greats back in the day. His initial racing heroes included Bobby Allison, Neil Bonnett and Morgan Shepherd.

    “When I got my first go kart when I was 12 and started racing, right around that time was when Davey Allison came on the scene,” Lally said. “He then became my new favorite driver and was my first real racing idol and hero.”

    Lally would have loved to have followed his NASCAR idols onto the track, but he and his family had no racing background. His soccer coach introduced him to a local car dealer, Walter Simonendinger, who took Lally under his wing and introduced him to road racing instead.

    “We were just doing local, regional events, but it got me out of a go kart and into a car,” Lally said. “He mentored me for about three years and helped me along until I was able to get rides in more of a national series. That’s how the road racing route took hold.”

    “I’ve always wanted to give NASCAR a shot but all my opportunities have been up that ladder,” Lally continued. “It’s hard to make a lateral move.”

    After establishing himself in the sports car world, Lally then began to work his connections to try to make his NASCAR dream a reality. In fact, Lally became a bit of a nag, particularly with Kevin Buckler, TRG team owner, to get his shot behind the wheel of a stock car.

    “We started working together in the Rolex Series in the end of 2004,” Lally said of his association with Buckler. “We clicked right away and started winning races right away.” A lot of this NASCAR program came about from me bugging Kevin (Buckler).”

    Lally admits that he is humbled and even a little bit frustrated as he makes the transition from road racing star to stock car racing student. But he readily says that he is tackling his NASCAR career with his “eyes wide open.”

    “I know how good these guys are,” Lally said of his Cup competitors. “I know that it would have been better to go do a couple years of Nationwide and really learn these tracks. But the opportunity came with TRG to give Sprint Cup a shot.”

    “I’m 36 and I’m not getting any younger,” Lally continued. “This may be my only shot. I plan to make the most of it, learn and do the best I can for TRG in the equipment we have here.”

    While Lally and his team are making the most of their opportunity, they are surely doing it on a shoe string. They currently have just two cars in their fleet, constantly keeping their fingers crossed for their equipment, as well as for some much needed sponsorship.

    “This will be my first full year in Cup if we can maintain,” Lally said. “We still need to maintain and I have to do a good enough job that they want to keep me and we have to find sponsorship.”

    Speaking of that all important sponsorship dollar, Lally and TRG have secured a new sponsor that joined them for the Daytona race and will be with them for a few more.

    “Eco Fuel Saver, the world’s best fuel additive, came on for us at Daytona and they just signed on for five more races,” Lally said. “Hopefully we can get something sorted out real soon so we can announce full season sponsorship.”

    Lally has also signed himself up this year to compete for NASCAR’s Rookie of the Year in the Cup Series. Ironically, as with last year, he is the only driver to be running for the rookie honors for the 2011 season to date.

    “It’s an honor to go for such a prestigious honor,” Lally said. “But I’m not going to play it up and I’d love to have more competition than I do right now.”

    Lally admits that his first two races in the elite Cup Series have been filled with challenges. At Daytona, he was running in the top fifteen before being caught up in a wreck and at Phoenix, he again was one of the unfortunates involved in that race’s ‘big one.’

    “We’re looking forward to getting a good, clean one here at Vegas,” Lally said. “The harder you work the luckier you get and we’re working hard here.”

    Whether lucky in Vegas or not, Lally just wants to make his NASCAR dreams come true.

    “If I can keep on going and at least make a name for myself working real hard and trying to go fast, then wonderful,” Lally said. “I’d love to stay here.”

    “This means the world to me,” Lally said passionately. “I know we are the Davey in the David and Goliath story right now.”

    “That’s how a lot of my opportunities have come down and I’ve been able to make the best of it,” Lally said. “I’m going to try to make this another one of those stories.”