Stock-car racing was just getting over a year marked by death, preparing to Thank heaven Richard Petty quit before something like this happened to him. Expand your options of fun home activities with the largest online selection at eBay.com. Earnhardt himself died in a racing accident during the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. NASCAR declined repeated requests for interviews, saying it would have no comment on the newspapers findings. Here are 5 things to know, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Bonnett did not survive the accident; he was 47 years old. I should be talking about what a good guy Neil Bonnett was. Earnhardt, a seven-time NASCAR Winston Cup champion, died Feb. 18 of a skull fracture sustained in a last-lap crash at the Daytona 500. Why not pass on the long, fast tracks where cars go 200 miles an hour and fly like airplanes when they go out of control? In Orrs death, the part that failed was a 3-inch, screw-like piece called a stud that held the right rear shock absorber to the car, according to experts hired by the newspaper. Standing outside with tears in his eyes, Allison was philosophical about Bonnett's death. I was fond of him, played golf with him once, enjoyed his successes and ached for him when he was hurt. What killed Earnhardt, Myers concluded, was the weight of his unrestrained head whipping forward beyond the ability of his neck muscles to keep it from snapping away the base of the skull. Bonnett, who had won the Pontiac Excitement 400 at Richmond International Raceway the previous weekend, started from the pole driving his Valvoline sponsored Pontiac Grand Prix. stars in auto racing history, died Sunday from injuries in a He also had the most victories at Daytona Fast & Free shipping on many items! But those are issues for another day. There had been reports earlier of oil on the track, but Daytona Speedway spokesman Larry Balewski said the safety crew had gone out and put down a "speedy dry" solution to correct that problem. NASCAR has said that the lap belt on Earnhardts left side failed, though no one outside the racing organization has acknowledged seeing the belt after the wreck. He was uninjured and called the rest of the race from the CBS broadcast booth after being cleared at the infield care center. ''It goes further than what his family has meant to motor sports. to make. The part even with its crack probably would have lasted for an entire race or even longer if it had been securely fastened to the car, Hoekstra said. When told that a NASCAR source said a mounting stud on Bonnetts car was broken, Finch said that was untrue. increased scrutiny. Neil Bonnett lost control of his Chevrolet Lumina during the first practice session for the Daytona 500, on the track's high-banked fourth turn, swerved onto the track apron, and then up the steep bank before crashing into the wall nearly head-on. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title.

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