Bonnett, Neil - Encyclopedia of Alabama

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. He was a later member of the Alabama Gang, a group of successful stockcar racers centered in the Hueytown, Jefferson County, area who first gained national attention in the 1960s. Bonnett was killed in a practice-session accident at Daytona International Speedway in 1994. Neil Bonnett Bonnett was born on July 30, 1946, in Ensley, the only child of Lawrence and Josephine Bonnett. While he was a student at Ensley High School, Bonnett often attended the weekly races at nearby Birmingham International Raceway (BIR), where he watched original Alabama Gang members Bobby Allison, Donnie Allison, and Charles "Red" Farmer compete. Bonnett eventually began working as a crew member on Bobby Allison's race team before starting his own career as a driver. He first competed in the Sportsman Car series at BIR and oth...