By Cindy Pischel
Neil Bonnett was one of the members of the famous "Alabama Gang" which included Red Farmer and the Allison family. In fact he started his career in racing under the instruction of the great Bobby Allison.
Bonnett was born in Hueytown, Alabama and his career spanned over an 18-yr period. He is ranked 35th in all time NASCAR Cup wins. He was someone who always gave 100% to everything he did. As well as being a great racecar driver, he also made his mark on the broadcasting scene as an analyst and commentator for races and hosted his own show on TNN.
Bonnett began driving in NASCAR events in 1974 and also competed in IROC racing for three seasons. He placed second in the series two times. In 1984 Bonnett joined up with the powerhouse Junior Johnson racing team, making him a teammate to Darrell Waltrip. 1985 was one of the best seasons for Bonnett-he finished fourth in the points series behind his teammate's win for the Championship.
In 1990, Bonnett suffered a life-threatening crash that left him with some amnesia and dizziness and his driving career was put on hold for a couple of years. That's when he got into broadcasting, but he still had a desire to be behind the wheel of a racecar. He was good friends with Dale Earnhardt and Richard Childress and when the opportunity came to do some test driving for them, he jumped at the chance.
Bonnett was cleared to race again in 1993 and Childress gave him a ride for the DieHard 500 at Talladega. His comeback was interrupted though, by a crash that took him out of the race. Uninjured and undaunted, he headed for the broadcast booth and called the rest of the race.
In 1994, Bonnett was ready for the season to begin and he had secured a sponsor for at least six races with owner James Finch. The season opener was the Daytona 500 but the practice session turned out to be a tragic one. During his practice run, Bonnett's car lost a right front tire, causing him a hard hit to the outside wall. He was taken to the nearby Medical Center, but he had died in the impact. Neil Bonnett was someone who took pride in his driving and in being known as a "hard charger" but he also enjoyed the love and respect he felt from everyone in the garage and pit areas. His talents behind the wheel and in the booth will long be remembered.
More articles about NASCAR news and auto racing can be found at http://www.speedweekly.net
The best way to watch NASCAR can be found at http://www.watchautoracing.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cindy_Pischel
http://EzineArticles.com/?NASCAR-Legend---Neil-Bonnett&id=1475811
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
NASCAR Race Legend - Mark Martin
By Cindy Pischel
Mark Martin has often been called Mr. Consistency due to his frequent top-ten finishes. Hailing from the state of Arkansas, he spent his early years driving on short dirt tracks. From there he moved to the AMA and won the Rookie of the Year title in 1977. He then won three consecutive championships from 1978 to 1980 and then another in 1986.
But Mark Martin was made for bigger and better things and headed for NASCAR racing in 1981. By 1982 he was running a full schedule with a family owned team. After running only 22 events from '83 to '87, he took on a full schedule in the Nationwide (then Busch) Series for owner Bruce Lawmaster. Martin won at Dover, becoming the first Ford driver to win there. That win caught the eye of another owner who was setting up his Cup team for 1988-Jack Roush. That was the start of a 19-year relationship between the two of them. During this time he's been runner-up to the championship four times but hasn't been able to grasp it.
In 1990 he lost the title to Dale Earnhardt by only 26 points and in 2002 by just 38 points to Tony Stewart. Martin parted ways with Roush racing after the organization announced that they could no longer field a team for him in 2007 for all 20 races that he wanted to run. After the '06 campaign, Martin joined Ginn Racing to run a part time schedule in 2007. Martin is the leader for wins in the Nationwide Series with 47 even though he doesn't run a full schedule. He also made 14 starts in the Craftsman Truck Series in 2006. That single year brought an astonishing record of 6 wins, 11 top-5s, 12 top-10s, and 3 pole positions.
In July of 2007 DEI acquired Ginn Racing, so Mark Martin joined Dale Jr., Martin Truex, Jr., and Paul Menard. After Dale Jr. left DEI, Martin shared the #8 car with Aric Almirola sponsored by U.S. Army. The 2008 Auto Club 500 was Martin's 700th career start. Still going strong in 2008, there has been talk that Martin will leave DEI to join Hendrick Motorsports at the end of the season. 2009 is to be his official final season after almost three decades of racing.
More articles about NASCAR news and auto racing can be found at http://www.speedweekly.net
The best way to watch NASCAR can be found at http://www.watchautoracing.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cindy_Pischel
http://EzineArticles.com/?NASCAR-Race-Legend---Mark-Martin&id=1475752
Mark Martin has often been called Mr. Consistency due to his frequent top-ten finishes. Hailing from the state of Arkansas, he spent his early years driving on short dirt tracks. From there he moved to the AMA and won the Rookie of the Year title in 1977. He then won three consecutive championships from 1978 to 1980 and then another in 1986.
But Mark Martin was made for bigger and better things and headed for NASCAR racing in 1981. By 1982 he was running a full schedule with a family owned team. After running only 22 events from '83 to '87, he took on a full schedule in the Nationwide (then Busch) Series for owner Bruce Lawmaster. Martin won at Dover, becoming the first Ford driver to win there. That win caught the eye of another owner who was setting up his Cup team for 1988-Jack Roush. That was the start of a 19-year relationship between the two of them. During this time he's been runner-up to the championship four times but hasn't been able to grasp it.
In 1990 he lost the title to Dale Earnhardt by only 26 points and in 2002 by just 38 points to Tony Stewart. Martin parted ways with Roush racing after the organization announced that they could no longer field a team for him in 2007 for all 20 races that he wanted to run. After the '06 campaign, Martin joined Ginn Racing to run a part time schedule in 2007. Martin is the leader for wins in the Nationwide Series with 47 even though he doesn't run a full schedule. He also made 14 starts in the Craftsman Truck Series in 2006. That single year brought an astonishing record of 6 wins, 11 top-5s, 12 top-10s, and 3 pole positions.
In July of 2007 DEI acquired Ginn Racing, so Mark Martin joined Dale Jr., Martin Truex, Jr., and Paul Menard. After Dale Jr. left DEI, Martin shared the #8 car with Aric Almirola sponsored by U.S. Army. The 2008 Auto Club 500 was Martin's 700th career start. Still going strong in 2008, there has been talk that Martin will leave DEI to join Hendrick Motorsports at the end of the season. 2009 is to be his official final season after almost three decades of racing.
More articles about NASCAR news and auto racing can be found at http://www.speedweekly.net
The best way to watch NASCAR can be found at http://www.watchautoracing.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cindy_Pischel
http://EzineArticles.com/?NASCAR-Race-Legend---Mark-Martin&id=1475752
NASCAR Legend - Ernie Irvin
By Cindy Pischel
Like so many other great racecar drivers, Virgil Earnest Irvan, better known as Ernie Irvin, began driving karts when he was just a kid. He won the California Championship at the age of 15. By the time he was 16 he had already moved up to stock cars and won his very first race on asphalt at Stockton 99 Speedway in California. That was just the start for Irvin; he made it a point to race every weekend at Madera and Stockton and was no stranger to victory lane. He even missed his own high school graduation to race at Riverside.
In 1982, Irvin headed for the heart of race country-North Carolina. He left California with just $700 in his pocket but made a pit stop in Las Vegas and ended up with $200 more. Arriving in Charlotte, he supported himself by doing odd jobs, most of which centered around the racetrack. He did some welding of the grandstand seats at Charlotte Motor Speedway, built racecars, and unloaded Ken Schrader's moving van.
Irvin's debut in Winston Cup racing was in 1987 at Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway driving the #56 Chevy Monte Carlo sponsored by Dale Earnhardt Chevrolet. He was up for Rookie of the Year in 1988 but lost to Ken Bouchard by three points in the closest battle in Cup history. In 1991, Irvin won the sport's most prestigious race-the Daytona 500. Just four years earlier he had watched the race on a little black and white TV while working at a car wash to support his family and his early struggling career.
Irvin began to develop a very aggressive driving style and earned the nickname "Swerving Irvan" by his fellow drivers. Some of his controversial maneuvers led to a televised apology at one of the driver's meetings before a race. Irvin had been driving for Morgan McClure Motorsports when his friend Davey Allison was killed in a helicopter crash in 1993. To honor his friend, he wanted to take over Davey's car at Robert Yates Racing but MMM didn't want to release him and a nasty lawsuit was soon to follow. He did end up taking over the #28 Texaco/Havoline Ford after being fired by MMM and went to the winner's circle in just his 4th start with RYR. He dedicated the victory to Davey Allison.
In 1994, Ernie Irvin suffered a near fatal crash when a tire deflated and sent him into the wall at over 170mph. He sustained critical brain and lung injuries that left him with only a 10% chance of survival. With medical intervention and therapy, he bounced back and was able to walk on stage and receive the True Value Hard Charger Award just 2 months after the accident. Irvin's focus was on a complete recovery and regaining his strength and after months of rehab and strength training, NASCAR cleared him to return to the racetrack.
Exactly five years after his near fatal crash, Irvin again went into the wall in a practice session and was air lifted to the hospital with brain and lung injuries. Less than two weeks after the crash, his wife and two children at his side, he tearfully announced his retirement. As of 2007, Irvin was still involved in racing, serving as crew chief for his son Jared's quarter midget team. Today he promotes Race2safety, a foundation that he started which advocates awareness and prevention of head injuries, especially in children.
More articles about NASCAR news and auto racing can be found at http://www.speedweekly.net
The best way to watch NASCAR can be found at http://www.watchautoracing.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cindy_Pischel
http://EzineArticles.com/?NASCAR-Legend---Ernie-Irvin&id=1475763
Like so many other great racecar drivers, Virgil Earnest Irvan, better known as Ernie Irvin, began driving karts when he was just a kid. He won the California Championship at the age of 15. By the time he was 16 he had already moved up to stock cars and won his very first race on asphalt at Stockton 99 Speedway in California. That was just the start for Irvin; he made it a point to race every weekend at Madera and Stockton and was no stranger to victory lane. He even missed his own high school graduation to race at Riverside.
In 1982, Irvin headed for the heart of race country-North Carolina. He left California with just $700 in his pocket but made a pit stop in Las Vegas and ended up with $200 more. Arriving in Charlotte, he supported himself by doing odd jobs, most of which centered around the racetrack. He did some welding of the grandstand seats at Charlotte Motor Speedway, built racecars, and unloaded Ken Schrader's moving van.
Irvin's debut in Winston Cup racing was in 1987 at Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway driving the #56 Chevy Monte Carlo sponsored by Dale Earnhardt Chevrolet. He was up for Rookie of the Year in 1988 but lost to Ken Bouchard by three points in the closest battle in Cup history. In 1991, Irvin won the sport's most prestigious race-the Daytona 500. Just four years earlier he had watched the race on a little black and white TV while working at a car wash to support his family and his early struggling career.
Irvin began to develop a very aggressive driving style and earned the nickname "Swerving Irvan" by his fellow drivers. Some of his controversial maneuvers led to a televised apology at one of the driver's meetings before a race. Irvin had been driving for Morgan McClure Motorsports when his friend Davey Allison was killed in a helicopter crash in 1993. To honor his friend, he wanted to take over Davey's car at Robert Yates Racing but MMM didn't want to release him and a nasty lawsuit was soon to follow. He did end up taking over the #28 Texaco/Havoline Ford after being fired by MMM and went to the winner's circle in just his 4th start with RYR. He dedicated the victory to Davey Allison.
In 1994, Ernie Irvin suffered a near fatal crash when a tire deflated and sent him into the wall at over 170mph. He sustained critical brain and lung injuries that left him with only a 10% chance of survival. With medical intervention and therapy, he bounced back and was able to walk on stage and receive the True Value Hard Charger Award just 2 months after the accident. Irvin's focus was on a complete recovery and regaining his strength and after months of rehab and strength training, NASCAR cleared him to return to the racetrack.
Exactly five years after his near fatal crash, Irvin again went into the wall in a practice session and was air lifted to the hospital with brain and lung injuries. Less than two weeks after the crash, his wife and two children at his side, he tearfully announced his retirement. As of 2007, Irvin was still involved in racing, serving as crew chief for his son Jared's quarter midget team. Today he promotes Race2safety, a foundation that he started which advocates awareness and prevention of head injuries, especially in children.
More articles about NASCAR news and auto racing can be found at http://www.speedweekly.net
The best way to watch NASCAR can be found at http://www.watchautoracing.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cindy_Pischel
http://EzineArticles.com/?NASCAR-Legend---Ernie-Irvin&id=1475763
NASCAR Legend - Geoff Bodine
By Cindy Pischel
Geoffrey Eli Bodine is best known for his success in NASCAR. During his 51-year career, he was involved in many forms of racing, starting with micro-midgets at the age of 5 and working his way up to Cup racing. He was famous in the Northwest for wining more modified races than any other driver and is named in the Guinness Book of World Records with "Most wins in one season".
Geoff is the oldest of three brothers who have all been racecar drivers. He was born into a family with a passion for racing. His dad and grandfather built Chemung Speedrome in New York soon after Geoff was born and it didn't take long for him to develop his racing skills at this track.
About the age of 30, he made his first start in the then Sprint Cup series. His first full season was in 1982 when he was named Rookie of the Year. During the mid 80's, Geoff's hunger for victory began to rise and he became an aggressive and skilled driver, dominating many of NASCAR's events. He began to develop a burning rivalry with Dale Earnhardt and there was tension on and off the track. It is said that once when Earnhardt caught his son Dale, Jr. playing with a #5 Geoff Bodine toy car, he took it from the boy and destroyed it.
This rivalry led to a conference with NASCAR officials. Geoff has driven for some of the best known car owners in NASCAR such as Junior Johnson, Bud Moore, and Rick Hendrick as well as driving his own cars. Daytona International Speedway has been a very eventful track for Geoff. He gained his biggest victory there in 1986 at the Daytona 500. It's also the site of one of the most horrific and terrifying wrecks in NASCAR history. Geoff was driving in the Craftsman series when his truck along with 13 others, was involved in a vicious crash. Geoff's truck was thrown into the barrier fence and exploded into a massive fireball. Nine fans were injured and Geoff suffered several broken bones. He missed over ½ of the 2000 season. However, two years later he once again returned to Daytona for the Daytona 500 and proudly finished third.
Not only was Geoff a success on the track, but he also was the innovation behind several racing products. He helped introduce power steering and full face helmets into Cup racing. He also designed a special spring-loaded seat that's now used in several racing series and a line of detailing products.
In addition to auto racing products, Geoff was involved in building a more competitive bobsled for the U.S. Olympic team. With his engineering background and the technology and experience he gained from racing, he created Bo-Dyn Bobsleds which made the U.S. team more competitive. Today, Geoff Bodine is very involved in his community serving as a volunteer fireman and a board member of the Make-A-Wish Foundation and he's still involved in the BoDyn program and the Olympic Bobsled team.
More articles about NASCAR news and auto racing can be found at http://www.speedweekly.net
The best way to watch NASCAR can be found at http://www.watchautoracing.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cindy_Pischel
http://EzineArticles.com/?NASCAR-Legend---Geoff-Bodine&id=1475777
Geoffrey Eli Bodine is best known for his success in NASCAR. During his 51-year career, he was involved in many forms of racing, starting with micro-midgets at the age of 5 and working his way up to Cup racing. He was famous in the Northwest for wining more modified races than any other driver and is named in the Guinness Book of World Records with "Most wins in one season".
Geoff is the oldest of three brothers who have all been racecar drivers. He was born into a family with a passion for racing. His dad and grandfather built Chemung Speedrome in New York soon after Geoff was born and it didn't take long for him to develop his racing skills at this track.
About the age of 30, he made his first start in the then Sprint Cup series. His first full season was in 1982 when he was named Rookie of the Year. During the mid 80's, Geoff's hunger for victory began to rise and he became an aggressive and skilled driver, dominating many of NASCAR's events. He began to develop a burning rivalry with Dale Earnhardt and there was tension on and off the track. It is said that once when Earnhardt caught his son Dale, Jr. playing with a #5 Geoff Bodine toy car, he took it from the boy and destroyed it.
This rivalry led to a conference with NASCAR officials. Geoff has driven for some of the best known car owners in NASCAR such as Junior Johnson, Bud Moore, and Rick Hendrick as well as driving his own cars. Daytona International Speedway has been a very eventful track for Geoff. He gained his biggest victory there in 1986 at the Daytona 500. It's also the site of one of the most horrific and terrifying wrecks in NASCAR history. Geoff was driving in the Craftsman series when his truck along with 13 others, was involved in a vicious crash. Geoff's truck was thrown into the barrier fence and exploded into a massive fireball. Nine fans were injured and Geoff suffered several broken bones. He missed over ½ of the 2000 season. However, two years later he once again returned to Daytona for the Daytona 500 and proudly finished third.
Not only was Geoff a success on the track, but he also was the innovation behind several racing products. He helped introduce power steering and full face helmets into Cup racing. He also designed a special spring-loaded seat that's now used in several racing series and a line of detailing products.
In addition to auto racing products, Geoff was involved in building a more competitive bobsled for the U.S. Olympic team. With his engineering background and the technology and experience he gained from racing, he created Bo-Dyn Bobsleds which made the U.S. team more competitive. Today, Geoff Bodine is very involved in his community serving as a volunteer fireman and a board member of the Make-A-Wish Foundation and he's still involved in the BoDyn program and the Olympic Bobsled team.
More articles about NASCAR news and auto racing can be found at http://www.speedweekly.net
The best way to watch NASCAR can be found at http://www.watchautoracing.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cindy_Pischel
http://EzineArticles.com/?NASCAR-Legend---Geoff-Bodine&id=1475777
NASCAR Legend - Benny Parsons
By Cindy Pischel
Benny Parsons was one of the most consistent drivers in the history of NASCAR. He finished between 3rd and 5th in the final points standings from 1974 to 1980. Don Naman, Executive Director of The International Sports Hall of Fame said, "Out of 526 NASCAR events, Benny finished in the Top 10 283 times and in the Top 5 199 times, making him one of the most consistent drivers in recent history."
Parsons was a down-to-earth man from the hills of North Carolina; a happy man who loved people and made them feel special just talking with them. As a young man, he spent some time working at a gas station where he met a couple of customers towing a racecar. They invited him to a local track to watch and when the driver never showed up, Benny was elected to drive in his first race ever. That event launched a phenomenal career for him in racing.
His NASCAR career began with only one race during the '64 season. He joined the circuit full-time in 1970 and finished in the top-ten 23 times out of 45 races. He finished eighth in points. In 1973 Parsons was in contention for the NASCAR Cup Championship when he was in an early crash at Rockingham that sent him to the pits. His hopes for the Championship were fading due to the heavy damage to his racecar and he was hoping for at least a top-five finish in the standings. The guys in the garage were pulling for the "underdog" and rallied together to help Parsons' crew piece the car back together. 136 laps later, Parsons was back on the track and ended up with a 25th place finish, which was enough to take the Championship.
In 1982, Parsons became a record-holder by qualifying for the Winston 500 at Talladega Superspeedway with a speed of 200.175mph. That accomplishment made him the first NASCAR driver to qualify a stock car with a speed over 200mph. In the mid-80's, Parsons decided to dabble in broadcasting along with his part-time racing schedule. This "dabbling" turned out to be quite a career and he began to do announcing and pit reporting for ESPN and TBS. The 1984 Coca-Cola 500 at Atlanta was Parsons' last victory. He did however return to the track to be a substitute driver for Tim Richmond who was stricken with AIDS. Parsons retired from racing after the 1988 season and cranked up his broadcasting career with ESPN, TNT, and NBC. He is famous for his radio shows "Fast Talk with Benny Parsons" and "The CNN Radio Racing Report with Benny Parsons".
In the summer of 2006, Parsons noticed that he was having some difficulty breathing. He had stopped smoking back in the '70s but was diagnosed with lung cancer and died of complications from the treatment in early 2007. He is laid to rest in Purlear, NC at the site of his vineyard. His dream was to share the beauty of the NC mountains with his friends and fans. Today there is a racing museum and wine tasting room on the bottom floor of the home that he built at Rendezvous Mountain.
More articles about NASCAR news and auto racing can be found at http://www.speedweekly.net
The best way to watch NASCAR can be found at http://www.watchautoracing.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cindy_Pischel
http://EzineArticles.com/?NASCAR-Legend---Benny-Parsons&id=1475915
Benny Parsons was one of the most consistent drivers in the history of NASCAR. He finished between 3rd and 5th in the final points standings from 1974 to 1980. Don Naman, Executive Director of The International Sports Hall of Fame said, "Out of 526 NASCAR events, Benny finished in the Top 10 283 times and in the Top 5 199 times, making him one of the most consistent drivers in recent history."
Parsons was a down-to-earth man from the hills of North Carolina; a happy man who loved people and made them feel special just talking with them. As a young man, he spent some time working at a gas station where he met a couple of customers towing a racecar. They invited him to a local track to watch and when the driver never showed up, Benny was elected to drive in his first race ever. That event launched a phenomenal career for him in racing.
His NASCAR career began with only one race during the '64 season. He joined the circuit full-time in 1970 and finished in the top-ten 23 times out of 45 races. He finished eighth in points. In 1973 Parsons was in contention for the NASCAR Cup Championship when he was in an early crash at Rockingham that sent him to the pits. His hopes for the Championship were fading due to the heavy damage to his racecar and he was hoping for at least a top-five finish in the standings. The guys in the garage were pulling for the "underdog" and rallied together to help Parsons' crew piece the car back together. 136 laps later, Parsons was back on the track and ended up with a 25th place finish, which was enough to take the Championship.
In 1982, Parsons became a record-holder by qualifying for the Winston 500 at Talladega Superspeedway with a speed of 200.175mph. That accomplishment made him the first NASCAR driver to qualify a stock car with a speed over 200mph. In the mid-80's, Parsons decided to dabble in broadcasting along with his part-time racing schedule. This "dabbling" turned out to be quite a career and he began to do announcing and pit reporting for ESPN and TBS. The 1984 Coca-Cola 500 at Atlanta was Parsons' last victory. He did however return to the track to be a substitute driver for Tim Richmond who was stricken with AIDS. Parsons retired from racing after the 1988 season and cranked up his broadcasting career with ESPN, TNT, and NBC. He is famous for his radio shows "Fast Talk with Benny Parsons" and "The CNN Radio Racing Report with Benny Parsons".
In the summer of 2006, Parsons noticed that he was having some difficulty breathing. He had stopped smoking back in the '70s but was diagnosed with lung cancer and died of complications from the treatment in early 2007. He is laid to rest in Purlear, NC at the site of his vineyard. His dream was to share the beauty of the NC mountains with his friends and fans. Today there is a racing museum and wine tasting room on the bottom floor of the home that he built at Rendezvous Mountain.
More articles about NASCAR news and auto racing can be found at http://www.speedweekly.net
The best way to watch NASCAR can be found at http://www.watchautoracing.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cindy_Pischel
http://EzineArticles.com/?NASCAR-Legend---Benny-Parsons&id=1475915
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)