Why Neil Bonnett's Wife Begged Him Not To Return To NASCAR
Why Neil Bonnett's Wife Begged Him Not To Return To NASCAR
Susan Bonnett watched her husband Neil forget her face after a devastating 1990 crash at Darlington left him with severe amnesia. Doctors advised against racing again. His entire family begged him to stay retired. Neil had built a successful broadcasting career — safe, respected, stable. But the pull of racing was stronger than fear, stronger than medical warnings, stronger than his family's desperate pleas. When Neil announced his NASCAR comeback, Susan knew how the story would end. On February 11, 1994, during a practice session at Daytona International Speedway, a broken shock mount sent his car into the wall at nearly full speed. Neil Bonnett was pronounced dead at 1:17 p.m. Susan was still driving to the track. She was right all along — and that made everything worse.