European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 13, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 32 the stars and stripes a in it Bonnett Dies after crash at by Mike Harris k Beach Fla. Apr nobody Ever booed Neil Bonnett. 5 one of the most beloved racers of his generation the 47-year-old Bonnett died Friday at Daytona International Speedway while trying to continue a driving comeback that some Felt was ill advised at his age and after a head injury and a Long Layoff. Bonnett s career had seemingly ended with a devastating crash at Darlington s.c., in april 1990. Doctors told him it was Over. But he resumed racing in 1993 after regaining his health and finding that working As a television analyst color commentator and Host of a show called a a winners was not enough of a connection to the sport he loved. Friday while practising for the feb. 20 Daytona 500, Bonnetts Chevrolet Lumina swerved com Ning off the fourth turn on the 2.5 Bonnett mile Dayton Oval. It Slid onto the track apron then shot up the banking and hit the Concrete Wall nearly head on. The crash occurred at about 12 45 . Est. At 1 17 ., As practice continued Bonnett was pronounced dead at nearby Halifax medical Center. Chip Williams a spokesman for Lascar said Early reports of Oil on the track were not True. A the indications Are he lost control of the car a Williams said. A maybe he overdrive it or it just did no to stick the Way he expected. The Best we can Tell it was Driver error.�?�. Sadness overwhelmed Many in the racing Community. Most did t want to talk about the tragedy. _ Dale Earnhardt the defending and six time Winston cup Champion who was one of Bonnetts closest friends continued with the business of racing but asked that re sports sunday february 13,1994 Neil Bonnet to a car crashes into the Wall during practice at Daytona International Speedway. He died shortly afterwards. Porters wait until saturday to talk with him about Bonnett. A it a pay any Myers one Earnhardt a crewmen said Neil Bonnett was my Friend and probably one of the nicest Guys in the world. He was More than a Guy who tested our race car. He was a Friend and a member of our family. I can to say enough about How much ill miss  the Hueytown ala., Driver ran Only twice last season his Only starts since a severe concussion and a partial loss of memory from the crash at Darlington. In those two 1993 races Bonnett walked away unhurt from a spectacular crash at Talladega in july and ran one Lap m the season finale at Atlanta in november. A a you can to walk away from a sport you be spent your entire life around a Bonnett said in an interview last year. A. A television was a Good Avenue for me to get involved in racing again. It opened the door to come Back and be around All my friends. But it also stirred up that interest to get Back inside of a race  prior to getting Back into the race at Talladega Bon Nett tested for Earnhardt a Busch grand National and Winston cup teams. Bonnett who had 18 Winston cup victories and 20 poles planned to run up to six races this year and again in 1995 while continuing his broadcasting chores. In a radio interview a week ago Bonnett told reporter Mark Garrow a i think once i had it taken away from me i realized How much it meant. I got into the Media Side but its sure Nice to be on this Side of the Fence  Bonnett is the 26th fatality at the Speedway which opened in 1959, and the first since motorcycle racer James Adamo died during the Daytona 200 on March 7 1993. A Bonnett is survived by wife Susan a son David 29, an aspiring race Driver and a daughter Kristen 20. Bonnett who broke into Winston cup racing at Talladega in 1974, was the third Winston cup Star to die in the last 10 months. Both Alan Kulwicki and Davey Allison died As a result of aviation accidents. Kulwicki was killed in a plane crash in Tennessee on april 1. Allison died july 13, a Day after his helicopter crashed at the Talladega track. Bonnett is the first Winston cup Driver to be killed on a Racetrack since . Mcduffie died in a crash at Watkins Glen n.y., in August 1991. No in transition season by Chuck Melvin Minneapolis apr magic Larry and Michael a a be a cd sir Charles is Hurt. Yet somehow the Aba is bigger than Ever. Eleven of the 24 players and one of the two coaches in sundays Aba All Star game an to 12 30 . Monday will be appearing for the first time. Cuter re Ahe rss inc Udo no new Aba Standard bearer Bra Quill of Neal will be making their second appearances. They re All part of a remarkably smooth transition that has seen the league thrive despite the retirements of some of the biggest stars in basketball history Michael Jordan Larry Bird magic Johnson and the deaths of rising stars Reggie Lewis and Drazen Petrovic. Attendance and television ratings Are higher this year than they were at the All Star break last season. Why watch the game and you la see new Jersey Point guard Kenny Anderson said Friday. A Don t think there Are an7 shortcuts. The first year a act playing All Star Caliper basketball or we would t be Here a said Anderson a first time Star who 8 Aba teams to Minneapolis a the Aba is expanding its International scope at the same time one of its 27 . Teams is trying to resolve its shaky Arena situation. In a wide ranging news conference Friday commissioner David Stern said the a bad a first Choice is to keep the Minnesota Timber wolves where they Are although there is no shortage of suitors to Welcome the team elsewhere. Meanwhile Deputy commissioner Russ Granik discussed the International situation announcing that eight Aba teams will play exhibition games in Europe and latin America next october. Granik said that Golden state Charlotte Atlanta Miami Houston the los Angeles clippers san Antonio and Seattle will play in the games from oct. 18-29. Stern said that while the support of the Tim will Start for the East. Other first time stars Are Chicago a . Armstrong and Horace Grant Atlanta a cookie Blaylock new jerseys Derrick Coleman new Yorkus Charles Oakley and John Starks Seattle a Gary Payton Portland a Clifford Robinson and Golden states Latrell Sprewell. Sacramento a Mitch Richmond will be playing in the game for the first time he was selected last year but missed the game because of injury. Payton selected to replace the injured Barkley on the West team said Many of the younger players feel a debt to the generation of stars they had idolized for so Long. A you look at those Guys when you re growing up and you say a hey i want to be just like him a a Payton said. A i watched magic and George Gervin All while i was growing up. I always wanted to be like magic. I just want to show him that we were looking at him trying to learn his style of  Armstrong who along with Anderson will give the East two Point guards in the starting lineup said the Quality of the game is As Good now As it Ever was a and possibly better. A Ber wolves ownership and fans has been firm the financial problems with the teams Arena the target Center will be difficult to resolve. There s a concern about whether midsize cities can support a team a Stern said at a news conference in conjunction with All Star weekend. A a there a a terrible economic Issue involved. We have to work to have an apparatus to keep teams in cities like this the Aba wants a team Here. We want the Timber wolves to stay Here in the present building in the present  Stern said that cities expressing interest in the Timber wolves franchise include new Orleans Nashville san Diego St. Louis and Tampa St. Petersburg. A Granik reported that problems with sports betting lotteries in Canada have been resolved in both Ontario and British Columbia. A you done to have that one dominating player the Michaels and the magics but you have four or five legitimate stars on a team now a Armstrong said. A a there a a lot More emphasis on  Seattle coach George Karl making his first All Star appearance As coach of the West team said the changes Only make the future More exciting to him. U in do on of know  As dynamic As Larry Bird or Michael Jordan or magic Johnson but i have a lot of Confidence in these Guys a Karl said. A i think the league will improve. And whoever wins the championship and comes out on top that Guy is Koine wat Skuld a being 3 megastar a that a the _ commissioner David Stern pointed out that the Aba Over thye8 to constant a rep Enish its Pool of Talent i you Eyer really replace Larry magic michael9 i \ i said done to think we could Ever really replace Wilt or Bill Russell or Bob Pettit or Elgin Baylor or Jerry West or Oscar Robertson. But somehow we struggled through and i think Well do pretty  in 4 a we came to recognize each others concerns a Sih lls3f of. A corporations that have been reached zip Ancu sea Ady awarded to Toronto and a potential franchise in Vancouver. The Deputy commissioner said the warriors and 18�slahin�0ih? 17 3ifexhibition game in Paris on oct. Is starting the slate of games on foreign soil. Vanors a so i l play on oct. 21 against a bar Thi Hornbu ii r 0, Arena in Barcelona and Italy the samenigh06 bucker by 0�na in Bolos a the Hawks and heat Are scheduled to meet at Bayamon puerto Rico on oct. 23. ?,?%70-da> tournament spurs and super sons ing he re cakes choppers