Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, February 13, 1994 TAG: 9402140339
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BY BOB ZELLER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. LENGTH: Medium
On Thursday at Daytona International Speedway, ARCA driver Andy Farr crashed in turn 4 in an accident that was almost a carbon copy of Bonnett's. The only difference was that Farr's looked worse.
Farr escaped with a broken sternum. And on Friday, he started to write a thank-you note to Bonnett before he found out about Bonnett's crash.
Bonnett "was one of the first people I wanted to talk to when I got out," Farr said Saturday after returning to the speedway upon his release from Halifax Medical Center.
Bonnett, after breaking his own sternum some years ago, had helped design a safety belt for the sternum that links the two shoulder straps at the chest.
"Even though I busted my sternum, I can't imagine how bad it would have been if I didn't have that belt," Farr said. "I had started to write a letter to Neil telling him what a great thing that strap was."
Farr was in good spirits Saturday but said he still was very sore.
"I'm all right as long as I don't breathe too deeply or laugh," he said.
The force of Farr's crash punched a hole in the fourth-turn wall, tore out 75 feet of fence and ripped the engine and front end out of his Chrysler.
\ SERVICES FOR BONNETT: Funeral services for Bonnett will be at 2 p.m. Monday at the Garywood Assembly of God church in his hometown of Hueytown, Ala.
Viewing will be at Browns Service, West Chapel, in Hueytown beginning at 6 p.m. today and again at 10 a.m. Monday at the Garywood church.
A private memorial service for the NASCAR family was scheduled for tonight at a Daytona Beach church.
\ JONES QUITS: P.J. Jones resigned as the driver of the No. 9 Melling Ford Thunderbird on Saturday after car owner Harry Melling decided to field a second car for the Daytona 500 with driver Joe Ruttman.
Jones said he will run for Melling in today's Busch Clash, but that's all.
"I didn't feel they had enough resources and enough people and enough equipment for us to be real competitive as a two-car team," Jones said. "I have nothing against two-car teams, but I didn't feel Melling was ready for that. I just thought it was a bad situation personally. After the Clash is over, that will be it for me with Melling.
\ TODAY'S RACE\ BUSCH CLASH\ \ Track: Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Fla.\ Distance: 50 miles (20 laps) in two 10-lap segments.\ Time: Noon.\ Television: WDBJ (Channel 7).\ Purse: $280,000.\ Field: 13 NASCAR Winston Cup stock cars.\ Pole winner: Ken Schrader (by blind draw).\ Weather: Partly cloudy, high in the low 80s.\ 1993 winner: Dale Earnhardt.
Keywords:
AUTO RACING
by CNB