Motor Racing : Bonnett Ends Losing Streak on Final Lap

Neil Bonnett finally ended his dry spell Sunday with a breathtaking victory over Harry Gant by less than the width of a bumper in the Carolina 500 Grand National stock car race.

“It was all I could do to get by Harry,” said Bonnett, who had not won since November, 1983 at Atlanta.

“I could tell about 50 feet before the start-finish (line) I was even with Harry. Then it seemed my car just pulled ahead. I knew I had it when we crossed the line.”

Gant, who has finished second three times at North Carolina Motor Speedway without ever winning, said, “I thought I had him beat until I felt him touching the side of my car.

“He just drove by me and that was it.”

Bonnett’s Chevrolet was locked in a tough battle over the last 50 laps of the 492-lap event with the Chevys of Gant and defending Winston Cup champion Terry Labonte and the Pontiac of Lake Speed.

Labonte took the lead from Bonnett on lap 477, but Bonnett took it back the next trip around the 1.017-mile, high-banked oval.

The four leaders diced back and forth, bumping together several times, before Gant moved past Labonte into second on lap 488, then passed Bonnett two laps later.

That’s the way it stayed until the backstretch of the last lap, when Bonnett made his move, diving toward the bottom of the track and moving up alongside Gant. Bonnett just got the nose of his car ahead of Gant’s at the line for the 26th lead change of the race and the victory.

Labonte was right behind in third, followed by Speed. Kyle Petty’s Ford was fifth, a lap behind the leaders.