'I'm tired of losing my friends': Over three decades later, scars of Speedweeks 1994 remain

Daytona International Speedway, site of Sunday's 67th running of the "Great American Race" (1:30 p.m. ET, Fox), is where drivers' dreams often come true. But in February 1994, many dreams turned to nightmares in the days leading up to the 36th Daytona 500. 

In a span of three days during Speedweeks, two drivers died in accidents on the track famous for high speeds and crashes. One of them was Alabama native Neil Bonnett, who had returned to NASCAR competition in 1993 after a near-fatal crash at Darlington in April 1990.

In 1994, Bonnett planned to race in five Winston Cup Series races, including the season-opening Daytona 500. But the unforgiving high banks of Daytona led to Bonnett’s death.

A broken shock mount sent Bonnett's car onto the apron before it backed up and slammed into the wall head-on, killing the 47-year-old driver. Seven years later, Bonnett’s best friend, Dale Earnhardt, was involved in a crash on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. The crash killed Earnhardt and sent the NASCAR world into utter shock.

The death of Bonnett, one of the more charismatic and friendly personalities in the sport, stunned the NASCAR world. Days later, tragedy struck again when driver Rodney Orr died in another violent crash during a practice session. The 31-year-old had a promising career ahead of him.

At the birthplace of NASCAR, the tragedies exposed the ugly truth about the dangers of high-speed racing.

The fatal accidents were made more controversial and troubling because of an ongoing tire war in NASCAR between Goodyear and Hoosier. The crashes prompted Hoosier — the tires Bonnett and Orr had been running on when their crashes occurred — to release teams from their contracts, effectively ending the tire war.

After the tragedies, 1989 Winston Cup champion Rusty Wallace gave a speech to his fellow competitors that is seared into NASCAR lore. 

“I’m tired of losing my friends, and (seeing) my friends get hurt,” Wallace said to a room of his fellow drivers. “I hope you got a lot of consideration for your other competitors, instead of a lot of balls and no brains."

“I think I'll go out on a limb and say every (expletive) body in this room is running a little bit scared.”

Drivers and crews heeded Wallace's plea for considerate and cautious driving in the Twin 125s and the Daytona 500 on Feb. 20. No serious crashes occurred, and Sterling Marlin earned his first Winston Cup win in his 279th start. It was the first of two Daytona 500 victories for Marlin, who won the race again in 1995. 

Following the death of Earnhardt, NASCAR worked diligently to improve safety in the sport. The organization introduced the SAFER Barrier and HANS device, which have mitigated the risk of violent high-speed crashes. Despite these improvements, NASCAR racing remains an inherently dangerous sport. 

During a period of NASCAR history when drivers were larger-than-life, indestructible figures, the deaths of Bonnett and Orr shook the sport. 

Over three decades later, the scars of Speedweeks 1994 remain.