Lawrence Neil Bonnett was an American NASCAR driver who compiled 18 victories and 20 poles over his 18-year career. Bonnett was a member of the Alabama Gang, and started his career with the help of Bobby and Donnie Allison. He rose to prominence in the late 1970s with his performances in cars owned by Jim Stacy and Wood Brothers Racing, becoming one of the top competitors in the 1980s. The Alabama native currently ranks 47th in all-time NASCAR Cup victories. He appeared in the 1983 film Stroker Ace and the 1990 film Days of Thunder. Bonnett hosted the TV show Winners for TNN from 1991 to 1994. He was a color commentator for CBS, TBS, and TNN in the years until his death. Bonnett's driving career was interrupted by a severe brain injury from a crash in 1990. He was killed while practicing for the 1994 Daytona 500 for a much-anticipated comeback.

James D. Stacy, frequently referred to as Jim Stacy or J.D. Stacy, was an American entrepreneur and former NASCAR Winston Cup Series race car owner and sponsor whose career spanned 1977 to 1983. His first race as an owner was the 1977 Firecracker 400 while his final race as an owner was at the 1983 Winston Western 500. As a team owner, Stacy employed veteran NASCAR drivers such as Neil Bonnett, Ferrel Harris, Sterling Marlin, Joe Ruttman, Tim Richmond, and Dale Earnhardt. Stacy's vehicles participated in 126 races with four wins, 21 finishes in the top five, and 53 finishes in the top ten. His cars led 1,097 laps out of 30,307 – for a total of 38,263.6 miles (61,579.3 km).