Why dale earnhardt died

In an ironic twist of fate, the one track where victory had eluded Earnhardt for years until he finally conquered it in , would also be the site of his final race and final moments on earth. And incredibly, it would happen on the last lap as he battled his own son and Michael Waltrip, who were both racing Earnhardt-owned cars, to the finish. With Waltrip and Earnhardt Jr. Schrader exited his vehicle and quickly scrambled over to check out his friend. He was stunned to see a lifeless Earnhardt, which it would later be revealed had been killed instantly on impact.

The soft foam walls move slightly upon impact, dissipate energy, and reduce the force exerted on the driver. The CoT design was replaced by the Gen 6 design in with all of the safety improvements from the CoT incorporated. Earnhardt had given no indication of slowing down, but he was 49 and realistically nearing the end of his career. Harvick eventually found his own identity, and thanks to his own sponsors and own crew, was able to distance himself from Earnhardt.

Harvick was rewarded for the bold move with his only Cup championship. The perennial title contender has scored 35 of his 58 career victories with SHR.

Changing teams, Harvick said, helped validate his career. Childress was far more than Earnhardt's car owner. The two were hunting and fishing buddies, business associates and close friends. I think about it. Earnhardt was the lynchpin of RCR, the team he joined in and where he won six of his record-tying seven Cup titles. RCR hasn't won a Cup title since Earnhardt's seventh in , and the success of its two-car team has been limited to Childress' grandson, Austin Dillion, who has three one-win seasons in the last four years.

He missed just three events following his accident partly because of the pandemic hiatus and is back for his 20th full season. He realizes Earnhardt's death saved his life. But he prefers to remember his childhood idol by what he accomplished in life. We collectively have kept so many drivers alive since then because of the adjustments that have been made in the safety of our sport.

The unprecedented seven-month investigation brought together dozens of doctors, motorsports safety experts, accident reconstruction specialists, physicists, engineers, NASCAR officials, Washington-based PR and media-relations lobbyists, members of academia, and lawyers representing upwards of a dozen individuals or groups. The investigative team gathered in Atlanta in August to offer its report. His autopsy said a basal skull fracture quickly led to major blood loss, resulting in death within seconds.

But a speedway safety worker disputed that, saying the belt was whole when he reached the car. A fan reportedly found a video showing an EMT with a knife reaching into the car, perhaps cutting the belt to help remove the body. In the end, the crucial question of whether the seat belt broke on impact or was cut during the recovery—indeed, whether the belt was completely or partially separated—was never settled.

He said Earnhardt had repeatedly been told his belts were attached incorrectly, a claim team owner Richard Childress disputed. It was generally known that for comfort, the notoriously hard-headed driver wanted his seat and belts installed his way … and nobody was going to stop him. Too, Earnhardt was wearing his traditional Simpson open-face helmet with tinted bubble goggles. His autopsy suggested the impact with Schrader and then with the concrete wall allowed his head to whip forward and strike the steering wheel with his chin.

But three doctors and an independent safety expert disputed that, saying Earnhardt likely would have died of a broken neck even if the belt had remained intact. Ingram was close to Earnhardt—he has authored two books about him—and took the loss especially hard. He realizes he made a difference, that his very public support of Downing and Dr. Safety has always been up to them.

The safety section of the Rule Book has always been pretty small. Or if there was, nobody in the garages much listened to them. The sport has become much safer in the wake of his death. What do you remember about that day in when we lost the Intimidator? Car Life. Type keyword s to search. Today's Top Stories. Brian Cleary Getty Images.