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Tuesday, August 21 Many think NASCAR isn't doing enough ESPN.com Check out what RPM.ESPN.com users had to say about Tuesday's news conference where NASCAR released the findings of its investigation into the fatal crash of Dale Earnhardt: Typical NASCAR to implement a change that will not solve the problem! Black boxes to gather more info. Who cares! Lets try to save lives instead of getting more information on how/why they die. The Whammer Buffalo, N.Y. I feel that they did their part. As a fan I will always miss seeing Dale on the track. I wish others would move on and let this family heal. As for the head restraints I feel that the drivers and teams should make that desision. I am glad that most drivers have made the choice. Michelle Ferguson-Selig Prue, Okla. I (and surely many more people) DEMAND to know why NASCAR tech people would allow a racer to mount his safety belts in an unsafe manner. I have been racing since I got my license (I'm 45 yo) and I know better than to mount my belts that way. While Mr. Earnhardt may have felt it was necessary to mount his belts the way he did, NASCAR should have stepped in and said NO, you CANNOT race this car with the belts mounted in an unsafe manner. Tony Neu Shelbyville, Ind. They (NASCAR's experts) put on a convincing show. They seemed to be focused on the broken belt and nothing else. They used big words to prove their point. Putting black boxes in the cars tells me that NASCAR is willing to let another driver or drivers die before they improve the cars. They didn't say anything about crash testing their cars like Cart and IRL do, they didn't mandate using the HANS device, stating production and availability reasons. Nothing but hogwash. The computer generations are the only new items in this incident. There was no no revelations in this report. Everything in the report was common knowledge. There was nice spin it it but little else. And now Simpson will probably be sued by DEI. John Mezera Glen Allen, Va. NASCAR has completely blown it this time. They basically said that Dale Earnhardt died because of a one-in-a-million freak chance event, and thus their only real move will be to install black boxes to insure that the next time some unfortunate driver breaks his neck, they'll know what happened. Lenny Fairmont, W.Va. After listening to the final report on the death of Dale Earnhardt, it is my belief that it is the most extensive investigative report on any racing accident in the history of motorsports. I think that NASCAR has more than adequately done its job here. The problem NASCAR now must deal with is its own popularity. Higher TV ratings result in more media attention, which results in more "novices" covering its races. Having read many different reactions to NASCAR's report, I find many in the media are forgeting one thing -- auto racing is a very dangerous sport. We as a public have become too secure in the safety of racing, and as a result forget just how dangerous it can be. Over that fact alone, NASCAR has done its job. Racing will never be a fully 100 percent safe sport. Craig Tampa, Fla. Would someone in the media get a clue!? It wasn't the belt, helmet, or car. I have said it for years and I will say it again ... it was the wall!! We don't put concrete walls around football fields or basketball courts. In go-cart racing they use hay bails, not concrete barriers. You think there might be a reason? Eric Bechtol Troy, Ohio Seems Mike Helton's head is as hard as the walls at Daytona. Too bad NASCAR can't "react" as fast to safety concerns as it does to making aerodynamics rules changes to get Dodge in the winner's circle. Black boxes will only tell the g's experienced by the drivers at the time of their death. It's time for some head and neck restraints along with full face helmets. J.R. Mohr California, Md. I thought the Earnhardt report and investigation was done very thoroughly and was able to be understood by myself. I think the black boxes would help NASCAR to better understand what happens in a crash and then it would also help them study the dynamics. I know NASCAR and the drivers will work together to improve safety and do more and more extensive testing to introduce newer devices. I agree with NASCAR's statement of not reacting for the sake of reacting. New devices have to be thoroughly tested because one thing could be the same on another and different on another. Brian Foor Brook Park, Ohio I believe NASCAR answered a lot of questions. NASCAR did a good job on not putting the blame on anyone, but said a lot of different factors contributed into the death of Dale Earnhardt. I hope Teresa Earnhardt and the Earnhardt family can put this behind them and move on as Dale probably would want them to do. I am an aircraft mechanic and we learn a lot from our black boxes, I hope NASCAR can learn and help prevent similar crash results like this one. I give NASCAR a lot of respect in this and hope other drivers in NASCAR can learn from this and take steps for themselves also. Robert Testerman Colorado Springs, Colo. Let it go, let it go, let it go; geezs, a combination of events, no kidding? Sure, its a damn shame; but I can't help thinking that where ever Dale is now, he'd be the first to tell you "that's just racin'." NASCAR has, in my view, acted in a professional, and forthright manner; rightly exposing findings of physical fact, without yeilding to cries for hasty remedies. Tom Paine Philadelphia Although the death of Dale Earnhardt was without a doubt one of the most devestating events in NASCAR history, the fact remains three other individuals lost their lives in similiar incidents over the last two years. There has been no mention of any investigation which might compare and contrast these four events. Doing so might shed light on similarities which could lead to additional information and validate conclusions that have already been made. Barbara Langdon Colleyville, Texas I have just one thing to say and that is Dale crashed, going 150+ mph, into a concrete wall. That's enough to kill any one. No matter what safety issues are envolved the fact of the matter is Dale is dead, and we should let the alligations and finger pointing die as well. Justin Kentucky I think it's deffinetly time to give this a rest. I just have one question. What did this prove? What did finding out what caused Dale Earnhardt's death prove? I'll tell you what it proved. Nothing. The sport of NASCAR just wasted 6 months investigating something that was totally irrelevant. So we now know what killed Dale Earnhardt. He's still dead. We can't change that. So was it worth it to find out why he died if we can't change it? No. In my opinion NASCAR just made a total fool of themselves by doing this and even worse, making it public. Collin Whitchurch Cherry Valley, Ill.  Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories
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