Blame?

February 20, 2001

I've read in some other forums that people are trying to blame Dale Sr.'s death on NASCAR, on Sterling Marlin, on Dale himself for not wearing the HANS...

This was and will always be a racing accident! Racing is a dangerous sport, and the competitors accept that risk when they compete. To try and lay the blame for this tragedy on an individual or group divides the entire racing community when we need to come together and stand tall.

I even heard that Sterling is getting hate mail! If you know anyone who is doing this type of thing, please try and make it stop.

I am also looking for an address for Sterling Marlin to send my support. Any help?

Frank S · February 20, 2001

I have seen the crash several times on ESPN and the news and for someone to actually say that it was his fault is totally ridiculous.

The most official thing I could find is

http://home.att.net/~Stuck5150/marlin.html

(Edited by yZR2k at 7:04 pm on Feb. 19, 2001)

MountaineerTom · February 20, 2001

I fully agree that this was a 100% racing accident. My wife even heard a guy in Wal-Mart say "you can thank Schrader for Earnhardt's death". That is just plain stupitity! Obviously this guy had no common sense. Schrader was just caught up in it. I hate it more than anything that Dale died, but no one was to blame.

Just my thoughs.

General Lee 01 · February 20, 2001

The only blame IMO that can be put on his crash is physics. After the tap from Marlin, physics took over. That's what I believe.

Kansas Kid · February 20, 2001

Sterling Marlin needs to be in everyones prayers just as much as the Earnhardt family. Can you imagine how hard this must be on him? And on Ken Schrader as well, being the first to see his friend in that condition. I can't imagine the pain. No one deserves fault for this accident.

Shaners · February 20, 2001

It's just an unforunate racing incident. They happen all the time in this sport. Unfortunatly this one turned out to be tragic. Certainly Dale and all the other drivers have taken harder hits than this, but the combination of all these forces were put together in such a way by the man upstairs that they were fatal in this case. Dale loved this sport and I know he died doing what he loved. I hope that I am that fortunate...

HiG4s · February 21, 2001

Are you sure there is no blame. How about the NASCAR safety regs. Several other racing bodies have adopted the HANS system as mandatory. Maybe it would have saved Dale Sr.'s life, maybe it wouldn't have. But no other car racing has as many deaths as NASCAR , 9 in 10 seasons. And these are on the same tracks as CART cars. Also no other type of motorsports will put up with the high speed bumping that NASCAR deems as incidental contact. In GTA racing if you spin someone out, even accidently it is recordered. More than twice in a SEASON there are penalties. Sure it is a dangerous sport, but when there are vast differences in that amount of danger among similar sports something is wrong.

Here is the list of major motorsports fatalities in the last 10 years.

NASCAR: J.D. McDuffie, Clifford Allison, Neil Bonnett, rookies Rodney Orr and Adam Petty, Kenny Irwin, Craftsman Truck Series drivers John Nemechek (brother of Winston Cup veteran Joe Nemechek) and Tony Roper – and now Dale Earnhardt.

CART: Jeff Krosnoff, Greg Moore, rookie Gonzalo Rodriguez.

USAC: rookie Jovy Marcello.

NHRA: Blaine Johnson.

FORMULA ONE: rookie Roland Ratzenberger, Ayrton Senna.

IRL: Scott Brayton.

General Lee 01 · February 21, 2001

Out of curiosity. Who was Rodney Orr? I don't remember his crash but I remember Neil Bonnett's. And I think those were within days. What happened to him?

MountaineerTom · February 21, 2001

If I remember correctly, Rodney Orr drove in the ARCA series. He died in a wreck at Daytona during the same Speedweeks that Neil Bonnett did.

February 21, 2001

Rodney Orr was a WC Rookie. He died at Daytona in practice about the same time Neil did.

HiG4s, You are somewhat correct as far as the rules and NASCAR go. However, NASCAR is the most popular SPECTATOR SPORT on Earth because of this close, dangerous competition. CART nearly went bankrupt a few years ago, IMSA is in bad financial shape, and a host of other racing venues couldn't fill a high school gymnasium with fans. Every competitor out there knows the risks associated with this sport. Every driver can(and a few have) stop when they have had enough. NASCAR makes improvements continuously to the cars and the tracks to increase safety. Most personal safety items are left to the driver's discretion. Did you know that WC drivers are not required to wear Fire Retardant suits? There are still a few drivers who won't wear gloves because they like to "feel" the car. Dave Marcis still wears leather wingtip shoes because that is what he is comfortable driving in. Michael Waltrip stated that he doesn't like the HANS device because at 6ft, 4in tall, it makes it hard for him to get out of the car. What if the HANS was required and he was burned to death because he was trapped?

I'm not trying to piss you off, I just wanted you to see the side of individual preferences.

HiG4s · February 21, 2001

I find your reply sad. You say I'm am somewhat right HOWEVER,

Everything you say after the however basically says it is OK to sanction a sport that is unreaonably dangerous as long as it makes money. Your argument against the HANS system is just as valid against seatbelts as they could become stuck or jammed after a crash and trap a driver. Should we get rid of them too. How about NASCAR's lack of effort to insitute the safer frame design styles used in CART and F1, or the reluctance to even research the "Soft Wall" technology. I don't actually blame NASCAR, but I read an interview with a top NHRA driver and safety advocate from a year ago that mentioned that none of the governing bodies were doing what they could in regards to the Soft Wall, and he doubted that there would be any work toward it, sadly, until several big name drivers were killed in accidents.

February 21, 2001

You misunderstand my intent. NASCAR has made great strides in track and vehicle safety.

You can't put the same safety designs in an indy car as you can a stock car due to the design differences to begin with. They are two completely different concepts. For instance, the indy front impact safety design simply won't work in stock cars due to the location of the motor. Although some of the technology has crossed such as hood and spindle ties.

Soft walls are used at many NASCAR sactioned tracks, however the only WC tracks that used them are Sonoma and Watkins Glen.

To compare the HANS device to seatbelts makes no sense. There is no documentation anywhere of seatbelts sticking in a race car. It is a fact, though that a driver cannot remove the HANS once it is installed in any reasonable amount of time, The frame goes on under the driving suit and the drivers helmet is attached to the frame with straps.

I'm not advocating danger = dollars, either. We as fans want to see production-looking cars race. In order to accomplish this, some concessions are made. From what I've read about NASCAR, soft wall technology is being explored, but there's more to it than lining up some styrofoam and calling it good.

I hope this clears up my thoughts.

General Lee 01 · February 22, 2001

HiG4s,

You forgot a couple names in the other series.

Cart-The official who got killed in Jeff Krossnoff's accident, and the Fans that got killed in the incidents in Mighigan, and Nazareth.

Irl-The Fan who got killed at Texas.

Formula One-Jaques Villeneuve's Father (can't remember his name)

My point is, I've never seen a NASCAR fan get seriously hurt or killed due to a crash. That's why Nascar has more spectators, it's more spectator friendly than all the others.

HiG4s · February 22, 2001

Quote: from Friz on 6:55 pm on Feb. 21, 2001
To compare the HANS device to seatbelts makes no sense. There is no documentation anywhere of seatbelts sticking in a race car.

Does this mean you have documentation of drivers being traped in cars because of wearing the HANS system?