Dale Earnhardt Research Papers

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Marlin had got blamed for the death of Dale Earnhardt. Marlin got hate mail and death treats because he had made contact with Dale causing him to veer and then sending him up the track into the wall. Marlin didn’t dread opening the letters. "You wouldn't believe the support we've gotten from Dale Earnhardt fans," said Marlin, 43, an Earnhardt contemporary who had been racing against him since the late 1970s. "We've got stacks of letters at home. It's been great” (USA Today). After Dale Earnhardt passed they retired his number. The No. 3 will ride in NASCAR premier series, and the son of the driver who made in famous is just fine with the return of one of NASCAR’s most iconic car numbers (Caraviello 1). Austin Dillon is bringing the NASCAR …show more content…

It looked like a hardhat attached over the ears and under the chin with a leather strap. In 1957 a company in California named Bell had made a polystyrene open faced helmet. Dan Gumey wore Bell’s first full-faced racing helmet in 1968 at the Indianapolis 500. They didn’t make a full-faced helmet mandatory until Earnhardt was killed. Earnhardt would refuse to wear a full-faced helmet. Also the crewmen on the pit road have to wear a helmet due to a death in 2001. Also, the seat belts were considered optional items by manufacturers until 1963. Most drivers in that time used just a rope or aircraft harnesses to hold themselves in place while racing. In 1960 they had shoulder straps added but a lot of people didn’t want them because they didn’t want to be trapped in the car due to a fire. They then had the five-point harness that has a simple little five straps. Two of the straps are located on the shoulders, two across the hips, and one is at the crotch. All the straps come together and connect to a buckle release mechanism. This way is designed to help hold the driver’s body tight in the seat. Helps protect the upper part of the body from injury. Although you’re all strapped in your seat your head is still not secure. Dale was wearing a five-point harness. After his death, most drives switched to a six-point harness is similar to the five point harness. The difference is that the six …show more content…

Prior to his death, Earnhardt refused to wear it because he said it was restrictive and uncomfortable. The HANS device was U shaped and was designed to strap on your helmet and sits on your shoulders that way your neck is protected from snapping forward on an impact. When the green flag dropped to start the race in Daytona in 2001, only seven of the 43 drivers were wearing HANS restraints (Hill). Also in addition to Earnhardt not liking the HANS Device he wouldn’t wear a full face helmet. After his death NASCAR made it mandatory for them to wear a full face helmet. NASCAR has also added a safer barrier to the walls of the track. It is made of steel and foam energy reduction. It is sometimes referred to as a safe wall. These walls are found on automobile race tracks intended to absorb and reduce kinetic energy during the impact of the accident, and also help reduce the injuries sustained to drivers. It was developed from 1998-2002, and first installed at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in May 2002. The final major safety improvement was to the NASCAR vehicle itself. Introduced for 16 races in 2007, the NASCAR “Car of Tomorrow” was implemented for the entire 2008 schedule for the Sprint Cup Series. The Car of Tomorrow is wider and taller than the previous race car (formerly NEXTEL Cup). The driver’s roll cage has been moved back and the driver’s seat has moved in toward the

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