Another Driver Death: The latest NASCAR driver to die of a basilar skull fracture was eulogized here with about 60 people present. He was no Dale Earnhardt. Just an obscure rookie driver who died the same way as the NASCAR legend. Michael Roberts was a 50-year-old single parent who left behind a heartbroken daughter, Taylor — two years younger than Earnhardt’s 12-year-old daughter, Taylor. Roberts, who was memorialized Friday, died March 24 at I-44 Speedway near Lebanon, Mo. He was driving 80 mph on the 3/8-mile track — 100 mph slower than Earnhardt was when he hit a concrete wall on the last lap of the Daytona 500 on Feb. 18. Roberts was the fifth NASCAR driver in 11 months to die of injuries caused by violent head movement and the fourth to die of basilar skull fracture.(see full story at the Orlando Sentinel)(4-8-2001) (4-7-2001)
