Seat Belt News UPDATE 2: No one was more astonished than Bill Simpson when NASCAR officials suggested at a news conference in February that a faulty seat belt made by his company might have been responsible for the death of racing icon Dale Earnhardt. Horrified, the longtime maker of racing safety equipment polled his factory workers and suppliers about the nylon belts and quality control. He sent six sets of lap belts, made from the same batch as those in Earnhardt’s car, to an independent testing laboratory. The verdict: They should not have sheared when Earnhardt’s car crashed on the last lap of February’s Daytona 500. Seven weeks after the accident, however, Simpson knows little more about the belt in Earnhardt’s mangled Chevrolet than what he learned during that news conference. See full story at the Orlando Sentinel: NASCAR’s lips sealed on seat-belt analysis, some great images and explanations at the site(4-9-2001) UPDATE: Seat-belt failure did not cause the head injuries that killed NASCAR great Dale Earnhardt during February’s Daytona 500, a court-appointed medical expert who studied the racer’s autopsy photos reported Monday. Dr. Barry Myers, a Duke University expert in crash injuries, said Earnhardt died when his head whipped violently forward in the moments after his #3 Chevy struck a concrete wall at 150 mph. Rejecting NASCAR’s theory of the crash, Myers said that, even assuming what he termed “a worst-case scenario,” Earnhardt’s head probably would have suffered the same damage even if his lap belt had not torn on impact. See full story at the Orlando Sentinel: Expert: Seat belt no factor in Earnhardt death UPDATE 2 – NASCAR Statement: “We have said before and re-iterated Monday we’re conducting our own detailed review with a team of experts ranging from occupant safety-restraint analysis, and crash analysis to medical and biomechanical specialists,” said NASCAR president Mike Helton. “This latest report will not change that. “Contrary to several reports in the media, this report is not an opposing theory to anything NASCAR has presented. Since the Daytona 500, NASCAR has made clear that we will not suggest or speculate on the circumstances surrounding Dale Earnhardt’s accident until our study is complete. No one from NASCAR has ever suggested what may have happened in this accident other than to say in our preliminary investigation we found issues of concern involving the occupant restraint system. “As referenced in the report compiled by Dr. Barry Myers, better understanding can be achieved through biomechanical, sled and crash testing, which is consistent with the process we announced Monday. “We respect the varied theories from the medical field and welcome their input as to what likely could have occurred and we remain committed to a thorough, comprehensive review.”(NASCAR PR) and That’s Racin’ has a bunch of columns up about this AND Bill Simpson, president of Simpson Race Products, says he plans to consult with his legal team before commenting on the report on Dale Earnhardt’s fatal crash at Daytona, released today by the Orlando Sentinel(SpeedVision)(4-10-2001)
