NASCAR Scene and three other news organizations have asked a North Carolina court to open up documents in Richard Childress Racing’s suit over an insurance company’s failure to pay a claim in the death of Dale Earnhardt. Attorney Brad Kutrow filed the motion on behalf of Scene, the Associated Press, the Charlotte Observer and the North Carolina Press Association after Davidson County Superior Court Judge Kimberly Taylor sealed Earnhardt’s driving contract and other exhibits in the case. RCR is suing United of Omaha Life Insurance for what it says was a failure to adequately investigate its claim before refusing to pay on a $3.7 million policy the team contends it had taken out on the driver. The company contends that the policy was not valid because Earnhardt, who died in the 2001 Daytona 500, had not taken a required physical and because initial payments for the policy were not handled properly. Judge Taylor is expected to hear the motion to open the documents Tuesday.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(5-28-2005)
