As the country "mourned the loss" of Dale Earnhardt, the question of driver safety "was once again brought into sharp focus" as a preliminary autopsy showed Earnhardt died Sunday from "blunt force injuries to the head," according to Godwin Kelly of the Daytona Beach NEWS-JOURNAL. NASCAR officials held a press conference yesterday in Daytona Beach and were questioned about safety measures, including the use of the Head And Neck Safety (HANS) brace. NASCAR President Mike Helton: "In specific regards to the HANS device, it's more than just an option. NASCAR recommends drivers to try it and to work with the developers of it to perfect it for stock-car racing." Helton said of the safety issue: "The process is ongoing" (DAYTONA BEACH NEWS-JOURNAL, 2/20). But Helton added, "We are not going to react for the sake of reacting. We will do it when we know exactly what the right thing to do is" (Baltimore SUN, 2/20).
DID PRESS WANT MORE: In Charlotte, Tom Sorensen writes that during the press conference, Helton offered "vague, terse answers to specific questions about safety" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 2/20). Helton said that NASCAR "would be methodical in its response" to Earnhardt's death and would not "rush into ill-considered modifications to racetracks, cars or safety equipment just for the sake of appearances" (WASHINGTON POST, 2/20). But in Boston, Michael Vega writes, "When it comes to making radical changes, NASCAR sometimes gives the impression that it is slow to react" (BOSTON GLOBE, 2/20). USA TODAY's Skip Wood wrote that Earnhardt's death "follows three in the sport last season and casts a pall over what NASCAR had hoped would be a breakout season" (USA TODAY, 2/19). The press conference featuring Helton, Daytona 500 winner Michael Waltrip, NASCAR Chair Bill France Jr. and Dr. Steve Bohannon, one of the doctors who treated Earnhardt, was carried live by CNN, MSNBC, ESPN, FSN, CNN/SI and ESPNews. In the Charlotte, NC, market, it was carried live on the CBS, NBC and ABC affils.
MORE HANS: In Orlando, Ed Hinton reports more than 40 NASCAR drivers ordered HANS devices on Monday (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 2/20). But Dr. Steve Bohannon said that he did not know yet whether a HANS would have saved Earnhardt. Bohannon: "I suspect 'no'" (COX NEWS SERVICE, 2/19). Earnhardt "wore an open-faced helmet and shunned some of NASCAR's other basic safety innovations" (AP, 2/19). USA TODAY's Graves & Beaton wrote that "if nothing else, Earnhardt's death will renew discussions about mandating the use" of HANS device (USA TODAY, 2/19).
SHOW MUST GO ON: Helton and France said that NASCAR racing will continue this weekend in Rockingham, NC. France, on filling the void left by Earnhardt: "It's going to take time if we ever fill it, but I'm sure we will. ... Somebody's going to come along." France: "This is a tough period in NASCAR's history. I can't think of any time that has been more tough" (CNN, 2/19). CNN/SI's John Giannone: "[Monday] was the first day of the rest of NASCAR's life. The first day without a man whose death leaves a canyon-sized void in this sport ... and the stark reality that amid unspeakable grief, the billion dollar business of NASCAR must roll on" ("Sports Tonight," CNN, 2/19).
