Nascar News
The name Dale Earnhardt is synonymous with victory in the Winston Cup Series, now called the Sprint Cup Series he made a lot of NASCAR news. He inspired a lot of ink on page in the NASCAR record books- he was victorious 75 times including once, 1998, at the Daytona 500, and only he and Richard Petty hold the record for seven championships won in their careers. Because of his pedal to the metal racing style he came to be known as the Intimidator, as well as Ironhead and the Man in Black.
Earnhardt started making NASCAR news when his career in Winston Cup began in 1975 with his entry into the World 600, held at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. Driving an Ed Negre Dodge Charger flashing his #8, Earnhardt finished in spot 22, one better than the future owner Richard Childress. Earnhardt joined RCR racing after 8 more races, competing with two other future stars named Terry Labonte and Harry Gant.
1986 was a good year for Earnhardt and for Richard Childress Racing, both discussed extensively in NASCAR news of the time Childress gained his first championship as an owner and Earnhard took the Winston Cup championship for the second time. Earnhardt’s year went like this five race wins, ten top 5 finishes and 16 finishes in the top 10. In 1986 Earnhardt again won the championship, this time b a 489 point margin over Awesome Bill Elliot, as Dale crossed the line first 11 times. He had gotten off to a fast start, finishing first five times in the initial seven races, and later would set the modern NASCAR record with four wins in a row. When he forced Elliot to spin out in the final segment of the Winston, which didn’t count towards the 1987 championship, he became the Intimidator to the fans.
Dale Earnhardt died in a crash, said the NASCAR news, at the 2001 Daytona 500 it happened during the final lap. Starting in May of 2000 four NASCAR drivers died in a nine month span.
As a result of these deaths and the reactions fans had to them NASCAR implemented a new set of safety features including:
Head and Neck Restraints like the HANS system developed after Earnhardt’s death, were now a requirement.
The sport switched to the use of SAFER barriers instead of concrete SAFER transfers less of the crash energy to the car.
NASCAR required the use of better seat belts and harnesses, and increased the level of seat belt inspections at races.
Roof escape hatches were required but this would later be rescinded.
Perhaps more importantly, NASCAR increased research and development for the Car of Tomorrow, a new safer car.
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