My Ongoing Tribute to the Greatest NASCAR Driver Ever

Dale Earnhardt

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Wanting answers

Earnhardt autopsy photos could end controversy

In the aftermath of Dale Earnhardt's death at the Daytona 500 two weeks ago, beneath the whys and behind the tributes, there were those few soft voices that expressed the quiet hope that, please, let's at least learn something from this.

Not least among those expressing that hope were some of Earnhardt's peers within the NASCAR community.

Sadly, it would appear that realizing even that modest wish may not be easy.

If anything beneficial is to be gained from Earnhardt's death, then it is vitally important that NASCAR determine precisely what did or did not cause his death -- did he suffer a basal skull fracture because his seat belt failed or does the fact that the seat belt failed simply mask the reality that he was likely already dead as a result of a basal skull fracture?

Make no mistake, as unpleasant and potentially traumatic as any discussion like this one is, the distinction is important: If Earnhardt was killed because of a basal skull fracture, he would be the fourth driver in nine months to die as a result of this injury, an alarming trend that would seemingly require NASCAR to act quickly and decisively, perhaps by requiring drivers to use the HANS device.

However, if simple equipment failure was to blame, the need for improved safety measures isn't nearly as pressing.

The issue is most certainly not the propriety of allowing unfettered public access to Dale Earnhardt's autopsy photos -- there is nothing proper about such access -- but by preventing any "public" access, i.e., even to an entity like The Orlando Sentinel, purportedly charged to act in our interests, we, the public and NASCAR itself, remain necessarily ignorant of what might have caused Earnhardt's death.

At the very least, by allowing a Sentinel-selected expert to view the photos, a certain cause of death might be ruled out.

"The deceased have a right to their dignity and loved ones have a right to be free from exploitation," reads the statement Teresa Earnhardt delivered to the press about an hour before Sunday's UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 in Las Vegas. "Allowing access to these photos will only cause more distress and emotional harm.

"Even people in the public eye have a right to privacy," Mrs. Earnhardt continued. "This right is more important than the desire to exploit a tragic situation -- especially when no public good is being served. There is nothing to be gained by the release of these images from Dale's autopsy."

Teresa Earnhardt made a compelling and sympathetic figure on Sunday and, without question, it's crucial that her wishes are considered first and foremost among all others.

But, as the Sentinel made clear in its published response to her statement, the paper has worked diligently to ensure that nothing untoward should happen to the photos -- the paper has assured both the Florida court and the Earnhardt estate that it only wishes to view the photos while under court supervision.

As macabre as the notion might seem to some, the fact is that, contrary to what Mrs. Earnhardt said, there's potentially a great deal to be gained from the strategic release of these images from Dale's autopsy -- and doesn't even the slight existence of that chance make it important that the proper people see them?

And if not for the sake of the public, then how about for the sake of NASCAR?

Stephen Thomas covers NASCAR for CNNSI.com. The opinions expressed here are solely those of the writer.