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Tuesday, August 21 NASCAR has made the first step By Jerry Bonkowski ESPN.com It's finally over -- or is it? The long-awaited release of NASCAR's findings of its investigation into the last-lap crash in the Feb. 18 Daytona 500 that claimed Dale Earnhardt's life is now in the public domain, open to criticism and study from any interested parties. NASCAR should be commended for undertaking the lengthy, exhaustive process of recreating the crash, utilizing numerous independent safety experts, and to present a rational explanation. The findings are impressive, to say the least. And, perhaps more than anything, they illustrate without a doubt that Earnhardt's wreck, while it was a horrible tragedy, was ultimately nothing more than a racing accident, period. There was no conspiracy. Yet, the sanctioning body should also continue to be criticized for the way it handled itself and parts of the investigation. Specifically, NASCAR turned a cold shoulder many times in the last six months to the media, fans, and to people like paramedic Tommy Propst -- who tended to Earnhardt seconds after impact -- and equipment manufacturer Bill Simpson, who was criticized for making a supposedly faulty safety belt. The standoffish attitude of many NASCAR officials was the start of what became perhaps the most embarrassing public relations debacle in the its 51 years. It illustrated more clearly than ever that if it's not NASCAR's way, it's not the right way. End of story. We saw NASCAR Chairman Bill France and President Mike Helton continually point fingers. Even before the crash, NASCAR officials reportedly showed contempt at outsiders for making even well intentioned suggestions for changes. Specifically, the president of the 32,000-member American Society of Safety Engineers sent Helton a letter nearly six weeks before Earnhardt's crash, offering the group's assistance and expressing its concern due to the three racing-related deaths the previous year (Kenny Irwin, Adam Petty and Tony Roper). Helton's response was reportedly a terse two paragraph "thanks, but no thanks" reply. The ASSE offered its services nearly a month after Earnhardt's wreck, again to be rebuffed. That illustrates perfectly how NASCAR dislikes to be told what to do, even if it is with the best intentions. And it was that same attitude repeated time after time during the last six months: refusing to meet with Simpson after he made a special trip to NASCAR's corporate offices; refusing to believe Propst; refusing to believe claims of other safety workers who tended to Earnhardt; the refusal of NASCAR to allow a public taping of the reenactment; and for outright discarding of medical claims by some of the doctors who tended to Earnhardt, both before and after his death. NASCAR, in effect, played judge, jury, the prosecutor, the star eyewitness and the executioner -- all rolled into one. As I watched and listened to parts of Tuesday's investigation, I was both surprised and shocked at some of the findings, but given the credentials of the experts that conducted the investigation, I can't help but believe their findings. I would ultimately hope NASCAR learned a great many lessons, not only related to the crash, but also in the way it mishandled the entire process. NASCAR cast doubt about its actions by the miserable way it failed to offer answers when asked questions. "We may have fallen short in communications," Helton admitted during his opening remarks. That's an understatement. Granted, I'm sure with the way NASCAR handled this whole imbroglio, there are still going to be doubters who wonder if what they heard Tuesday is truly the final word. Some may still wonder if it was just nothing more than a slanted whitewash designed to put NASCAR in the most favorable light. If I sound jaded, I am. I can't help it. Like many journalists, I take pride in my ethics and objectivity, and expect people I talk to to have equal standards. I don't appreciate those who are evasive or appear as if they're hiding something. If I ask a question, I expect the truth. If I perceive someone pushing the envelope of credibility over and over again, alarms go off inside my head, telling me someone is not telling the whole truth. Even after the release of the investigation's findings, I still feel that way now, as I'm sure many others do. NASCAR's credibility has slipped to an all-time low. I have never seen such distrust among fans and the media. Because of the experts' lofty credentials, I will accept Tuesday's findings as 100 percent accurate. But NASCAR officials, particularly France and Helton, have a long way to go before myself and others like me start to believe them again. I commend NASCAR for other elements of the report, including the requirement next season of crash data "black boxes," the planned hiring of full-time liaisons for both medical safety and ongoing investigations, the establishment of a safety research center and other enhancements to its procedures. Now is the time for the NASCAR community to heal, the same kind of healing that should have taken place after Earnhardt's death. Instead, NASCAR's repeated flubs and fumbles left an open wound that never was able to close properly. If there was no big secret to hide, why then the shroud of secrecy in the first place? We have all learned lessons in the last six months. Hopefully, NASCAR learned many and will begin to mend its broken fences. Just because it released the findings of the Earnhardt investigation does not make everything simpatico with the rest of the racing community. NASCAR has a long way to go to reestablish faith from media, fans and the rest of the outside world. Tuesday was just the first step. Veteran motorsports writer Jerry Bonkowski covers NASCAR for ESPN.com.  Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories
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