>>How was Earnhardt's death a fluke? It was unfortunate, certainly, especially since NASCAR officials had their heads so far up their tailpipes about requiring safer helmets, but when guys are going 200 mph a few inches apart it's surprising there aren't more fatalities.
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>I saw the crash (not live), and it didn't look nearly as bad as the Geoffrey Bodine crash (which I did see live). Nobody I was watching the race with expected Earnhardt to die from it, so yeah, I'd call it a fluke. He hit the wall at just the right speed and just the right angle.

At least seven stock car drivers, including Earnhardt, died of the same type of injury in the year or two before NASCAR finally mandated better neck restraints. In all seven fatal crashes the impact caused the driver's head to snap forward violently, breaking the spinal cord. Since the new helmet/neck restraint equipment was mandated -- which NASCAR did only with great reluctance -- I do not believe there has been a fatal crash in a NASCAR race.