Closure? I hope so

By Marty Smith, Turner Sports Interactive
August 17, 2001
5:55 PM EDT (2155 GMT)

CONCORD, N.C. -- So last Sunday night I’m sitting in the cheap seats at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Charlotte, waiting anxiously for my boy Kenny Chesney to release his unbridled fury on the sellout crowd around me.

Marty Smith

Mark Collie was midway through his opening set, but having undergone a significant amount of alcoholic intake during the day, I must admit I was somewhat in my own little realm. You know the feeling.

Suddenly, Collie abruptly stopped playing, held his guitar high over his head with one hand, and held three fingers high in the air with the other.

I’ll never forget the words he spoke then.

“We all lost a special part of our lives here a few months back, and I know that you folks, being from his backyard, miss him more than most. I’m with you. When I started out, I only had about five fans. Not much of anyone paid me much mind. Dale was one of those people that cared, and for that I am forever grateful. Be proud of him and never forget him.”

The eruption that ensued made it abundantly clear that Earnhardt will long hold a special place in the hearts of North Carolinians -- and North Americans -- everywhere for that matter, forever. Still, as the admiration of 20,000 raucous fans filled my ears, all I could seem to think about was closure.

Had all of these folks totally come to grips with the passing of NASCAR’s greatest ambassador? Did Dale Jr.’s monumental triumph in the Pepsi 400 bring total closure? Did that single moment cease the grief?

I think not.

Don’t get me wrong. There’s no doubt it was a gargantuan step towards the desired end; but I guarantee you folks still turn on the television come Sunday and yearn to see that black 3 car. It will be that way for quite some time.

Judging from the emails I still receive on a daily basis from folks who can’t even bare to watch racing, closure is still eons away.

Maybe that will change somewhat when NASCAR releases the results of its five-month investigation into the Earnhardt tragedy. No matter what the report says -- whether it blames a broken seat belt, a violent head whip, a lack of car crushability or some other cause not yet discussed -- it should help ease the pain. Just knowing what really happened has a way of soothing the hurt.

Usually, in a situation such as this, with so much speculation running rampant for so long, true answers are crucial in achieving closure. NASCAR did it right. They hired outside sources, those without bias, to investigate. They didn’t succumb to the constant badgering of various publications. They gave us all a deadline, then they met it.

Minus NASCAR’s highest officials, some drivers and the actual case investigators, not much of anyone knows exactly what that report says just yet. However, come Tuesday the entire world will know. This is arguably the most important announcement in NASCAR history.

Its contents will include several highly anticipated answers, and hopefully, for the sake of hundreds of thousands of fans everywhere, much-needed closure.

NOTE: Marty Smith is a writer for NASCAR.com. The opinions listed here are those solely of the writer. To provide feedback to his column, write Marty at marty.smith@turner.com.