conventional wisdom is that the belt failed because of the way it was installed as per dale sr instructions.

That's what I meant.

Hey Guys, You can beat yourselves tell your blue in the face but facts are facts.
In 1999 the IRL contracted the University of Nebraska I want to say, and were involved in making a softer wall for safety in Motorsports. I know this because I donated a car, a full blown Indy Car at a value of $500,000.00 dollars, and they took it, to crash it. They had run so  many test's that even NASA was shaking their heads, but at the end of the day they came up with a better wall which is now called the Safer Barrier. It took years but they did it !!

My Friend Bill Simpson took it upon himself to light his body on fire to prove he could make a suit that could withstand the heat of flames long enough to allow a Driver to escape, and at the test it was not such an issue of safety or awareness, but a joke when someone took a hotdog to the burning Simpson and said, Lets cook the damn thing !!

NASCAR was on the pace lap of intervention with regards to safety, and even though they were the last out of the gate, I don't think its fare to say it took Dale Sr's crash to make NASCAR stand up and take notice.
I cant count as high as numbers would lead, to the deaths of Race Car drivers from the first time a Man thought he could go fast and wanted competition, but I can also count how many times Racing Series have looked at it and worked to fix it.

The Hans device was a leader in Head and Neck Restraints and continues to be so, but there were many other manufactures long before Hans, that were working on the same thing.
Simpson get's blamed for his belts with regards to Dale Sr.'s death and I find that kind of a joke when you look at the fact that over 90% of the field had the same belts in there cars on that very sad day.
Furthermore its a bigger issue when you look at the fact that Simpson Belts dominated 100% of every racing series in North America and another 55% of the World ran Simpson Belts.

You Will never know the truth of Dales death, but I can assure you it was not belts.

Back to NASCAR.
NASCAR is not the Brain wave of Auto Racing, they just happen to be on top right now.
When F1 Drivers were being killed, was it F1's problem, or the Teams problem.
You can argue all you want, but it comes down to enforcing what you know.. whats good...whats safe... and how do we mandate it.

NASCAR doesn't make rules, they enforce them based on researching what is right and what is wrong, and although everyone does not agree with that...it is fact.

I personally carshed a car at Cayuga last year and totally screwed up my neck to the point that the Doctor told me I was 1/16th of an inch away from causing the same outcome as Dale Sr. died from.
Hell I said, we were only going 100MPH, how the hell would that cause the same damage.
Stupid on my part because I know better, and the HANS device would have allowed me to continue on with life as normal but instead I have to go for therapy 3 times a week at $75.00 a visit...
The HANS would have cost me $1200.00 and I would be feeling great right now- call me stupid.

My point here is NASCAR knew of a safer method, they knew everyone that races could afford it, and they mandated it only to get bashed by everyone that it cost to much and we don't need it attitudes...NASCAR STILL INFORCED IT !!

I hate when people knock a racing series because someone dies, knowing that they are spending a ton of money to try and not make that happen. I also hate when they compare Racing Deaths to what has already happened, as the next time by could be another's life. What I hate most is when people look at the car of tomorrow and say it is a huge cost for teams....
Is the COT Safer ?...Is the COT more in-line with competition?...Is the COT a better bet for the lower budget teams?..
YES                      YES                                                  YES

Don't slam the Door when there is no wall to hold it up !!!     

The only ones who were making an issue out of the belts themselves were NASCAR. It was only later on that they focused on the way the belts were mounted...

Do you really think that ???
Or would you reply that NASCAR looked at the outcome and stated for the record that the seat belts could have been the issue... Politially correct when the only thing holding you in the car is the dam seat belts !!!
Insurance?  Tech?  Race Team?  Manufactures?  Sponsor of the Event?    The name NASCAR ?
....again...you will never know the truth, and the only guy that knows, is not talking !!!