"It's 10 drivers that lost their life" - Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s guest recalls tragic losses during his NASCAR tenure

Dale Earnhardt Jr. recently invited former NASCAR crew chief and team manager Gary Nelson to his podcast. Nelson opened up about his tenure as the Winston Cup Director, a period during which tragically, ten drivers lost their lives on the track.

Nelson, a West Coast Stock Car Racing Hall of Famer, achieved plenty of success in NASCAR, winning a championship with Bobby Allison and the prestigious Daytona 500 with Geoff Bodine for Hendrick Motorsports. However, his most significant contribution to the sport came through safety improvements following a tragic series of driver fatalities.

In a recent episode of The Dale Jr. Download, Gary Nelson reflected on his time as the Cup director, between 1991 to 2001, a period when NASCAR tragically lost ten drivers in the national series. Nelson brought a list with him and named all the drivers who passed away during that period, including Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s dad.

"I brought a list, it's not a good list. It's 10 drivers that lost their lives driving NASCAR cars, from 1991 to 2001..." he said on the podcast.

The list included the following drivers:

• Grant Adcox
• JD McDuffie
• John Nemechek
• Rodney Orr
• Neil Bonnett
• Clifford Allison
• Adam Petty
• Kenny Irwin
• Tony Roper
• Dale Earnhardt

Nelson elaborated on how the tragic incidents have left permanent scars. He recalled Rodney Orr's fatal crash during the 1994 Daytona 500 practice session, revealing that he had spoken with the driver just ten minutes before his life-ending crash.

"'91 to 2001, It's my watch. I knew them all, friends with them all. Had conversations with them about don't do it that way anymore, you know, try to steer their careers. Rodney Orr, for instance, it was ten minutes after I had a conversation with him that he died in practice at Daytona." he said

"Most of these I was at the car, at the accident scene. That leaves scars that don't go away." Nelson told Dale Earnhardt Jr.

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Gary Nelson discusses NASCAR's strides in safety with Dale Earnhardt Jr.

After the series of tragic on-track deaths, Nelson was promoted to Vice President of R&D in 2001, and was tasked with improving NASCAR's safety standards. He explained that involving John Melvin and seeking outside expertise was crucial in paving the way for these safety improvements.

Discussing the strides with Dale Earnhardt Jr., Nelson explained that most of the deaths were caused by basilar skull fractures. Implementing the HANS (Head and Neck Support) device was crucial in preventing these types of injuries and potential fatalities.

"Most of these names I read off, were Basal skull fractures. That's where your body stops and your head goes forward and it breaks the base of your skull. I learned a lot of things I didn't want to learn in that period of time. But in the end, going outside of our community for help was the biggest step." he told Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the podcast.

Since seven-time Cup champion Dale Earnhardt's tragic death in 2001, the NASCAR national series has witnessed zero fatalities.