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Dale Earnhardt might have survived slamming into a concrete wall at the Daytona 500 if his lap belt had not broken, a NASCAR doctor said.
Earnhardt probably was thrust into the steering wheel because he wasn’t fully supported, said Dr. Steve Bohannon, head of emergency medical services at the Daytona track.
The seat belt problem — which officials said they had never seen in a half-century of NASCAR racing — was disclosed yesterday.
"Mr. Earnhardt more than likely contacted the steering wheel with his chest and his face," said Bohannon, among several safety workers who tried to save Earnhardt’s life as the driver sat slumped in the wreckage. "It appears that probably his chin struck the steering column in such a way that the forces were transferred ... into the base of the skull.
"If his restraint system — his belts — had held, he would have had a much better chance of survival."
Earnhardt died instantly Sunday from a skull fracture that ran from the front to the back of his brain.
The belt the seven-time Winston Cup champion was wearing as part of his harness came apart near a buckle.
"We don’t know how, when or where, yet," NASCAR president Mike Helton said at a news conference. "We will continue our investigation."
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
 Uconn women roll on: Christine Rigby scored 21 points and Shea Ralph added 19 as No. 3 Connecticut celebrated senior night with a 118-44 rout of St. John’s last night in Storrs, Conn.
The Huskies (24-2, 14-1 Big East) opened the second half with a 46-2 run to surpass last year’s 72-point win over Hampton in the NCAA tournament. St. John’s fell to 8-19, 3-12).
Flanked by her parents and supported by crutches, UConn’s Svetlana Abrosimova hobbled into Gampel Pavilion for senior night. Oleg and Ludmila Abrosimov had never been out of Russia until this week. A foot injury on Feb. 2 ended Abrosimova’s college career.
NFL FOOTBALL
Chiefs release All-Pro: Running back Kimble Anders, a three-time Pro Bowler, was released by the Kansas City Chiefs yesterday.
Anders, who had spent his entire 10-year career with the Chiefs, never recorded more than 400 rushing yards in a single season but went to the Pro Bowl as a fullback for his blocking and receiving.
Anders, 34, is 12th on the Chiefs’ all-time rushing list with 2,261 yards. His 369 receptions are the most ever by a Chiefs running back.
SPORTSWEAR
Nike shoes recalled: Nike has recalled about 225,000 pairs of cross-training shoes after receiving 16 reports of people who were cut on the legs by a metal strip on the shoes.
The Jordan Trunner LX and Jordan Trunner 2000 shoes have a thin metal strip on the outside of the heel that can protrude and form a sharp edge. The 4-inch strip is encased in plastic.
Several people required stitches after being cut.
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Bill Lee, former Boston Red Sox pitcher, on the baseball:
"A common bond forms between you and this white sphere, a bond based on mutual trust. The ball promises not to fly over too many walls after you have politely served it up to enemy hitters, and you assure it that you will not allow those same batters to treat the ball in a harsh or violent manner."
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