Earnhardt report to call for safety changes

Earnhardt was killed during February's Daytona 500 after hitting the wall on the entry of Turn 4. Recommendations from the report into the crash are due to be released on August 21, but were leaked last week to American newspaper the Orlando Sentinel.

Reports suggest that a deformable structure will be introduced into the noses of stock cars in order to reduce the amount of energy transferred by the cars' steel tube frames to the driver in the event of a front end accident, similar to Earnhardt's.

Crushable structures could be inserted into the space between the front bumper and the engine bay, but such design changes have always been resisted in the past in order to retain the simplicity of stock car design.

The NASCAR report is also expected to concur with the verdict of independent court-appointed expert Dr Barry Myers, that Earnhardt's death was caused by the severity of the deceleration when he hit the wall and not a broken lap belt.

Despite widespread reluctance to change the design regulations, Triple Winston Cup champion Jeff Gordon believes changes do need to be made.

"If you hit [the wall] on the right front," he said, "the structure is not the best it can possibly be. It's an area that we need to work on."

NASCAR refused to confirm whether reports on the findings were true, but the official results of the investigation are expected to be announced next week. Studies have already been made into introducing safer carbon fibre seats by PPI Motorsports chief Cal Wells, but he believes the introduction of deformable structures will take some time.

"I don't believe changes can be made in time for next season," he said.