10 Years After

Daytona 500 THEN (1960) and NOW (2010) Top qualifying speed:
Then: 151.556 mph
Now: 191.188 mph Cars on track:
Then: 68
Now: 43 Approximate race-car cost:
Then: $5000
Now: $250,000 1st Place Winnings:
Then: $19,600
Now: $1,514,649 Margin of Victory:
Then: 23 sec.
Now: 119 sec. Safety measures implemented by NASCAR since Earnhardt's death:

• Full-face helmets must be worn by all drivers.
• Head-and-neck restraints (HANS devices) must be worn by all drivers.
• SAFER barriers (soft walls) were installed at all major NASCAR-sanctioned oval tracks.
• Six-point racing harnesses replaced traditional five-point restraints.
• NASCAR's "car of tomorrow" began development with a focus on driver safety; the car is used by the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series today.

Number of race-car driver fatalities at Daytona International prior to Dale Earnhardt's death: 22
Since Earnhardt's death: 0