Earnhardt Jr. Believes Father’s Seat Belt Broke

Dale Earnhardt Jr. believes the seat belt in his father’s car was broken during his fatal accident, brushing aside claims by a rescue worker that the belt was intact when emergency crews arrived at the car.

“I believe that the belt broke and I will always believe that,” Earnhardt Jr. said Tuesday in Concord, N.C. “I’m not discarding anyone’s statement as fiction, but there are always going to be two sides. I believe the belt broke.”

Dale Earnhardt was killed in an accident on the final turn of the Daytona 500. Five days after the Feb. 18 crash, NASCAR officials said they discovered a broken seat belt in Earnhardt’s crumpled car. After interviewing rescuers on the scene, NASCAR determined it had not been cut.

Tommy Propst, a firefighter and emergency medical technician who was one of the first on the scene, told the Orlando Sentinel last weekend that the belt was in one piece when he got to the car and he struggled to pull open the buckle before finally releasing it.

Miscellany

Dave Hilton Jr., convicted in March of sexually assaulting two young sisters, was stripped of his World Boxing Council super-middleweight title. . . . Former boxing champion Pernell Whitaker said that a mixture of medication and alcohol caused a seizure that sent him to the hospital Sunday, two days after his first fight in more than two years.

The NCAA denied Arizona’s request for a review of rules that prohibit the Wildcats from signing any more basketball recruits for the 2001-02 season. . . . Ricky Bower, who averaged 4.3 points in 23 games as a sophomore last season, is transferring from Wisconsin to Brigham Young. . . . Sophomore Nicole Funn, who averaged 11.2 points and 5.3 rebounds last season, has left the Oregon State women’s program for personal reasons.

Norway’s Christian Ruud upset top-seeded Jan-Michael Gambil, 7-5, 3-6, 6-2, in the first round of the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championships at Houson. . . . Qualifier Werner Eschauer of Austria upset top-seeded Yevgeny Kafelnikov of Russia, 6-7 (2), 7-5, 6-3, in the first round of the BMW Open tournament at Munich, Germany. . . . Top-seeded Andrei Pavel of Romania was upset in the first round of the Mallorca Open at Palma de Mallorca, Spain, losing to Felix Mantilla, 4-6, 7-6 (2), 7-5. . . . Eighth-seeded Justine Henin of Belgium defeated Anne-Gaelle Sidot of France, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-2, in the first round of the Betty Barclay Cup at Hamburg, Germany.

Sheryl Swoopes of the Houston Comets, the WNBA’s most valuable player last season, underwent surgery to repair a torn cruciate ligament in her left knee and is expected to return for the 2002 season. . . . UCLA senior Mohini Bhardwaj is the Honda Award winner for gymnastics.

Rookie Brian Ching scored with two minutes to play as the Galaxy defeated 10-time Mexican First Division champion Chivas Rayadas de Guadalajara, 2-1, in an exhibition at Mexico City. . . . Plans to rebuild Wembley Stadium in London are in disarray, with the Football Assn. unable to pay for the $665-million project and the government refusing to cover the cost. . . . A 55th-minute goal by Brazilian Giovane Elber gave Bayern Munich a crucial 1-0 victory over defending champion Real Madrid at Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League semifinal. . . . All-time U.S. national team scoring leader Eric Wynalda probably will be traded by the winless New England Revolution to the Chicago Fire, his agent, Richard Motzkin, said.

Drushaun Humphrey, a top high school running back from Ohio who planned to play at Ohio State, collapsed during a pickup basketball game and died. . . . Friday night football, once reserved for high school, will now include college games after a decision by the NCAA to remove legislation restricting them.

The San Francisco 49ers have called a news conference for today to announce the appointment of Terry Donahue as general manager. Donahue will replace Bill Walsh, who will serve as a consultant. . . . Fullback Howard Griffith, a key to the Denver Broncos’ rushing attack for four seasons, agreed to a three-year, $4.3-million contract with the Broncos. . . . John Avery, a former first-round NFL draft pick who led the XFL in rushing with the Chicago Enforcers this spring, signed a free-agent contract with the Dallas Cowboys.