Whatever else Dale Sr. was, he was also a fallible human being subject, at times, to questionable judgement — just like every other human being ever born. He had his own, out-of-date approach to his personal safety. Unfortunately, many people in the garage area copied him, including his own son.
Dale Sr. was opposed to the head-and-neck restraints when they were invented. Had he not been, perhaps many more drivers would have started using them earlier, and maybe some lives — including Dale Sr's — would have been saved.
Woulda, coulda, shoulda. Don't get me wrong, I'm in no way blaming Dale Sr. for anything. He called it honestly, like he saw it, and hindsight is always 20-20.
Nevertheless, Vigilantcitize is right. When it came to safety equipment, Dale Sr. was his own worst enemy.
Senior started out on dirt tracks, wearing nothing but jeans, a T shirt and a helmet. I still miss him very much.