Marlin receives death threats over Daytona crash.

Stirling Marlin has been sent death threats by 'fans' blaming him for the loss of Dale Earnhardt in the Daytona 500.

Speaking at a teleconference yesterday, Marlin revealed that threats had been sent to him by phone, fax and even to his website, following Sundays accident.

Stirling Marlin has been sent death threats by 'fans' blaming him for the loss of Dale Earnhardt in the Daytona 500.

Speaking at a teleconference yesterday, Marlin revealed that threats had been sent to him by phone, fax and even to his website, following Sundays accident.

The threats have been issued because of the contact between Earnhardt and Marlin immediately prior to the crash. Marlin had been attempting to pass Earnhardt on the inside going into the final corner, when the two touched.

"We were just racing our guts out on the last lap of the Daytona 500," explained an understandably distraught Marlin. "Dale was trying, everybody was trying to win. We barely got together in turn three but he got it straightened out and I said 'alright, we'll go on.'"

"I was on the bottom, as low as I could go, and when Rusty (Wallace) pulled up behind him it might have got him loose. We barely touched a little bit and it sent us both onto the apron. He over-corrected and shot back up the race track."

"It was pure luck, I guess. I caught it just right," said Marlin, when asked how he had avoided crashing. "When you run across the apron at 180 (mph) at Daytona you don't generally come back."

Marlin had a simply answer when asked what he thought the motive behind the threats was: "It's just people that (are) frustrated and looking for somebody to blame."

Despite the threats, Marlin has been helped through the last few days by the support he has received from the NASCAR community.

"There has been an outpouring of support from drivers, NASCAR, fans, Earnhardt's people, Childress' people. They have told me, 'hold your head up; there was nothing you could'a done. That makes me feel a ton better," he said.

Race winner, and DEI driver, Michael Waltrip has already made his views on the matter of blame clear: "I hope that people will remember Sterling during this time. They made contact, there's no denying that, but I did not see it being anyone's fault. It was hard racing on the last lap."

"If people come back to their senses and listen to what everyone's saying, use common sense and look at the tape, everything will be OK," stressed Marlin.

He then added: "As far as Rockingham, I'd like to dominate the race and win it and dedicate it to Dale and his family."

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