Hendrick Motorsports will provide an update next week on Earnhardt’s status for the July 24 race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
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Earnhardt sat out this weekend’s New Hampshire 301 because of a concussion.
USA Today reports the 44-year-old might be called into racing action since Chevrolet’s Dale Earnhardt Jr.is dealing with concussion-related symptoms and might not be allowed to race.
“My understanding was, Dale was told that he shouldn’t race”, Duchardt said.
“Because of my symptoms and my history with concussions, and after my recent wrecks at MI and Daytona, I reached out and met with a neurological specialist”, Earnhardt said in a statement released by Hendrick Motorsports.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.is suffering from balance issues and nausea, but a test that measures his cognitive function showed optimistic results, the Hendrick Motorsports driver said Sunday night.
If Earnhardt is unable to race at Indianapolis, the team announced Thursday that Jeff Gordon will fill in. He is working as a race analyst for Fox Sports, which just completed its portion of the NASCAR schedule before NBC picked up starting with the July 2 race at Daytona International Speedway. In his 23-year NASCAR career, Gordon won four championships and a total of 93 races.
Back in August, Bristol Motor Speedway was honored Gordon with a grandstand of his very own.
For Earnhardt to be eligible for a Chase for the Sprint Cup berth, he would need a waiver to have missed a race during the regular season. There is no timetable for his return.
“I just want him to feel good when he gets back in the vehicle”. I saw a family doctor and was given medicine for allergies and a sinus infection.
“I’m going to continue to work with my doctors to understand more about the injury and how to treat it”, Earnhardt Jr. said.
Hendrick said when he first asked Gordon about driving, he thought he was joking. If Dale is not able to go at Indy, we will put Jeff Gordon in the vehicle. After further evaluation, it was decided Earnhardt had to sit.
“He thought I was kidding at first”, Hendrick said.
By missing the race, Earnhardt dropped from 14th to 16th in the Chase-qualifying standings, with his cushion on the first driver outside the provisional Chase cutoff, Trevor Bayne, dropping from 32 points to 14 points. “This kind of thing can beat you down and get you sad, but I’ve got a lot of good people around me and a lot of people supporting me”. NASCAR mandated in 2013 for drivers to submit a baseline neurocognitive assessment.
Earnhardt had already pledged his brain to the Concussion Legacy Foundation. It is expected he would get one, but Hendrick said he hasn’t even applied for one yet, as the focus remains on Earnhardt’s health.
Gordon, who retired following the 2015 season, was contacted by Hendrick after news of Earnhardt’s problems became known. “We need him for the long pull”. Bowman had a top-10 run going before hitting the wall with a flat tire, finishing 26th.
“It was fantastic”, Bowman said after the race.
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Kyle Busch was second, followed by Martin Truex Jr., Kurt Busch and Denny Hamlin.
