Dale Earnhardt Jr., who has been out of his race auto since July with a concussion, will miss the remainder of the NASCAR season, Hendrick Motorsports announced Friday morning.
Advertisement
Earnhardt is believed to have suffered the concussion in a June 12 crash at Michigan International Speedway and has been undergoing repeated evaluations, as well as treatment for issues with balance and visual focus.
Earnhardt has missed six races and will not drive in the season’s remaining 12 races.
“I wish I could return to the No. 88 team this season”, Earnhardt said via his team, Hendrick Motorsports.
“My heart is there to continue and if my doctor says I’m able, I’m physically able to that, it’s an easier decision for me to make”, Earnhardt said.
Earnhardt will have missed 18 races total but says he plans to be behind the wheel for the season-opening Daytona 500 next February. Jeff Gordon will replace him in Sunday night’s Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, and Gordon and Alex Bowman will split driving duties in the No. 88 Chevrolet for the rest of the year. Gordon will be in the auto Sunday for the Southern 500 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.
Given his age and the long-term affects associated with concussions nowadays, it’s fair to wonder how much longer Earnhardt will race.
“It’s a toss-up whether Dale Earnhardt Jr. competes again, at least full time, ever again in NASCAR”, Craven, now a NASCAR analyst for ESPN, said on SportsCenter shortly after Earnhardt’s press conference.
“The second goal is Dale becoming a race auto driver again, and I’m very confident that we’re moving in the right direction in that respect”. I think this is one of those instances.
Team owner Rick Hendrick is fully supportive of the long-term objective of Earnhardt’s and his doctors’ decision. “You want to be in your race vehicle competing week in and week out”. “We are obviously out of the Chase and all that stuff, but I’m not really concerned about that”.
Dr. Collins said the removal of the stress of worrying about when and if he would return to the track this season – actually made August 24 – has already accelerated Earnhardt’s recovery. I was thrilled to wake up one day and feel a difference. Who else could get four-time champion Gordon to come out of retirement as a substitute?
NASCAR fans, and more specifically Dale Earnhardt, Jr. fans received an update on Friday that some had considered, but many had not. I want to get normal and have a good quality of life for many years.
Speaking Aug. 5 at Watkins Glen, Earnhardt stressed he wanted to continue racing.
“But in the past couple of weeks, I’ve really gotten where I’ve gotten more comfortable about going out”.
“I think I have some good years left”.
“Rick likes to say we’ve got unfinished business and I certainly feel the same way”, Earnhardt said. He wants to be back in a race vehicle like no other.
While both Earnhardt and the doctors were seeing progress, it wasn’t enough to medically clear him in time for Richmond, the regular-season finale. We have races to win.
Advertisement
The specter of this plan not working out – yet another injury from light force or possibly an even longer rehabilitation process – looms despite the optimism and established expertise of Dr. Collins.
