“And if my doctor says that I’m physically able to continue, that’s an easier decision for me to make”. The rehab and recovery is being headed by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s Sports Medicine Concussion Program.
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Here’s how the final race schedule will break down.
What has happened this year – from the time in March that Earnhardt said he would donate his brain to science until Friday’s announcement from Hendrick Motorsports that he was through for the year – has underscored Earnhardt’s insistence on taking full ownership of his health and his willingness to speak openly of what he has learned about the dangers and mysteries of concussions.
Jeff Gordon is also being used as a replacement driver for Earnhardt the rest of the season, but Gossage jokingly guessed why the future Hall of Famer opted not to run at Texas. Jeff Gordon will drive for Earnhardt at the Southern 500 later Sunday.
The key part of the recovery process, Dr. Collins said, is that Earnhardt is no longer fighting the symptoms that bother him, he’s fighting back.
The 41-year-old driver was not cleared to compete for the rest of the season, due to ongoing medical issues from a concussion. “We got well and I had some of the greatest years and some of the greatest experiences of my career shortly after that”. My thoughts and consideration (on driving) are on the back burner until I really see I feel normal.
DARLINGTON, S.C. (AP) Dale Earnhardt Jr. returned to Sprint Cup success after a concussion in 2012.
“I know how hard Dale has worked and how frustrating this is for him”, team owner Rick Hendrick said in the release. “Mickey told me that I would one day be well and I would win races again and he was right, he’s telling me that this is possible again and I believe it”, Dale Earnardt Jr. said.
“It’s sad to see that he’s not going to be able to get back in the vehicle in 2016 because, as a race-car driver, that’s where you want to be”, said Elliott Sadler, who drives for Earnhardt in the Xfinity Series. Alex Bowman will finish out the races after those.
In addition to Sunday’s race, Gordon will be behind the wheel of the No. 88 for races at Richmond (Sept. 10), Dover (Oct. 2) and Martinsville (Oct. 30). “That we would work on getting better and it would happen in a relatively short period of time and I would drive a auto before the end of the season”.
Collins said Earnhardt has made progress but is not fully healed.
“I miss my guys, I miss the garage, I miss all of you folks (in the media)”, he said. We want to be healthy and be able to compete at some point. “There are still a lot of things we don’t know”.
Earnhardt has missed six races already with concussion-related symptoms. When you watch practice on TV, or the watch the (Sprint Cup) race on Sunday, and he’s not in the race auto, it affects us.
“I definitely don’t belong in a race auto today by any stretch of the imagination”, Earnhardt said. In Earnhardt’s absence, four-time Cup Series champion Gordon, 45, filled in at Indianapolis, Pocono, Watkins Glen and Bristol.
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Bill Elliott won the Most Popular Driver award a record 16 times.
