TMS president Eddie Gossage applauded Earnhardt for putting his health first, although acknowledged it is a void in the racing world.
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Dr. Collins, the medical director of the University of Pittsburgh Sports Medicine Concussion Program, is quite familiar with his high-profile patient.
“We have very specific treatments that can treat these different problems that Dale’s experiencing”.
In the time since, Earnhardt has been very open about his symptoms.
Hendrick Motorsports announced earlier this week that Earnhardt had not been cleared to return to racing and will miss the rest of the season.
Earnhardt should give a hard look at all those former giants of the National Football League whose brains were addled by one brutal hit after another, who died far too young or lived out their years in the cruel isolation of dementia.
Earnhardt reportedly hopes that he gets the green light from his doctors to return to his longtime passion and profession in time for the upcoming Daytona 500 race in February.
“My heart wants me to continue and wants me to continue to be working with the guys I’ve got”, Earnhardt said. I’m very confident we’re moving in that direction. That decision alleviates Earnhardt’s concerns about pressure to return ASAP.
Collins said the decision to have Earnhardt sit out the remaining 12 races was made to alleviate any stress Earnhardt may have been feeling to return and focus exclusively on his recovery. I think I’m as good as I’ve been inside the vehicle. Now, the only thing I can’t do is race. “I feel like I’m still an asset to the team and company”.
Earnhardt has missed the last six Sprint Cup races due to concussion-like symptoms. He also noted he was now completing all of his sponsor requirements and appearances.
In a statement released Friday, team owner Rick Hendrick said, “I know how hard Dale has worked and how frustrating this is for him”.
“He’s going through vision therapy, he’s going through exercise therapy”, Collins said. But the past couple of weeks, I’ve gotten to feel a lot more comfortable. “But I’ve got to put myself through those situations for that to sort of correct itself”.
Vehicle owner Rick Hendrick said the sponsors have unanimously backed Earnhardt’s cautious, get entirely well approach without squawking.
“She even does the exercises that I’m doing just to be healthy herself”, Earnhardt commented.
“I spent four months rehabilitating and the process was tedious, exhausting, repetitive, repetitively redundant”, Craven said. I’m 100% focused on my recovery, and I will continue to follow everything the doctors tell me. I’m only 41 and I think I have some good years left. Nobody wanted to rush things just to get into a race vehicle just to try to prove something.
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NASCAR then said doctors at infield care centers could require drivers to undergo CT scans or MRIs if they suspected a concussion.
