Collins treated Earnhardt in 2012 after his concussion during a test session at Kansas Speedway.
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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. Gordon is set to drive on Sunday in Darlington. I have an incredible team and owner.
Not really, at least not if you’ve been listening to what Earnhardt has been saying before and since he violently slammed into the wall at Michigan International Speedway that Sunday afternoon in June.
“As soon as I can get healthy and get confident in how I feel and feel like I can drive a vehicle and be great driving it, then I want to drive”, said Earnhardt, who missed two races in 2012 after suffering two concussions in six weeks.
After experiencing gradually worsening concussion-like symptoms dating to a wreck at Michigan International Speedway in June, Earnhardt sought medical help and exited the auto under doctors’ advice for the July 17 event at New Hampshire.
“I struggled with my eyes for a while”, Earnhardt said. If my doctor says that I’m physically able to continue, then that’s an easier decision for me to make. “We’ve got races to win”. I think this is one of those instances. I’m as good as I have ever been inside the vehicle. “I’m hoping that can help me get up to speed and help the team”.
“That’s why I feel in my heart of hearts that this is 50-50”. He will not drive in NASCAR’s final 18 races of the season.
Jeff Gordon drove the No. 88 Sunday at Darlington, and either he, or Alex Bowman, will drive it for the rest of the year. He has 26 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series wins, including two Daytona 500s and has finished in the top 10 in 42 percent of his races, according to ESPN. But he acknowledges the decision to return may not ultimately be his. He has visited experts in his continuing rehab efforts, and has been advised that racing is not the best option for his health.
That Earnhardt name, revered by millions will be missing from several races in the near future, at the same time Tony Stewart and Gordon wind down their careers for good.
While there has been speculation the injury would cause Earnhardt Jr.to choose retirement rather than a comeback, he said that scenario is not at this point an option.
There’s also the matter of having faith in Dr. Collins and his team at UPMC, as well as Charlotte neurosurgeon Dr.
“I know how hard Dale has worked and how frustrating this is for him”, said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports.
We’ll see. Daytona’s 5 months away, so time is certainly on his side. “When I first saw Dale, he was pretty sick”. Dale is a competitor.
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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.
