“I’ve struggled with my balance over the last four or five days, and I definitely wouldn’t have been able to drive a race vehicle this weekend”, Earnhardt said in a recording made Sunday night.
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Jeff Gordon is returning to Sprint Cup racing, as he replaces Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the next two races. Earnhardt has not been cleared by physicians to compete. That race marked the first time since the 1979 Southern 500 that a Sprint Cup race did not feature a Gordon or an Earnhardt.
He grew up in Pittsboro, Indiana and has a record six wins at Pocono and five at the Brickyard.
Jeff’s a team player. This weekend, he will drive the No. 88 Axalta Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports. “Download” podcast, saying he had been struggling with balance and nausea in the days leading up to the New Hampshire event. His ImPACT test, a cognitive examination that among other things tests memory and reaction time, showed results equal to his most recent baseline test, Earnhardt said.
Sunday’s race will be aired at 3 p.m. on NBCSN.
Then Earnhardt hinted that he likely would not be able to get back in the vehicle by Indy.
Gordon will enter the weekend with 93 career Sprint Cup Series wins. “I know he’ll be ready, and I know Dale has incredible trust in him”.
“We wish the circumstances were different, but we’re thrilled anytime we see Jeff Gordon on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval and know our fans will love seeing him race again”, said IMS Doug Boles. It’s going to be an emotional weekend [at Indianapolis] with Dale not being there and seeing Jeff back behind the wheel.
By missing Indianapolis, Earnhardt most likely will fall from 16th in the Chase-qualifying standings to outside the bubble to make the 16-driver Chase.
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Earnhardt, who had two concussions in 2012, has said he will donate his brain to scientific research after he dies. Alex Bowman, who drives part-time for Earnhardt’s JR Motorsports in the Xfinity Series, filled in at New Hampshire and finished 26th, although Earnhardt said the result didn’t reflect the great job Bowman did.
