Earnhardt Jr. has goal to get well, but wants to return to racing
Dale Earnhardt Jr. has no plans on retiring and hopes to be back in the race car for the Daytona 500 in February.
But there is of plenty of work to be done before that happens and Earnhardt admitted Sunday, “he doesn’t belong in a race car right now.”
“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. “I’m trying to focus and get well and normal. My thoughts and consideration (on driving) are on the back burner until I really see I feel normal. I want to get normal and have a good quality of life for many years. That is the first goal. I haven’t put a lot of thought in the future until I get well.”
The Hendrick Motorsports driver met with reporters Sunday at Darlington Raceway to update his progress two days after announcing he wouldn’t returning to the No. 88 car this season. Earnhardt’s still dealing with concussion-like systems suffered following a wreck in Michigan back in June. He drove in two races after that before stepping out of the car in July.
Dr. Micky Collins, the medical director of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Sports Concussion Program, joined Earnhardt for the news conference, along with car owner Rick Hendrick. Collins treated Earnhardt in 2012 after his concussion during a test session at Kansas Speedway. That forced Earnhardt to miss two races.
But Collins said Earnhardt’s condition is a lot worse this time and deemed him as “pretty sick.” Collins’ last meeting with Earnhardt was Aug. 24.
“My goal was to have Dale be a human being again and it is occurring in front of our eyes. He is having fewer and fewer symptoms,” Collins said. “Second goal is to become a race-car driver and I’m very excited about that prospect.”
So is Hendrick, who anticipates Earnhardt to return next season.
“We’ve got a lot of time between now and Daytona,” Hendrick said. “I saw him like two or three weeks ago and then I saw him last Monday and I saw him today, the improvements have been phenomenal and listening to the doctor, we are excited about Dale Earnhardt, Jr. being in the car at Daytona and we’ve got time. Excited about him racing beyond 2017.”
Jeff Gordon drove the No. 88 Sunday at Darlington, and either he, or Alex Bowman, will drive it for the rest of the year. Earnhardt said it was good being at the track and seeing familiar faces and being with his team members. But he doesn’t know how much time he’ll be around the garage for the rest of the season because he feels like he’s a “distraction.”
Earnhardt said he feels his best when he’s on the couch and loses about 20 percent when he leaves the house. Still, Earnhardt said his balance has improved greatly and said and he has been able to get out and make some of his sponsorship appearances.
Earnhardt credits his fiancé Amy Reimann with helping him and is optimistic for the future.
“I think I have some good years left. I’m as good as I have ever been inside the car. My ability to communicate and drive the car and get everything out of it, I feel very confident. I feel like I’m still an asset to the team and to the company,” Earnhardt said. “Rick likes to say we have unfinished business. I certainly feel the same way. We have races to win. We went through this process in 2012. It was very scary and difficult. We got well and I had some of the greatest years and racing experiences of my career shortly after that. And so, Micky is telling me that this is possible again, and I believe it.”
This story was originally published September 4, 2016 at 5:56 PM with the headline "Earnhardt Jr. has goal to get well, but wants to return to racing."