Hendrick Motorosports’ owner Rick Hendrick met with media prior to the start of the New Hampshire 301 to talk about Dale Earnhardt, Jr’s possible concussion:
CAN YOU TELL US HOW DALE EARNHARDT JR IS DOING? HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO FIGURE OUT IF HE HAS HAD A CONCUSSION, OR NOT?
‘I’m not a doctor, but he’s running through a bunch of tests and he’s going to have some more tests the first of the week. He’s doing good. He wants to be in the car. The doctors are going to tell him when it’s okay for him to be back. And so, I know he’s anxious. We want him back as soon as the doctors give him clearance.’
DO YOU IMAGINE JEFF GORDON WOULD CONTINUE IF JUNIOR’S PROBLEMS CONTINUE?
‘I would think so. I haven’t talked to him about it. We’re just taking it a week at a time. Hopefully Dale’s going to be back next week and it’s not even something that we really think is going to happen. But if it does, Jeff is a team player and he wants to support the organization, and I’m sure he’ll do whatever he has to do.’
SINCE THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT DALE HAS HAD TO GET OUT OF THE CAR FOR THIS ISSUE, IS THERE ANY CONCERN ON YOUR PART THAT SOMETHING MORE SERIOUS WOULD GO ON THAT WOULD CURTAIL OR SHORTEN HIS CAREER?
‘I don’t think so. He and I talked about years beyond next year. And just around, I guess it was Daytona, if there was something major wrong, I think they would have seen it already. So, I’m very hopeful and he’s very hopeful. And I think the doctors want to err on the side of being sure because we want him for a long time. He loves the fans. He loves the sport. He loves to race.’
IS THERE A TIMETABLE FOR A DECISION ON INDIANAPOLIS?
‘I think probably by late Tuesday afternoon, Wednesday morning we’ve got to know. So, we will get that decision then and then we will go to plan B.’
See the full interview transcript on the Rick Hendrick transcript page. (Chevy Racing PR)
