#88-Dale Earnhardt, Jr. met with members of the media Sunday afternoon at Darlington Raceway. He was joined by team owner Rick Hendrick and Dr. Mikey Collins. Some notes:
Earnhardt, Jr.:
Recovery is going good and he’s noticing improvements.
His balance is miles better than it was.
He’s looking forward to getting well and definitely on the right track.
He expected a shorter recovery time, but says he still doesn’t belong in a racecar by any stretch of the imagination.
There’s no reason to risk getting back in the car and getting into a situation where all the hard work is reversed.
He is doing all sponsor commitments. The only thing he can’t do is race.
‘I haven’t really put a lot of thought into the future until I get well. My heart wants me to continue. I’m only 41. I have some good years left. I’m as good as I’ve ever been, inside the car.’
Dr. Collins:
Concussion research has come a long way. When he first saw Earnhardt, Jr. he ‘was pretty sick’, but he has been a model patient.
Earnhardt, Jr. is feeling better and having fewer symptoms, but is not back to normal.
Taking him out of the car the rest of the year will reduce stress. ‘Stress and concussion don’t get along well.
They are starting to see a lot of progress since the decision was made to sit out the remainder of the season.
He says, ‘I am positive we will get Dale back to being a race car driver.’
Hendrick:
‘We’re excited about Dale Earnhardt being in the car at Daytona,’ and the team is looking forward to long future with him.
There’s a lot of time between now and Daytona, when it comes to figuring out the future of the #88.
Sponsors have been good to work with. They care about Earnhardt, Jr. personally and want to see him get better.
Transcript see a full record of the press conference on the Dale Earnhardt, Jr. press conference transcript page.
