Dale Earnhardt Jr. reminds all of NASCAR just how brave he is
In his typically quiet way, Dale Earnhardt Jr. reminded us all how brave he really is during an intense 30-minute press conference Friday at Watkins Glen International.
You have to be brave to drive a race car; that much is a given.
But facing your own physical limitations, your own fears and frustrations, and talking about them openly and honestly while still recovering from the effects of a serious concussion? That takes balls, folks. Kudos to Earnhardt for tackling a tough and emotional subject in front of the media, the TV cameras and the entire social media world.
The CliffsNotes version of what Earnhardt had to say was this:
He is absolutely committed to racing again.
He has not given any thought to retirement.
He's following medical advice to the letter.
He's as frustrated as his fans are by missing races.
And last, but not least, he'll be back behind the wheel of the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet when the doctors say so, and not a minute before.
That alone is to be commended.
Too often in the history of this sport, drivers have rushed their returns when they were injured. Remember when Ricky Rudd ran the 1984 Daytona 500 with his swollen eyelids literally duct-taped wide-open? And then think of guys like Ernie Irvan, Ricky Craven and Steve Park who had to deal with neurological issues when trying to come back.
Or even Earnhardt's father, who started the 1996 Brickyard 400 with a broken sternum.
Junior is doing absolutely the right thing by listening to his doctors and waiting until he is 100 percent healthy to come back.
You know NASCAR and the track operators and TV networks want him back ASAP.
You know his fans want him back ASAP.
You know his team wants him back ASAP.
You know he wants to be back ASAP.
But he's doing the right thing by sitting out.
And he's doing something just as important: He's talking about his problem and telling anyone who's listening that it's OK to delay getting back in if it will make him healthy in the long run. That's a critical message.
"It's really hard, as a driver, to say that you've got a problem," said Earnhardt. "And it's hard to tell someone what to do in that situation. It's hard because you basically put yourself out there to be pulled out of the car. But man, your quality of life is so important. Your health beyond your driving career is so important.
"If you plan on having a family, or have a family already, those things are going to be a priority," Earnhardt said. "There are so many reasons to do the right thing and go ahead and get the help you need and get back in the car, when you're healthy."
That's an important message.
And for his millions of fans, Earnhardt ended his press conference on a decidedly upbeat note.
"As soon as I can get healthy and get confident in how I feel and feel like I can drive a car and be great driving it then I want to drive," he said. "I want to race. I miss the competition. I miss being here. I miss the people and as (team owner) Rick (Hendrick) likes to say, 'We've got unfinished business.' I'm not ready to stop racing. I'm not ready to quit.
"But, I'm not going to go in the car until the doctors clear me. The doctors won't let me race. This is not my decision, but it's the right decision and I trust what my doctors are telling me. When they say I'm good to go I believe them. If they say I'm healthy and I can race I'm going to race."
A lot of people are looking forward to that day.
But only when it's time.
Get well, Dale Jr.
The cars and the teams and the tracks and the fans will be here when you get back.
