NASCAR: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Medically Cleared For 2017
NASCAR will have their 14-time most popular driver back in 2017 after it was announced that Dale Earnhardt Jr. has been medically cleared to race come the start of the 2017 NASCAR season
It has been a long road for Earnhardt Jr. after he missed the second half of the 2016 season while recovering from a concussion. When Earnhardt Jr. first stepped out of the No. 88 machine many thought it would only be for a race or two but that quickly turned into several before he announced he would not race again in 2016. Although Earnhardt Jr. has been cleared to return to action, he will not make his 2017 NASCAR debut until the Daytona 500 as Alex Bowman will be in the No. 88 machine for the Clash at Daytona on February 18th.
In a statement from Hendrick Motorsports, Earnhardt Jr. and Rick Hendrick spoke about the process, Earnhardt’s return to the track and Bowman driving the No. 88 machine in the Clash.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
I feel great, and I’m excited to officially be back. I expected things to go really well yesterday, and that’s exactly what happened. Actually getting in a race car was an important final step, and it gives me a ton of confidence going into 2017. Thanks to the staff at Darlington for hosting our team and to NASCAR for giving us the opportunity to put a car on the track. I’ll do more testing in January to help knock the rust off. When it’s time to go to Daytona, I’ll be ready.
Alex did such a great job in the car this year, and I felt like he deserved another opportunity. When I spoke with Rick and the team about him driving The Clash, everyone agreed that he more than earned it, and Nationwide was 100-percent on board. I’m really grateful to him and Jeff for what they did for our team, and I’m glad Alex is getting another run with us.
Rick Hendrick
Dale deserves so much credit. I’m proud of him for listening to his body and standing up to take responsibility for his health. He’s worked extremely hard and set a terrific example for others. It’s great news as we go into the off-season, and we can’t wait to see him back on the racetrack at Daytona.
Earnhardt Jr. was cleared after completing 185 laps in a test session at Darlington under the watchful eye of the No. 88 team. Earnhardt has also logged some 15 hours of driving via a race simulator in recent weeks as he worked to finally being cleared to get back into the car at Daytona.
While Junior Nation will be thrilled to see their driver in 2017, one has to be cautiously optimistic given the uncertainty of concussions and the real possibility that he could suffer another one at any point in 2017.
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