Nascar – Dale Earnhardt Jr receives medical green light to race

Voted fan favorite driver for the 14th consecutive year, Dale Earnhardt Jr. received another piece of news that he had been waiting for for several weeks: the medical green light to be able to get back behind the wheel. The American took part in a 185-lap test, which proved successful at Darlington Raceway.

Absent from the seat of his No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet since mid-season due to symptoms linked to a concussion, Dale Earnhardt Jr will be at the start of the Daytona 500 on February 26 in Florida.

“Dale is one of the hardest working patients I have ever met, comments Dr. Micky Collins, medical director of the UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

He has done everything we asked, and we believe he is ready to race again at a professional level and can withstand the normal forces experienced by a racing driver. Dale has been very open with us, and we have had plenty of time for his treatment, so we are confident about his long-term prospects and the management by everyone involved. »

“I feel good, and I'm excited to officially come back, admits Dale Jr, who logged 15 hours in the simulator during his convalescence. I expected things to go really well yesterday (during testing), and that's exactly what happened.

Actually getting back into a race car was a big step, and it gives me a lot of confidence for 2017. Thanks to the Darlington team for welcoming our team and to the Nascar for giving us the opportunity to put a car on the track. I'll do more testing in January to get back into the swing of things. I'll be ready for Daytona. »

Alex Bowman will, however, be fielded in the opening event of The Clash season, held outside the championship, on February 18.