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DAYTONA BEACH, FL – FEBRUARY 19: Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 Nationwide Chevrolet, stands on the grid during qualifying for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series 59th Annual DAYTONA 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 19, 2017 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
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DAYTONA BEACH, FL – FEBRUARY 19: Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 Nationwide Chevrolet, stands on the grid during qualifying for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series 59th Annual DAYTONA 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 19, 2017 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
The former NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr, and the owner of JR Motorsports, came in front of the media following their team’s win. In that coverage, Bob Pockrass asked Dale Jr to shed some light on the potential return of the veteran NASCAR Cup Series driver Kurt Busch.
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Busch is still recovering from concussion-like symptoms during a qualifying crash at Pocono Raceway. Thereafter, he will sit out for the remaining NASCAR’s regular season.
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When Pockrass asked Dale Jr about Kurt Busch, he replied, “I think the similarities between my situation in 2016 and his are very similar. There’s just no time when these things going to come together for him. He could wake up tomorrow and be completely, you know a big giant step further closer to one hundred percent or it could take time. You just don’t know. It’s just, one day you wake up and the wires are back together and it doesn’t make any sense.”
He also added, “He can’t and won’t come back until he’s hundred percent. There’s not a situation that he could try to come in and rough it out being eighty or ninety percent. The other thing too, it’s important to make sure the public knows, that the doctors make choices for him. He has left it at their hands now.”
Dale Earnhardt Jr. came to the media center as the winning owner and after he answered some questions about the win and JRM, I wanted to get his perspective on Kurt Busch and when he could return.
What Dale Jr. said: pic.twitter.com/i3MMpqXw5S
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) August 20, 2022
With a response like that, Dale Jr wants the fans and media to hold on as health should be the utmost priority for a NASCAR driver. Also, it definitely feels like Kurt has a couple of years to compete in the series. So, Busch should take his time to be a hundred percent fit.
READ MORE: Dale Earnhardt Jr Condemns the Claims of NASCAR Drivers Retiring Younger Than They Are Supposed To
Dale Earnhardt Jr forced to retire because of his concussion
Back in 2017, #88 driver, Dale Jr announced his retirement majorly because of his concussion problems. He faced a total of 20 concussions in his career.
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SPARTA, KENTUCKY – JULY 07: Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 Nationwide Children’s Hospital Chevrolet, stands on the grid during qualifying for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Quaker State 400 presented by Advance Auto Parts at Kentucky Speedway on July 7, 2017 in Sparta, Kentucky. (Photo by Sarah Crabill/Getty Images)
Although, the injuries became recurring in the later half of his career. The last one was the one at Michigan International Speedway in July 2016. Hence, no medical clearance was given for him to compete for the remaining of the 2016 season.
However, Dale Jr didn’t have any such lasting effects later on. As his key focus was on making himself a hundred percent better.
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Edited by
Jito Tenson