Dale Earnhardt Jr, the son of the legendary Dale Earnhardt, returned to racing in February 2017 after he had to miss half the races the previous year due to concussions. He raced his final season that year in NASCAR, giving 22 glorious years to the sport. After his fight with the repeated concussions, his wife Amy opened up about Dale’s arduous recovery journey.

Through the years, Dale was involved in multiple crashes. And over time, he received concussions as those crashes piled up. It all started in 2012 when he had to be sidelined because of a concession for the first time. And eventually, Dale had to give up half of the 2016 season for the same reason.

In 2017, Dale’s wife Amy spoke about how it was a scary time for them. In an interview with USA TODAY Sports, she said, “It was a scary thing. He was terrified. He was terrified more that he would not be able to function as a human being again and enjoy life. Racing wasn’t even a thought.”

Amy mentions how with each passing day she had to keep Dale motivated to not give up. After a while, when the rehabilitation started working and Dale started feeling better, he started thinking about racing again. She also states that she was nervous about the whole racing idea, but she says she couldn’t ask Dale to quit.

Read More: Brandon Brown Questions Dale Earnhardt Jr’s Team and NASCAR’s Leadership After the Noah Gragson Fiasco

“When he started feeling better and racing became an option again, he got excited, and that helped propel him,” she said. “For the rest of us, I think it made us a little nervous about what if this (concussion) happens again. Of course, that’s not something you can say to him. It’s more or less his decision.”

How did Dale Earnhardt Jr meet Amy Reimann?

They met back in 2008 when Amy was a part of an interior design team for Earnheardt Jr.’s new house.

Amy reveals that she didn’t know what he looked like before that particular meeting. She had heard about him on tv before but she says she couldn’t care less about it. She also said that Dale was a shy but kind person.

“He’s a very good singer. He’s shy and introverted, but he likes to sing karaoke.”

Watch This Story: Most Famous Celebrity Friends of Dale Earnhardt Jr

How would you sum up Dale’s career compared to that of his father? Let us know about it in the comments below.