Dale Jr. update: ‘Confident about the future’ – Nascar

RELATED: Full injury timeline | Junior out for 2016

DARLINGTON, S.C. — Dale Earnhardt Jr. is continuing to make progress in his recovery from a concussion, and the Hendrick Motorsports driver says he has every intention of returning to competition once he receives medical clearance.

That, in a nutshell, was Earnhardt’s message during a visit to Darlington Raceway, site of Sunday night’s Bojangles’ Southern 500.

HMS officials announced the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver had not been cleared to compete for the rest of the 2016 season.

A process that has involved daily rehabilitation and re-evaluations every two weeks will continue under the watch of Dr. Micky Collins, medical director of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Sports Medicine Concussion Program, and Charlotte neurosurgeon Dr. Jerry Petty.

Sunday’s race at Darlington marked the seventh missed race for Earnhardt since the initial diagnosis was made in mid-July.

Earnhardt said the news that he wouldn’t be cleared to race again this season did not come as a surprise.

“I know how I feel and how I need to feel and how I’m supposed to feel so I’m not shocked,” Earnhardt, 41, said. “I’m not hearing things from Micky that I don’t already know about myself. … (But) I am confident about the future.”

Earnhardt has been down this road before, having missed two races in 2012 after suffering a concussion in a wreck during a test at Kansas Speedway. That experience, he said, was reason enough to believe he would be back behind the wheel sooner rather than later.

“When we first went to see Micky, I anticipated the experience to be similar to what I had in the past,” he said. “That we would work on getting better and it would happen in a relatively short period of time and I would drive a car before the end of the season.

“I think as we continued to go get evaluated we realized that it is going to be a bit more of a process … I think it’s the right decision considering how I feel personally and physically. I definitely don’t belong in a race car today by any stretch of the imagination.”

Earnhardt’s condition continues to improve, and Collins said it has accelerated since the decision to end his season now was made.

“I don’t think it’s a coincidence that since we made that decision we are starting to see a lot of progress here that I’m excited about,” Collins said.

“We sat down and I feel very strongly the right decision was made to take Dale out of racing, so we can focus on getting him better and reduce the stress that is associated with that. Stress and concussions don’t get along well and we see stress can really exacerbate and worsen things.”

In his absence, Earnhardt’s No. 88 Chevrolet has been driven by Jeff Gordon and Alex Bowman. The two will continue in their respective fill-in roles for the rest of the season.

Team owner Rick Hendrick has preached patience from the outset, and continued to stress that the driver’s seat remains the property of Earnhardt for as long as he wishes to race.

“We were talking before he had to get out of the car about (contract) extensions,” Hendrick said. “I want him to race with me as long as he can and he wants to be there. The seat is his and I expect, we’ve got a lot of time between now and Daytona.

“I saw him like two or three weeks ago and then I saw him last Monday and I saw him today; the improvements have been phenomenal and listening to the doctor we are excited about Dale Earnhardt Jr. being in the car at Daytona and we’ve got right much time. I’m excited about him racing beyond 2017.”

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It’s a goal Earnhardt said he has every intention of reaching. Not returning isn’t something he thinks about.

“I have the passion and desire to drive; I enjoy it,” he said. “I have an amazing team and owner. … My heart is there to continue.

“I’m only 41; I think I have some good years left.”

Collins had told him before, when he was injured in 2012, that he would recover and go on to win races. “And he was right,” Earnhardt said.

“We got well and I had some of the greatest years and greatest experiences of my career shortly after that.

“He’s telling me that this is possible again and I believe it.”