Earnhardt the example of putting health first
There was a time when drivers raced injured, when nothing could get them to climb out of their seat.
The rules didn’t allow racers to be hurt; sitting out a week would be catastrophic in the point standings, and, ultimately, the payout. Not being able to drive with broken bones, blisters, burns, illness, any ailment at all, could derail a season. Even worse, it could cost a driver his job.
So it’s a testament to NASCAR that Dale Earnhardt Jr. felt strong enough last week to take himself out of his car because he couldn’t shake symptoms that could be concussion-related.
NASCAR’s most popular driver benched himself for Sunday’s race at New Hampshire. A few days later it was announced Earnhardt will not race again this month and the No. 88 car will be turned over to trusted former teammate Jeff Gordon for the next two weeks.
Gordon has not competed since retiring after the 2015 season finale.
Earnhardt will miss Sunday’s Brickyard 400 as well as next weekend’s race at Pocono. NASCAR’s most popular driver has been battling balance issues and nausea since a July 2 crash at Daytona.
Tales of drivers racing hurt date back to the beginning of nearly every series. On the same day Earnhardt was watching someone else drive his car in New Hampshire, IndyCar ace Josef Newgarden was powering through on the street course at Toronto with a broken hand. When he wrecked late in the race, his in-car camera caught Newgarden in serious pain and favouring his broken hand.
Don’t forget when Ricky Rudd raced with his swollen eyes taped open in the Daytona 500 or Richard Petty driving for weeks with a severe neck injury or the late Dale Earnhardt winning the pole at Watkins Glen with a broken collarbone. More recently, Denny Hamlin twice raced immediately after tearing the ACL in one of his knees and Brad Keselowski won at Pocono a week after breaking his foot.
About 15 years ago, Earnhardt Jr. revealed in an interview that he thought he’d driven with concussion symptoms several times in 2001. His admission led to a tightened medical review policy in which Earnhardt had to be seen by a doctor before he could race after he was briefly knocked unconscious in a 2002 crash at Dover.
As the years went on, Earnhardt became smarter about his health. He missed two races during the 2012 Chase because of a pair of concussions suffered in a six-race stretch, and sitting out those events immediately ended any title shot.
Dashed championship hopes would still be the case for any driver injured during NASCAR’s 10-race playoffs, but the sanctioning body has made it easier for drivers to admit they are hurt. By allowing teams to apply for a waiver so the driver will still be eligible to make the playoffs, NASCAR made it possible for Earnhardt to take himself out of the car.
Granted, playoff hopes shouldn’t trump health issues— especially concussions, something that could cause long-term damage — but this very small step has given flexibility in a system that previously had none.
Team owner Rick Hendrick made it clear he doesn’t want a driver to sacrifice his health to stay in the race car.
“Our guys know that the most important thing is their health, and if they’re in an accident and they feel like they’ve had a concussion, there’s a protocol and they need to go through it,” Hendrick. “It’s hard to get out of the car, but we want (Earnhardt) for the long haul. He wants to race for a long time, so we are going to let the doctors make those decisions.
“It’s really hard at first, and then the more you think about it, it’s the right thing to do for him and it’s the right thing to do for the team. We will just take it day-by-day.”
It’s not clear when Earnhardt was injured — he was in a crashes at Michigan on June 12 in addition to the one in Daytona — and his symptoms originally led Earnhardt to believe his problem was allergy or sinus related. So he raced at Kentucky two weeks ago not feeling well, and when it didn’t improve, he saw a neurological specialist who diagnosed “concussionlike symptoms.”
It could be argued that based on Earnhardt’s concussion history, NASCAR should have had him tested after one or both of his accidents. But, NASCAR has made it easier than ever for a driver to lessen the stakes of seeking treatment and the participant should take some responsibility for their own health.
That doesn’t make any easier for drivers, particularly those who grew up watching a generation that drove hurt.
“It’s probably one of the toughest things to do — if I was in that position, it would be very tough for me, I would think,” said Ryan Newman.
“Our guys know that the most important thing is their health, and if they’re in an accident and they feel like they’ve had a concussion, there’s a protocol and they need to go through it.” Rick Hendrick, team owner, Hendrick Motorsports