Earnhardt praises beefed-up protocol
Driver glad NASCAR will have consistent concussion screening
Dale Earnhardt Jr. was confident NASCAR took the right step Friday when it strengthened its concussion protocol by adding a consistent screening rule at all venues.
“Good to see progress being made and implemented. Health and safety is top priority,” Earnhardt tweeted .
Earnhardt, long NASCAR’s most popular driver, was sidelined for the second half of last season with a concussion. Earnhardt missed the final 18 races with nausea, vision and balance issues after at least the fifth concussion of his career following a June wreck.
In the 16 years since his father’s death at Daytona, NASCAR has introduced a series of measures designed to keep drivers safe, from helmet and restraint systems to impactabsorbing SAFER barriers along concrete walls, all designed to cushion the blows of high-impact wrecks.
NASCAR made baseline concussion tests mandatory for all drivers in 2014, but expanded the protocol this year just nine days before the Daytona 500 with a consistent screening tool and additional neurological support in the hope of keeping drivers healthier.
Drivers who are involved in a wreck that sends their car to the garage will now be required to report to the infield care center for an evaluation. Under the old rule, a driver went to the care center only if their car had to be towed from the track.
NASCAR’s standards will also require infield care center physicians to use the SCAT-3 diagnostic tool in screening for head injuries. NASCAR has already announced plans to use a traveling safety crew and a rotating roster of physicians. The new program will provide on-site support for neurological evaluations.
Alex Bowman will race 75 laps in the car that belongs to NASCAR’s most popular driver, hang up the firesuit and head home.
Bowman has no idea if he’ll return to Cup racing in 2017.
A year after making a string of solid starts, Bowman will be outside the NASCAR picture after Saturday’s exhibition Clash race at Daytona.
The 23-year-old Bowman has no rides lined up in any NASCAR series and knows the Clash may be the last time he competes for Hendrick Motorsports. Bowman was a stout as a substitute last season for the injured Earnhardt Jr. Bowman made ten starts and shared the 88 Chevrolet with four-time Cup champion Jeff Gordon. Bowman won a pole at Phoenix and had three topfives.
Danica Patrick defended her support of former sponsor Nature’s Bakery and insisted she never promoted any rival products as her racing team and the food company veer toward a court fight.
Greg Biffle said he has accepted a position as a guest analyst on NBC Sports’ NASCAR America. His first segment will air March 1.