Hendrick: Earnhardt Jr. will be back next week
Dale Earnhardt Jr., who has missed the last two NASCAR Sprint Cup races with concussion symptoms, will return to the circuit next weekend, team owner Rick Hendick said.
Earnhardt, who met with neurosurgeons in Pittsburgh last week, will return for the race at Martinsville, Va.
"Dale came through all the tests with flying colors," Hendrick told ESPN at Kansas Speedway. "Everything is great. He can't wait to get back in the car. We're exciting to get him back."
Earnhardt recently said his first concussion occurred Aug. 29 while on a test run at Kansas. His second concussion led to headaches following a 25-car pileup at Talladega on Oct. 7.
Due in part to his injury absence, Earnhardt stands last among the 12 drivers competing in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. He has had one race win, one pole, 10 top-five finishes and 18 top-10 finishes in 30 starts this season.
The missed race at Charlotte last weekend ended Earnhardt's streak of 461 consecutive starts in NASCAR's top series.
