NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. will miss the rest of the 2016 NASCAR season as he continues to recover from a concussion Hendrick Motorsports announced on Friday.
Earnhardt has missed the last six Sprint Cup races due to concussion-like symptoms. A crash at Michigan in June is believed to be the cause of his concussion. Earnhardt has done rehabilitation activities and had hoped that he would be cleared to return to racing this season. He has had regular evaluations done at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Sports Medicine Concussion Program to determine his progress, according to NASCAR.com.
"I wish I could return to the No. 88 team this season," Earnhardt said in a statement. "To say I'm disappointed doesn't begin to describe how I feel, but I know this is the right thing for my long-term health and career. I'm 100 percent focused on my recovery, and I will continue to follow everything the doctors tell me. They're seeing good progress in my test results, and I'm feeling that progress physically. I plan to be healthy and ready to compete at Daytona in February. I'm working toward that."
Earnhardt is currently 24th in points this season. He has 26 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series wins, including two Daytona 500s and has finished in the top 10 in 42 percent of his races, according to ESPN. He has never won a Cup series title.
Jeff Gordon and Alex Bowman will fill in for Earnhardt for the remainder of the season. Gordon will drive this weekend at Darlington and at Richmond, Dover and Martinsville, with Bowman driving in the remaining races. The NASCAR community reacted to Earnhardt being out for the rest of the season via Twitter.