Dale Earnhardt Jr is returning this year to stock car racing at Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series which will start on February 26. Fans of the highly popular driver are eagerly waiting for his comeback after exiting from the race last June due to concussions. However, racing legend Richard Petty does not approve of Earnhardt's return.
Earnhardt last competed at Kentucky Speedway before being sidelined by injuries he sustained in a crash. Seven-time NASCAR champion Petty did not hide his disappointment over Earnhardt's decision to race again. Petty advises the 42-year-old champion to preserve his health by not getting back behind the wheel.
The JR Motorsports team owner discussed his move to return during the 35th Annual NASCAR Media Tour hosted this week by Charlotte Motor Speedway. Earnhardt shared his enthusiasm to compete again. He told the media that he just wanted to enjoy what is left of his career.
Petty advised the 2014 Daytona 500 winner to make another career beyond racing. He believes that Earnhardt has a lot of career and opportunities waiting for him. Petty stressed the need for Dale to consider racing as only a minor thing.
According to Earnhardt, there is a big difference between getting approved to race and deciding to race again. He noted the importance of giving 100 percent if one wants to keep racing.
Earnhardt started in motorsports in 1999 and had 595 races at Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series before his 2016 injury. He also competed at NASCAR Xfinity Series where he had 137 races.
"I had to answer a lot of personal questions from myself and just really buy in (to returning). All of that was a process, and I'm really happy with what I decided to do," said Dale. "I'm just hoping to enjoy what's left of my career, and hopefully I get to make the decisions myself as far as how much longer I want to race. I'm really excited about my future."
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