Dale Earnhardt Jr. Was On Track Testing on Tuesday at Phoenix Int’l Raceway.
Press Release By: NASCAR MEDIA
Photos By: GETTY IMAGES/ NASCAR
AVONDALE, Ariz. –February 1, 2017- Dale Earnhardt Jr. was back on track for the first time this year on Tuesday during testing at Phoenix Int’l Raceway.
The 42-year-old North Carolinian was driving his familiar No. 88 Chevrolet as part of a two-day test for Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series teams. It was his first appearance in a race car since a private test in December that was required for him to receive medical clearance for his return from concussion-like symptoms.
Earnhardt missed half of the 2016 season because of the concussion.
The only thing that slowed Earnhardt down on Tuesday was a small brake fire that was quickly taken care of. He admitted Tuesday that he was a bit nervous about climbing back into his car.
“I’m just a little nervous, you know about if there will be any kind of learning curve. But I don’t know. I hope there ain’t,” Earnhardt said. “Sometimes you see guys in sports – no matter the type of sport – that are away for a while, that have to adjust to how much has changed since they’ve taken time off. There are some guys that come back that never missed a beat. So I don’t know. I hope there’s no rust to shake off. I
“For me, confidence is a big, big part of it. The fact that the team doesn’t have any lack of confidence in what they’re doing or where they are, is a good thing. Now I just have to build on that confidence level myself and feel like me and the car are working together.”
Earnhardt wasn’t the only driver testing on Tuesday. Others testing included Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano, Erik Jones, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Kyle Larson, among others.
