XPost: rec.autos.sport.nascar

Dario Franchitti texting Dale Earnhardt Jr. about concussions
By Brant James, USA Today September 2, 2016 http://sports.usatoday.com/2016/09/02/dale-earnhardt-jr-dario-franchitti-concussions/

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. - Dario Franchitti exchanged text messages with Dale Earnhardt Jr. on Friday, continuing the occasional dialogue between the four-time IndyCar champion, who retired in part because of recurrences of concussions and the Sprint Cup driver who announced that his season was over because of lingering concussion symptoms.

"No driver wants to be out of the car," Franchitti told USA TODAY Sports. "I think that's hard for him. If you look at him, he looks just fine. That's
the hard thing about concussions and multiple concussions and the brain. We texted back and forth a little bit this morning, and he's doing the right
thing for himself."

EARNHARDT JR. OUT REST OF SEASON

Franchitti, who won three Indianapolis 500s, retired after the 2013 season
when a brutal wreck at the Grand Prix of Houston left him with a broken
back, ankle and a high neurological risk after suffering a third concussion.
He admits that makes his post-career life challenging and at times
worrisome.

Earnhardt, who initiated a text string with Franchitti after missing his
first of an eventual 18 races this season in July, could eventually face the same sort of choice as physicians have refused to clear him for race activities. He said in a statement Friday that he plans to return for the
2017 season.

Earnhardt, 41, admitted to experiencing balance and vision problems after
minor contact at Michigan International Speedway and Daytona International Speedway earlier this year.

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