It's becoming increasingly obvious that Dale Earnhardt Jr. is at a crossroads when it comes to the 2016 season, if not his NASCAR career.
His concussion-like symptoms have not subsided, even after missing races in New Hampshire, Indianapolis and Pocono. He will miss another race this week at Watkins Glen and also the next one, Aug. 20 at Bristol Motor Speedway, with four-time season champion Jeff Gordon continuing to pinch-hit for Junior.
And even then, it all remains TBA.
"I'd love to race more," Earnhardt said during "The Dale Jr. Download" _ a 58-minute episode of the Dirty Mo Radio podcast network Monday. "In my mind, my plan is to race more. I have plans to keep going. I'll worry about that when I'm well. My doctors are confident they can make me stronger than I was before this event."
Specifically, Earnhardt said he continues to have difficulty focusing on objects far away when he moves his head.
"You wake up, you open your eyes, you sit up and you walk to the bathroom and you know immediately that nothing is different, nothing is better," he said. "In the past, you could always feel this improvement."
Earnhardt said the problems started after a crash during the June race at Michigan International Speedway. Give Earnhardt credit for getting out in front of this and being pro-active. It was his call to see a doctor after experiencing issues with dizziness.
But the truth hurts. And it remains painful, for Earnhardt as well as the NASCAR Nation.
