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Dale Jr. to put off contract extension talks for "a couple of months"

Dale Earnhardt Jr. confirmed Saturday that he is going to put off a decision on a contract extension for at least “a couple of months” to give himself time to evaluate his health.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Dale Earnhardt Jr., Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

NASCAR Media

Dale Earnhardt Jr., Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet new Nationwide livery
Dale Earnhardt Jr., Hendrick Motorsports
Dale Earnhardt Jr., Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet new Nationwide livery
Dale Earnhardt Jr., Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet and his team
Dale Earnhardt Jr., Hendrick Motorsports
Dale Earnhardt Jr., Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet new Nationwide livery

Earnhardt returns to action next week for the Daytona 500 for the first time since last July, when he was sidelined with symptoms from a concussion he obtained in a wreck the previous month at Michigan.

“I told (team owner) Rick (Hendrick) that I would like to get a couple of months under my belt to get confidence in my health,” Earnhardt Saturday at Daytona International Speedway. “This is the only reason I feel this way.

“When I got hurt last year, and what I saw it do, what it put the company through, how I saw it frustrate certain aspects of the company, it put a strain on our relationship. Our partners were worried about my future, Rick and everybody was worried.

“I don’t want to do that again. I want to get some races under my belt and get some confidence in my health before I commit to him. I don’t want to promise him something that I can’t deliver on.”

Making sure he can do the job

Earnhardt said once he feels that he can withstand the rigors of racing each week without any issues, he said he would begin working on an extension of his contract with Hendrick Motorsports.

“I want to race. I want to be here and I want to race. This is the last year on this deal but I have intentions of racing for more years,” Earnhardt said. “I’ve tried for the last year or two to put a number on it (his retirement) but I’ve decided maybe it’s best that I don’t.

“Considering my health, I can’t really put a date on it because I don’t know what’s going to happen going forward. I want to get a couple months and then we’ll sit down and if everything is going great, I’m confident to continue racing.”

Saturday’s practice session for Sunday’s Daytona 500 qualifying were his first competitive laps in the car this season. He participated in a private test at Darlington, S.C., in January and a NASCAR organizational test in Phoenix earlier this month.

“I felt good, physically and mentally. The day went real smooth,” Earnhardt said of Saturday’s practice. “Everything was working real well. The car is comfortable. Nothing really stood out – that’s good.”

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