Long ago, you escaped the enormous shadow of your father.
Lately, you’ve ensured an important legacy all your own by raising a caution flag on head injuries in NASCAR.
Now, it’s time to seriously consider walking away.
For good.
Earnhardt is already sitting out the rest of 2016 to deal with the lingering effects of yet another concussion, but he made it clear that he hopes to be back behind the wheel next February for the season-opening Daytona 500.
“My heart is there to continue,” he said Sunday at Darlington Raceway. “And if my doctor says that I’m physically able to continue, then that’s an easier decision for me to make. It’s not something that I think about. We’re trying to focus on just getting well and getting normal.”
There’s no doubt that NASCAR will be rooting for his recovery, given the sport’s dwindling television ratings and ever-increasing number of empty seats at the tracks.
Earnhardt remains the sport’s most popular driver, and to have him walk away would be a huge blow given the reluctance of the fan base to embrace a new generation of stars.
But Junior can’t worry about any of that.
