Dale Earnhardt Jr. isn’t the only notable Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver talking concussions and possible retirement.
There’s been a fair amount of discussion around NASCAR’s top series in the off-season regarding concussions and retirements. None of it, though, had much to do with Danica Patrick. Until this week, that is.
The driver of Stewart-Haas Racing’s No. 10 Ford spent part of her time at Daytona 500 media day revealing the surprising number of concussions she figures she’s had in her racing career.
“I’ve had concussions,” Patrick told ESPN. “Every time you crash, you have a concussion on a varying degree. When [Dale Earnhardt Jr.] said something about having 12 concussions, I’m like, ‘I’m sure I’ve had 12 concussions.’ … It makes you think for sure.”
Due to his status as the most popular driver in NASCAR, Earnhardt has been at the center of any concussion talk in racing after he missed a big chunk of the 2016 season recovering from one of his own. He’s just now returning to the track, sitting out the Advance Auto Parts Clash in preparation for the Daytona 500.
But Patrick went a step further than saying she’d sit out races and mentioned the idea that if she was injured in a big wreck, she’d consider walking away from stock cars entirely.
“If there was someone that told me or, I would hope any other driver, if you have another wreck, you could have a serious problem, then they would [choose to] be out,” Patrick said. “I would be out because I love what I do but I love lots of other things and I also love life. I’m too young to have it be over.”
It’s a sobering thought, but racing is a sport where the next wreck always carries risk, even with the safety advancements made over the years. NASCAR has made changes to its concussion protocol in 2017, a sign of how seriously the sanctioning body is taking the issue.
Next: Earnhardt Jr. says he might retire if he wins 2017 championship
Still, it’s one thing to consider it carefully and another altogether to hear drivers talking possible retirement due to concussions. Let’s hope it’s not something that actually happens during the upcoming season.