NASCAR at Kansas Speedway: Why You Should Care
By Jesse Holt
NASCAR Bids Adieu to Dale Earnhardt Jr.
I would argue that even those who don’t follow NASCAR religiously know who Dale Earnhardt Jr. is. The fourteen-time Most Popular Driver Award winner recently announced that 2017 would be his final season in NASCAR.
While Dale Jr. never lived up to the heights of his namesake, his place in NASCAR history seems to be assured. With 26 Cup Series wins and two now-Xfinity Series Championships, he likely already has a Hall of Fame resume when he hangs up his firesuit.
As an Dale Earnhardt Jr. fan, I’m sad to see this day come as I’ve been passionately supporting Jr. since his debut in 2000. That being said, I’m glad that it is, especially in light of concussion-related issues for Jr. over the past few seasons.
One of Dale’s last most lasting achievements will be the focus he brought to head injuries in NASCAR over the past year. NASCAR now employs a traveling medical team instead of using local contractors at each track. He’s also pledged to donate his brain to test for CTE upon his passing, the first to do so in motorsports.
Any fan of NASCAR in the Midwest should make it a priority to get to Kansas Speedway this October if for no other reason than to see Dale Jr. race here for the final time.