RELATED: Dale Jr. to miss Sunday's Loudon race
There should be no debate. No second-guessing.
The decision for NASCAR superstar Dale Earnhardt Jr. to sit out this weekend's Sprint Cup Series race at New Hampshire was actually an easy one. The absolute right one.
Doctors are concerned that Earnhardt has suffered another concussion, or at least concussion-like symptoms and have recommended his body must heal.
He may even miss next week's race at one of the sport's most legendary venues, Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Should he need to do so, his former Hendrick Motorsports teammate and longtime friend Jeff Gordon has graciously offered to step out of retirement and drive Earnhardt's famous No. 88 Chevrolet -- allowing Earnhardt another week of healing.
Should the 41-year-old need to sit out the rest of the season, that's fine, too.
And should NASCAR's reigning 13-time Most Popular Driver ultimately find out that he needs to unstrap for good, how admirable and inspiring that he could make that decision, too.
Collective gasp.
That's right. At only 41 years old, Earnhardt still has a lot of wonderful, memory-making days ahead -- perhaps on the race track and certainly off the race track.
How good and fortunate that he is driving in an era when his symptoms could be properly diagnosed and addressed. And that both his boss, Rick Hendrick, and "Junior's" massive legions of fans, would fully understand and support his healing outside the cockpit of a race car.
"The most important thing in this whole process is for Dale to get better and feel better; and we're going to let that happen on the timeline it's going to happen on," Hendrick Motorsports General Manager Doug Duchardt said Thursday.
RELATED: Hendrick, NASCAR officials speak to Junior's injury, protocols
Ricky Rudd may have raced with his eyes taped open in the good 'ol days. And in the good old days, Tim Flock drove with a monkey in his car.
But this is NASCAR in 2016 -- with digital dashboards, million-dollar paychecks and best of all, the very tops in modern medical treatment.
Thankfully, Earnhardt doesn't have to feel compelled to drive when he is not right, when he is suffering from concussion-like symptoms.
It's not only best for him to heal up, but also best for the entire starting field that he heal up.
"For him to step out of the race car, it must be something serious," driver Carl Edwards said Friday at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway. "I hope he recovers quickly and, second, I have a lot of respect for making the decision. I can't imagine how tough that decision would be.
"Right now with the format, you do have the opportunity to take care of yourself, do what you think is right and still have a shot at the championship."
RELATED: Drivers react to Junior's health news
Beyond his massive NASCAR superstardom, Earnhardt is a rather "regular" guy. He drinks beer with his buddies and loves to spend time with his family. He's engaged to Amy Reimann, and they are set to be married soon. And who knows if a Dale Earnhardt III might follow in the near future.
The right decision this week -- and next week, and the next week -- is vital not just to his racing career, but for his life.
It's good that Earnhardt is listening to doctors, even when their news is troubling to hear and their instructions are tough to swallow.
This isn't the first time Earnhardt has been sidelined because of concussion-like symptoms and that makes the current situation even more significant.
In 2012, Earnhardt missed races in Charlotte and Kansas because of a concussion likely suffered in a hard crash during a test at Kansas Speedway. This time, he's not even sure where exactly he may have been injured. He crashed hard at both Michigan and Daytona in the past month.
This past week Earnhardt thought he was fighting a severe sinus infection, but returned to the doctors when medicine seemed ineffective.
"When that didn't help, I decided to dig a little deeper," Earnhardt said. "Because of my symptoms and my history with concussions, and after my recent wrecks at Michigan and Daytona, I reached out and met with a neurological specialist. After further evaluation, they felt it was best for me to sit out."
WATCH: Smith, who filled in for Junior in 2012, weighs in on news
And with the new "waiver" rules, Earnhardt potentially could miss races and still be eligible for the 16-driver Chase for the Sprint Cup playoffs. He's currently 13th in points.
Racing is and has always been such an important, defining part of Earnhardt's life.
But, it is not his life.
So again, he is serving as an inspiring and fabulous example in times of hardship -- going back to the admirable way he handled his seven-time champion father's death. Not only did he somehow make everyone else feel better then, he had the gumption to get back behind the wheel and continue winning NASCAR's biggest races and the sport's heart.
I've known Earnhardt since his very first entrance in NASCAR's big leagues -- from the bleached-blond hair days. And I remember talking to his father about him often.
Of course, today, people always ask me about Earnhardt when they find out I report on NASCAR. And the truth is, I have always found him to be someone who speaks from the heart. He seems to find it quite amazing himself, the influence he wields and the people drawn to his every move. He is authentic and modest and seems to be as happy as he's ever been.
FULL STORY: Timeline of Junior's injuries
So many stories in sports are about an athlete who has fallen from grace or made bad choices.
This story is about a hugely popular superstar smart enough to heal up properly. The hard decision is absolutely the right decision. It is impressive and important. And we all wish him well.
"It takes a lot to come out and address some of the health concerns that he had," Duchardt said. "I really commend him for that. The whole time it's not about who are we going to get to back fill, what we are going to do when he does come back it's all about him getting better on a timeline that is satisfied to him. Not anything to do with the Chase, not anything to do with points or anything like that.
"Our team supports him 100 percent. We have a relationship that goes beyond driver. That is something that is more important than anything."
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