HENDRICK ON DALE JR.: 'WE WANT HIM FOR A LONG TIME'

RELATED: Support for Dale Jr.

Team owner Rick Hendrick said he is hopeful for a full recovery and long-lasting return to competition for driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. as he recovers from concussion-like symptoms.

Earnhardt, driver of the Hendrick Motorsports No. 88 Chevrolet since 2008, is sitting out Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

"He and I talked about years beyond next year, around I guess Daytona," Hendrick said before the start of Sunday's New Hampshire 301 (1:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, PRN, SiriusXM). "If there was something major, major wrong I think they would have seen it already.

"I'm very hopeful and he's very hopeful and I think the doctors want to err on the side of being sure. We want him for a long time. He loves the fans, he loves the sport, he loves to race and we love him in the organization. I'm proud of him."

This story will be updated.

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