CONCORD, N.C. – Dale Earnhardt Jr. has gotten several unique retirement gifts this year, but on Friday at Charlotte Motor Speedway he may have gotten the best gift of all.
Charlotte Motor Speedway and Speedway Children’s Charities have teamed up to establish the Dale Earnhardt Jr. Concussion Research Fund at Carolinas Healthcare System’s Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte, N.C.
The $100,000 gift underwrites ImPACT baseline concussion testing for more than 10,000 student athletes at 62 middle schools, high schools and athletic associations across eight area counties as well as Johnson C. Smith University and Gardner-Webb University.
Mooresville High School – which Earnhardt attended – will also be added to the comprehensive program, which will also fund cutting-edge “blink reflexometry” research – which uses a person’s blinking reflexes to diagnose concussions. Additionally, the gift will support local concussion seminars for parents, students, coaches and pediatricians.
The creation of the Dale Earnhardt Jr. Concussion Research Fund is particularly personal for Earnhardt, who has battled back from multiple concussions during his career. His most recent concussion, which came during the 2016 season, nearly put an end to his career before he returned this year for his final season of racing in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.
“This is a great gift that will impact a lot of lives in the area and make a real difference,” Earnhardt said. “This track has always been really special to me. I really appreciate it. That’s a gesture that’s going to have such a long-lasting impact.”
Sunday’s Bank of America 500 will be Earnhardt’s final race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the home track for the Kannapolis, N.C., native.
“Charlotte Motor Speedway is NASCAR’s home track and Dale Jr.’s home track, so we wanted to present him with a gift will have an impact here at home,” said Marcus Smith, the president and chief executive officer of Speedway Motorsports Inc. “In addition to everything he’s accomplished as a competitor, Dale Jr. has been passionate about raising concussion awareness through his own experiences and helping children through The Dale Jr. Foundation. We want the Dale Earnhardt Jr. Concussion Research Fund to do both with a significantly positive influence throughout the Charlotte region.”
Source :speedsport.com
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