Dale Earnhardt Jr. making a weekend of it at Dover’s NASCAR race

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is back at a NASCAR track, but he’s still not driving.

Earnhardt, who is out for the season with a concussion, has traveled to Dover International Speedway for Sunday’s Citizen Soldier 400. He plans on staying for the weekend and to sit on the pit box to watch substitute Jeff Gordon drive his No. 88 Chevy.

“I can only imagine how hard it is to go to the track and watch your car race,” said Jimmie Johnson, Earnhardt’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate. “And then also how boring it would be because we do have the coolest job to sit in that race car. And then just to come to a track and watch, I don’t know if I could do it.”

As Earnhardt’s condition has improved, he has made brief trips to two racetracks (Watkins Glen International and Darlington Raceway) since he suffered a concussion during a race at Michigan International Speedway in June. He has missed 10 races, with Gordon and Alex Bowman filling in. And while he has traveled to what is now three racetracks, he’s also increased his time at his team’s shop in Concord, attending meetings and helping crew chief Greg Ives prepare.

“I have a lot of respect for him on that front,” said rookie Chase Elliott, another Hendrick driver. “For those guys to see him at the race track and there supporting them, I’m sure it has to mean a lot.”

Notes

▪ Rain washed out Friday’s qualifying for Sunday’s race. That means points leader Brad Keselowski still start on the pole alongside Kyle Busch.

It also means that first eight rows will be comprised of the 16 Chase drivers – from Keselowski to Chris Buescher. Jamie McMurray and Austin Dillon (who face elimination from the Chase if they don’t win or move into the top 12 after Sunday’s race) will start on the seventh row, right behind Kyle Larson. McMurray and Dillon are tied for 13th – five points behind Larson.

▪ NASCAR added three more penalties to what will result in an “encumbered” finish in all three national series. If found in a winning car for post-race ground clearance, post-race body height and failure to meet minimum weight would mean the driver would not automatically advance to the next round of the Chase. Earlier this week, NASCAR did away with lower-level post-race penalties. All 16 cars from the Chase passed post-race inspection at last week’s race at New Hampshire.

▪ Truck series driver John Hunter Nemechek failed body-height inspection at New Hampshire, but was only docked 10 points because the more severe penalties had not yet been put into effect.

This story was originally published September 30, 2016 at 5:03 PM with the headline "Dale Earnhardt Jr. making a weekend of it at Dover’s NASCAR race."