Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.—NASCAR’s most-popular driver for 14 consecutive years—will retire after the 2017 racing season, Hendrick Motorsports announced today. Earnhardt is 42. He missed the final 18 races of 2016 due to a concussion, missed two races in 2012 because of multiple concussions, and appears to be walking away from a Hall of Fame racing

(image courtesy of NASCAR.com) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. will not return to competition during the remainder of the 2016 season as he continues to recover from concussion-like symptoms. Hendrick Motorsports officials made the announcement Friday morning. The announcement also stated that Alex Bowman and four-time series champ Jeff Gordon would split