Earnhardt Jr. out 2 more races, Gordon will continue to fill in
Jeff Gordon will continue to replace Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series as the latter continues to recover from concussion-like symptoms, the Hendrick Motorsports team announced in a press release Tuesday.
"We have a break in the schedule after Watkins Glen, so the extra week of recovery time will certainly be a benefit," team owner Rick Hendrick said. "Dale will be back when he's ready, and we're looking forward to that happening, but the priority continues to be his health and well-being. We'll keep our focus on that and let the doctors guide us."
Earnhardt will miss both the Watkins Glen International and Bristol Motor Speedway on Aug. 7 and Aug. 20, respectively. The No. 88 Chevrolet SS driver hasn't raced since the July 9 Quaker State 400.
Gordon will make his 800th career NASCAR Cup start Sunday.