BK Racing announced a driver change for Sunday’s AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. The team, late Saturday night, announced that Jeffrey Earnhardt will replace Matt DiBenedetto in the No. 83 Toyota.
DiBenedetto suffered a hard impact in Saturday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge 300 on lap 134. He was later not cleared by doctors and placed into NASCAR’s Concussion protocol.
DiBenedetto later took to social media to tell everyone that he was feeling “totally fine” and that he’s looking forward to Phoenix International Raceway next Sunday. DiBenedetto isn’t the only driver in 2016 to have suffered a concussion. Dale Earnhardt Jr., one of the most popular drivers to have ever raced in NASCAR, has been sidelined for the rest of 2016 after suffering a severe concussion earlier in the year. John Wes Townley, a driver in the Camping World Truck Series, suffered a concussion at Gateway Motorsports Park in June. The Georgia native sat out for two whole races.
Brad Keselowski, who scored the Sprint Cup Series championship in 2012, expressed his thoughts and concerns on Twitter Saturday night. Keselowski has been vocal on this issue and says more factors should come into play whether or not a driver should sit out. It also isn’t the first time that he expressed his opinions on the matter.
@mattdracing @dustinlong sorry to read this. Glad you are ok. If you feel fine I do t understand why being held out
— Brad Keselowski (@keselowski) November 6, 2016
He then carried on the discussion by tweeting:
@bobpockrass so you’re ok with no burden of proof ruining someone’s career, “just in case?”
— Brad Keselowski (@keselowski) November 6, 2016
Absolutely, as is anyone else’s.
Doesn’t mean you have to live in fear w/o reasonable basis. https://t.co/alfOzBNkAM
— Brad Keselowski (@keselowski) November 6, 2016
A real system that doesn’t rely on simply a track worker or nurses feedback to a DR. Especially when it conflicts with the driver. https://t.co/gD4EYcRGwk
— Brad Keselowski (@keselowski) November 6, 2016
No one wants to see what @DaleJr is going through happen to anyone. But what’s the line? Are you ok with potential false diagnosis? https://t.co/t1uiwRfzqC
— Brad Keselowski (@keselowski) November 6, 2016
Agreed, this is incredibly dangerous. Misdiagnosis undermines all forms of medicine. https://t.co/8ZUWXT75ZA
— Brad Keselowski (@keselowski) November 6, 2016
Concussion research is not only involving NASCAR, but also the NFL, MLB, and other leagues. Earnhardt Jr. pledged to donate his brain to science to allow scientist to study and analyze the overall impact of concussions in motorsports.
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