Earnhardt returns with renewed focus

Dale Earnhardt Jr. isn't about to complain about his schedule.

One of the first drivers to begin going through the motions Wednesday during the NASCAR Media Tour presented by Charlotte Motor Speedway, Earnhardt was grateful just to be there. After missing 18 races last season because of a concussion, Earnhardt was given a clean bill of health in December and will return to competition starting with the Daytona 500 on February 26.

Of no surprise to anyone, Earnhardt says the season can't come soon enough.

"To get approved to race is one thing, to decide to race is another," Earnhardt said of the process to get cleared. "Mentally, you have to make the decision if you want to keep to racing, and if you want to keep racing, you got to go in 100 percent.

"This is a top, elite series of motorsports in North America and if you're gonna be out there you can't do it without [putting in] 100 percent, so I had to answer a lot of personal questions of myself and just really buy in. All that was a big process and I'm really happy with what I've decided to do. But it wasn't that emotional."

Being out of the car for any period puts a driver behind, Earnhardt says. While he hopes to jump back into his Nationwide Insurance Chevrolet and not miss a beat, there's an admitted anxiousness to see not only where the team stacks up, but if he has a learning curve ahead. There is also the added unknown of the aerodynamic package this year after NASCAR tweaked on the lower downforce package used at Michigan and Kentucky in 2016.

From a team perspective, Earnhardt missed the camaraderie of being around his crew. Thankful for the assistance that Alex Bowman (pictured at Homestead) and Jeff Gordon provided in his absence, there was also a bit of jealousy on his part because Earnhardt wished he were the one there.

Having been given that perspective, now whether it comes to being at the track of doing media obligations, Earnhardt said nothing should be taken for granted.

"You do take your job for granted when you're doing it every week," Earnhardt said of the NASCAR garage. "As a society, we get better and better at complaining. The drivers aren't any different; we moan and complain about everything. But when you get a chance to step back and watch it – I got a chance to be in the garage area at Dover and watch the drivers come in that morning from practice, and it was a real eye opening-experience to see. It was like an out of body experience almost to watch all that happen and looking at them and knowing that was me.

"I got to see the drivers from a different point of view and got to see the whole sport from a different point of view. Being out of the car certainly made me anxious to get back in, and I'm happy to able to come back here and continue to compete."

With no timetable on when he wants to retire, Earnhardt said the one thing he does know is that he hopes someone else will not have to make that decision for him. But with his concussion, it was close to happening.

Of course, the offseason goes by quickly, and the obligations never stop, but being a driver an incredible position to be in. All those aspects, to Earnhardt, are a fun part of the job.

"I can see how you get wound up and burned out a little bit," Earnhardt said. "I'm certainly not feeling that way right now, and I'll be much more self-aware down the road trying to remember what this is and what position I'm in and not take it for granted. It's easy to do."