J. Burton calls for closer health monitoring

KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- NASCAR Winston Cup driver Jeff Burton, one of the series' more outspoken safety advocates, Friday called for stricter monitoring of drivers' medical status.

	Jeff Burton

The topic was on the front burner since driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. revealed Thursday in an Associated Press report that his performance and cognitive abilities were affected when he received a concussion in a crash at the end of April at California Speedway.

Burton took advantage of a forum offered Friday afternoon when he qualified second for Saturday's NASCAR Busch Series Mr. Goodcents 300 at Kansas Speedway, another fast 1.5-mile track.

While he did not go so far as to say drivers' parents should travel the circuit with them, he did say the athletes themselves couldn't be trusted to monitor themselves.

"I will just be blunt," said Burton, who usually is, in a genial way. "If you have a concussion or you have some sort of trauma that does not allow you to remember the things that you need to be doing in your daily life, you need to sit the hell out -- that's pretty simple."

But Burton said drivers are among the most stubborn of professional athletes, and he said that he was no better than the rest.

"I have wrecked really hard and had concussions," he said. "I told the story the other day. Years ago, a few minutes before qualifying at Martinsville, I sat near pit road and went to sleep a few minutes before I went out to qualify.

"I shouldn't have been racing that day -- I shouldn't have been allowed in the car."

TAKE A LOOK Junior talks about his concussion at Fontana. Play video Earnhardt Jr. suffers a hard hit at California Speedway. Play video  •  Head injury changed Junior's season, perspective

Earnhardt Jr., after winning the Bud Pole, devoted a good portion of his media briefing to discussing his injury. He said in hindsight, he almost wished he had continued to keep the affects of his injury to himself. He said he had yet to have any discussion with any NASCAR officials about it.

"If there was a downside to keeping this a secret, that was it," Earnhardt Jr. said. "I did not do NASCAR any justice by keeping it a secret from them (but) I have had one or two concussions before (and) it wasn't so severe that I was a danger to myself or any other drivers."

Junior said he could feel everything he needed to feel in the car, he just had a hard time formulating his thoughts to convey them to car chief Tony Eury Jr.

Dale Earnhardt Inc. teammate Michael Waltrip won the pole for Saturday's Mr. Goodcents 300 Busch Series race. He said the announcement was news to him, and not necessarily one he would have made.

"He seemed normal to me," Waltrip said. "I've hit the wall hard before and I didn't notice anything different. I think that's one of those deals where I wouldn't have told that."

And, Burton said, that is exactly the problem. There is no concrete system in place to keep that from happening.

"The problem is, if you interviewed me, you wouldn't have known anything was wrong with me. I covered up, so a medical staff or a medical rule is only good as long as the players or drivers tell the truth.

	Dale Earnhardt Jr. suffered a concussion in an accident at Fontana in April. Credit: Autostock

"I have watched drivers leave an infield care center and say, 'I'm fine -- nothing is wrong,' and a few minutes later the car owner was bringing him back and the driver doesn't even know where the hell he is -- but he can convince the doctors that he's OK."

Junior said he, too, now wished maybe he had clammed up after the fact.

"There was nothing nobody could do about it," he said. "What good was bringing it up going to do me? Leave me by myself and let me get better -- that's how I handled it.

"I kind of hate that I even brought it up now (but) I was kind of at a loss explaining our season and how it was. That's why we've had a bad season."