Earnhardt Jr. cleared to race at Talladega

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has been cleared to drive in this weekend's EA Sports 500, meaning he'll go for his fifth consecutive victory at Talladega Superspeedway.

	Dale Earnhardt Jr. will go for five consecutive Talladega victories this weekend. Credit: Autostock

NASCAR made the announcement Wednesday afternoon after reviewing the examination of Earnhardt Jr. by Charlotte, N.C.-neurosurgeon Dr. Jerry Petty.

After suffering a minor concussion and a sprained right foot Sunday at Dover International Speedway, Earnhardt Jr. was required to undergo a thorough evaluation before being cleared to race.

"My foot gets a lot better every day," Earnhardt Jr. said. "I usually use all of this ice to keep the Budweiser cold, but I've stayed off my feet, kept ice on it, and the swelling and soreness is much less than it was on Monday."

Earnhardt Jr. smacked the wall in Turn 2 with 37 laps to go in the MBNA America 400. His car spun and slapped the wall with the driver's side before stopping. The impact did not appear to be heavy, but Earnhardt Jr. briefly lost consciousness. He was awake and alerted when he was removed from his car, but was airlifted to a local hospital before being released later Sunday night.

Earnhardt Jr. can become the first driver to sweep both races at Talladega in consecutive seasons. No one has won more than three races in at row at the 2.66-mile superspeedway besides Earnhardt Jr.

VIDEO CLIPS Earnhardt Jr. is injured after an accident at Dover last weekend Play video

In only seven starts, Junior is already tied for second in career victories at Talladega. His father is first with 10.

And his Dale Earnhardt Inc. team has been solid at restrictor-plate tracks, winning eight times and posting three one-two finishes in the past 11 plate races.

Earnhardt Jr. isn't too concerned about his ability to drive this weekend. He drove in a Busch Series race with a broken collarbone in 1999 but managed to finish third.

"It would take a heckuva lot more than this to keep me out of the race," Earnhardt Jr. said. "Plus, Talladega is about intense mental focus -- it's not a physical track like Bristol or Martinsville where your body takes a beating.

"I drove a Busch Series race with only one arm, so I'm sure once I get in the car, this won't have an impact on me. I've been to the shop a few times, and the guys are making sure I'm comfortable in the car, so we will be ready to go."