RELATED: Dale Jr. set for Daytona return in 2017 | Format set for The Clash
Dale Earnhardt Jr. is set to resume his NASCAR career at Daytona International Speedway in February, but one week later than he potentially could. It's a move borne of deference and appreciation for the driver who admirably filled in last season during his recovery from a neurological ailment.
Both Earnhardt and substitute driver Alex Bowman meet eligibility requirements for The Clash, a non-points exhibition race scheduled Feb. 18 (8 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at the 2.5-mile Florida track. But Hendrick Motorsports announced Thursday that Bowman would drive the team's No. 88 Chevrolet in the invitational, a week before the season-opening Daytona 500.
Earnhardt had heard rumblings about rules for the Clash format and field as last season drew to a close. His hunch that 2016 pole winners would make up the majority of the starting lineup was correct.
The Clash rules were still up in the air when Bowman -- who ran 10 of the 18 races Earnhardt missed in the second half of last season -- claimed the first Coors Light Pole Award of his career in November at Phoenix International Raceway. After watching the qualifying results play out on pit road, Earnhardt's first words to Hendrick general manager Doug Duchardt were that Bowman should keep the driver's seat for the Daytona preliminary.
"For whatever reason that was just my initial gut reaction and it feels important to me that that's owed to Alex," Earnhardt said on a conference call Friday, one day after NASCAR issued medical clearance for him to return to competition. "He deserves it. It is a bit of a tip of the cap to not only his pole win and how well he did at Phoenix, but how he stepped in and did a great job every week for our guys. That is not an easy job to do."
Earnhardt had his own eligibility in the Clash by virtue of his 2008 victory in the event, then billed as the Budweiser Shootout and most recently known as the Sprint Unlimited. That preparatory win kicked off his first season with Hendrick Motorsports.
Earnhardt said he couldn't remember the last time he had won a pole position in NASCAR's top series. A deeper dig into the stat books shows it came in September 2013 at Dover International Speedway.
The 42-year-old Earnhardt had been sidelined from NASCAR competition since July. Under close supervision, he drove a race car for the first time since his head injury diagnosis, turning laps Wednesday at Darlington Raceway.
Bowman, 23, has no announced driving plans for next season. Aside from serving as a substitute in the No. 88, Bowman ran nine races for Earnhardt-owned JR Motorsports in the NASCAR XFINITY Series and helped the Hendrick organization with simulator work.
But it was the performance and the bonds Bowman helped to forge as a NASCAR pinch-hitter that stood out to Earnhardt as he preps for a 2017 return.
"He helped maintain and improve the health and performance of the team in a critical time, so we can go into Daytona this year confident that we are going to be competitive and we are not behind the 8-ball or have any catching up to do," Earnhardt said. "I'm excited for Alex to get that opportunity and I'm happy that it's with Greg (Ives, crew chief) and the guys that he has worked with over the last several races."