Dale Earnhardt Jr.?completed a test session Wednesday at Darlington Raceway and suffered no concussion symptoms, clearing him to race at the start of the 2017 NASCAR season.I feel great, and Im excited to officially be back, Earnhardt said in a Thursday news release. I expected things to go really well yesterday, and thats exactly what happened. Actually getting in a race car was an important final step, and it gives me a ton of confidence going into 2017.Dr. Jerry Petty, a Charlotte, North Carolina, neurosurgeon, attended the five-hour test. Dr. Micky Collins, medical director of the UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program in Pittsburgh, cleared Earnhardt on Wednesday night. NASCAR requires a board-certified neurologist or neurosurgeon with at least five years of experience in treating sports-related head injuries to clear a driver after a concussion.Dale is one of the hardest-working patients Ive ever encountered, Collins, considered an authority on the treatment of concussions, said in the news release. Hes done everything weve asked, and we believe he is ready to compete at a professional level again and can withstand the normal forces of a race car driver.Dale has been very open with us, and weve had plenty of time for his treatment, so we feel very good about his long-term prospects and how this has been managed by everyone involved.Earnhardt, 42, will drive Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 in a NASCAR test at Phoenix International Raceway, open to one car from each organization. NASCAR created a rule this year that allows a driver coming back from injury to test a car, as long as there are no data acquisition systems that would give the team an advantage.Earnhardt and team owner Rick Hendrick have scheduled a teleconference for 11 a.m. ET Friday to discuss the drivers return.Earnhardt missed the final 18 races of 2016 because of a concussion suffered in June at Michigan International Speedway, the effects of which he said he did not start to feel until about a month later. He had battled nausea, balance and vision issues, which did not begin to significantly clear until August.He has spent more than 15 hours in a racing simulator during his recovery. He said last week that before his concussion he would get sick in the simulator, but that he had not experienced those symptoms recently.Earnhardt said the decision in August to not race again this year helped him recover, because he stopped stressing over when he would get back in the car.You worry about your health, Earnhardt said Friday at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Awards. You worry about the issues youve got are permanent or when they are going to get better and how.Anxiety is a huge factor with concussions and can be a major problem with people trying to recover. ... Every day, I was in some sort of discussion about my future, and my doctor told me I couldnt get well until I dropped all that and didnt think about it. I thought, How am I supposed to not think about that? Thats the most important thing in my life.Earnhardts first race back will be the Feb. 23 qualifying race for the 2017 Daytona 500. He will not participate in The Clash preseason event.?Alex Bowman, who along with Jeff Gordon substituted for Earnhardt this season, will drive in that event.Alex did such a great job in the car this year, and I felt like he deserved another opportunity, Earnhardt said. When I spoke with Rick and the team about him driving The Clash, everyone agreed that he more than earned it, and [sponsor] Nationwide was 100 percent on board.Im really grateful to him and Jeff for what they did for our team, and Im glad Alex is getting another run with us.Earnhardt, who has 26 career Sprint Cup wins, has one year left on his Hendrick Motorsports contract.Air Max From China . There was no hesitation from the 40th-ranked Pospisil, from Vernon, B.C., who admitted that he cut back on his training sessions over the last few days to conserve energy as the long ATP season finishes next week at the Paris Masters. Fake China Shoes . John Tavares, Thomas Vanek and Kyle Okposo were also being counted on to slow down sizzling Rangers forward Rick Nash. That plan didnt go so well early. https://www.chinashoes.us/ . According the Toronto Star, a knee injury will keep Sundin out of the lineup, which includes former teammates Gary Roberts, Darcy Tucker, Tie Domi and Curtis Joseph. China Shoes . The team also announced Tuesday that the Braves will wear a commemorative patch on the right sleeve during the season. The patch, shaped like home plate, carries the number 715, Aarons autograph and a "40th Anniversary" banner. China Shoes Wholesale . That left plenty of energy for pitching books and swatting away free agency questions. Anthony had 24 points and nine rebounds, and the Knicks avenged an embarrassing home loss with a rout of their own, beating the Boston Celtics 114-88 on Wednesday night for their third straight victory.Mauricio Pochettino admits he has not had time to take stock of what his Tottenham side have achieved this season.With five games to play, Spurs are second in the Premier League, seven points behind leaders Leicester.If Spurs were to overhaul the Foxes and win the title, it would be the first time they have won the top division since 1961. For Pochettino, it is the first time he has been involved in a title race in his managerial career and, asked what he has learned about himself during the course of the season, he told Sky Sports: I have not had time to stop and think about that.It has been a great experience, its the first time I have been in the race for the title but I am very calm and very relaxed; every day I try to enjoy my job. At the end of the season, maybe I will have more time to think and annalyse everything that has happened.ddddddddddddSpurs title challenge continues on when they travel to Stoke on Monday Night Football, by which time they could be 10 points behind Leicester, who host West Ham on Sunday.After the match at the Britannia, Spurs complete their campaign with home games against West Brom and Southampton and trips to Chelsea and Newcastle.The challenge and the opportunity is massive, says Pochettino. We are fighting for the title. Every day you need to improve and be ready. In this period its tough but our motivation is big and we need to keep fighting.Also See:Stoke v Tottenham previewAlderweireld urges Spurs onSpurs fixturesGet a ￡10 free bet! ' ' '
