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Competitors offer support to Dale Earnhardt Jr. after news that he’ll miss rest of year

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coke Zero 400 - Practice

DAYTONA BEACH, FL - JUNE 30: Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 Nationwide Chevrolet, stands in the garage area during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway on June 30, 2016 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images)

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Although they compete against each other, many competitors took to social media to offer their best wishes to Dale Earnhardt Jr. on Friday after the announcement that Earnhardt will miss the rest of the season because of a concussion suffered in a June 12 crash at Michigan International Speedway.

Earnhardt didn’t suffer symptoms until after weeks after. He last raced July 9 at Kentucky Speedway.

Hendrick Motorsports announced Friday that Earnhardt has not been cleared to race the rest of the season. Jeff Gordon and Alex Bowman will share driving duties of the No. 88 car the rest of the season.

During a teleconference Friday, Joey Logano expressed his feelings about Earnhardt not being on the track the rest of the season:

“Anytime one of your fellow competitors makes news like that it’s not what we all wanted to hear, but it’s also pretty admirable that he’s been doing the right things and taking his health as priority one. I think that’s a challenge to do because I can imagine as a race car driver all you want to do it get back in the race car. When you’re sitting out watching TV and watching your car go around the racetrack without you in it is not the best therapy probably, but I look up to him for what he’s doing.

“I know how hard that is to be out and wanting to be inside that race car, but your life and your health is not worth risking that for this sport. He’s got a long ways to live, and I’d hate for him to make the wrong decision and, God forbid, something happened on the racetrack and that ruins the rest of his life. Life is more than racing, and I think he understands that. It’s awesome that he sees that, but we want to see him back in the race car as soon as possible.”

Here’s what competitors stated on social media about Earnhardt.

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