One of NASCAR’s most iconic drivers, Dale Earnhardt Jr., faced one of the toughest periods of his life in 2016 while recovering from severe concussion-related symptoms. During that time, his wife, Amy Earnhardt, became his biggest supporter, helping him through a journey where racing was no longer the top priority.
After a crash in 2016, Dale Jr. dealt with symptoms like blurred vision, nausea, anxiety and mood swings. It was unlike anything he’d gone through in his nearly 20-year racing career, even after an estimated 20 concussions behind the wheel. The recovery tested both his body and mind, and he started to wonder if he’d ever feel normal again.
How Amy Earnhardt Stood by Dale Earnhardt Jr. Through His Darkest Days
During recovery, Amy’s steady support made all the difference. She helped keep him on track with daily physical therapy and showed how powerful it is to have someone by your side during hard times.
“It was a scary thing. He was terrified,” Amy recalled. “He was terrified more that he would not be able to function as a human being again and enjoy life. Racing wasn’t even a thought.”
Getting through each day wasn’t easy. “I had to motivate him to get up every day and do his physical therapy,” she said. The slow pace wore on both of them. “He wasn’t very optimistic about it. It took a couple of months before we started seeing any real progress.”
Eventually, things turned a corner. Amy saw a shift when Dale Jr. began to feel better: “When he started feeling better and racing became an option again, he got excited, and that helped propel him.”
While many might have pushed him to retire after the injury, Amy took a different route. “The conversation he really needed to have was with himself. I couldn’t tell him to retire. I tried to make him comfortable with what he wanted to do.”
The experience changed Dale Jr. in ways that went beyond racing. He later gave Amy credit for helping him grow: “Amy has changed me … I became a better person, a better husband, a better friend.”
Dale Jr. eventually retired from full-time racing in 2017, but what he and Amy went through together proved that some of life’s biggest wins happen off the track. Their story isn’t just about a driver making a comeback — it’s about a partner helping someone find their way when everything felt uncertain.