"I'm not ready to quit." Junior Nation jumped for joy on Friday when Dale Earnhardt Jr. spoke those five words.
Meeting media members for the first time since going into injury rehab, NASCAR's most popular offered answers to a range of questions. The most pressing of them involved his future. That future includes Sprint Cup racing.
No, Junior isn't pushing his recover from concussion-like symptoms. He is following medical advice and, more importantly, being an active and cooperative patient. That's the best course possible.
That doesn't mean he isn't eager to climb back into his familiar No.