"I’m cautious to get too emotional": When Amy Earnhardt stayed composed as Dale Jr. neared his NASCAR farewell

About eight years ago, when Dale Jr. approached his final full‑time NASCAR season, Amy Earnhardt said she avoided emotional moments to prevent adding pressure to his farewell tour.

Dale Jr. suffered concussion-like symptoms after crashes mid-year at Michigan and Daytona and missed the final 18 races of the 2016 NASCAR Cup Series season to focus on recovery. He returned to the series the following year after a private test at Darlington and rehab overseen by concussion specialists.

Talking to USA TODAY Sports in October 2017, Amy, who had tied the knot with Dale Jr. on New Year's Eve 2016, commented on his recovery and return to racing.

"It was a scary thing. He was terrified. 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," Amy Earnhardt said.

Dale Jr. struggled with form and didn't reach the playoffs in his final Cup season in 2017. Earlier that year, in April , he had announced his retirement, saying he wanted to leave on his own terms. The concussions and long recovery period played a major role in his decision.

"I'm cautious to get too emotional, especially in front of Dale, because I don't want to stress him out. I think he's trying to get through each race one at a time so he can enjoy each one and not let the idea that this is the last one kind of overtake him," she added.

Dale Jr. retired from the Cup Series with 26 wins in 631 starts. He earned 15 consecutive Most Popular Driver awards from 2003 to 2017 and joined NBC as a broadcaster the following year.

"I couldn't tell him to retire" - Amy Earnhardt supported Dale Jr. to make his own decision

Amy Earnhardt was deeply involved in Dale Jr.'s recovery. She attended doctor’s appointments and pushed him through physical therapy. However, Dale Jr. made clear in his 2018 book, Racing to the Finish: My Story, that she did not push him to retire, and retirement was his choice.

"We had a lot of long talks as we were going through treatment. 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," Amy Earnhardt said (via USA TODAY Sports).

Dale Jr. described his recovery as slow and uncertain. The two-time Daytona 500 winner feared a future injury might permanently impact his health, and he said he wanted to step away before a crash forced him to. He also pledged to donate his brain for research.