Dale Earnhardt Jr. pledges his brain to science, research
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NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. plans to donate his brain to the Massachusetts-based Concussion Legacy Foundation, which researches the effects of brain trauma in athletes.
“I will be donating or pledging my brain is what they like to say to the Concussion Legacy Foundation,” Earnhardt said. “They are in partnership with Boston University where the brain bank is. I was a donor already for many years, as my driver's license would attest. It seemed like a reasonable thing to do for me. Anything that I can do to help others, but hopefully the science has advanced far beyond where it is today and they don't need it. It was something that I didn't have to ask myself whether I wanted to do it or not.”
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Earnhardt missed two races in 2012 due to concussions.
Earnhardt is the latest athlete to pledge his brain for research. His announcement comes just days after the news that former U.S. women's soccer stars Brandi Chastain and Abby Wambach also plan to donate theirs.
