SPORTS

Earnhardt cleared to race next week at Martinsville Speedway

The Associated Press Published Sunday, October 21, 2012 3:26PM EDT

Dale Earnhardt Jr. attends practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race at Talladega Superspeedway, Friday, Oct. 5, 2012, in Talladega, Ala. (AP Photo/Autostock, Brian Czobat)

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KANSAS CITY -- Team owner Rick Hendrick says Dale Earnhardt Jr. has been cleared by his doctor to race next weekend at Martinsville Speedway.

NASCAR's most popular driver sat out his second consecutive race Sunday because of two concussions in six weeks. Hendrick says Earnhardt has been headache-free for more than a week, and tests by a specialist in Pittsburgh show no lingering issues.

Earnhardt was first injured in a crash at an Aug. 29 tire test at Kansas Speedway. He did not seek treatment for that concussion. He was examined after a lingering headache from a 25-car crash in the Oct. 7 race at Talladega. The doctor benched him for two races.

Regan Smith replaced him in the Hendrick Motorsports ride.