Ebook: Racing to the finish: my story

Foreword by Dr. Michael "Micky" Collins -- A lift, a secret, and a promise -- Hammerhead -- Into the fog -- Back on track -- The cloud returns -- The lost season -- Hard truths -- Battleground of the mind -- To race or not to race -- The return ... and that other r-word -- Send her around one more time -- Don't be a hammerhead.;"'Time was running out on my charade ... My secrets were about to be exposed to the world.' When NASCAR star Dale Earnhardt Jr. retired from professional stock car racing in 2017, he walked away as a healthy man. But for years, he had worried that the worsening effects of multiple racing-related concussions would end not only his time on the track but his ability to live a full and happy life. Torn between a race-at-all-costs culture and the fear that something was terribly wrong, Earnhardt started keeping private notes about his escalating symptoms. They showed a vicious cycle: suffering injuries on Sunday, struggling through the week, then recovering in in time to race again. For the first time, he shares these notes and fully reveals the physical and emotional struggles he faced as he fought to close out his career on his own terms. In this candid reflection, Earnhardt opens up about his frustration with the slow recovery, his admiration for the woman who stood by him through it all, and his determination to share his own experience so that others don't have to suffer in silence. Steering his way to the final checkered flag of his storied career proved to be the most challenging race--and most rewarding finish--of his life."--Jacket.;In this gripping narrative from one of professional sports' most beloved figures, Earnhardt shares stories from his journey: how his career and his injury have transformed him, how he made the decision to retire at the end of the 2017 season after eighteen years behind the wheel, and what lies ahead for him in the next chapter of his life. There is no second-guessing and no regrets from Driver #88. He simply wants to go out on his own terms and make the rest of his life off the racetrack count.