is.  He cares a lot about the team, his fans, and the sport in general.  But when he knew that there was something not right, he went to see Dr. Petty here, and I admire him," said team owner Rick Hendrick. "I think a lot of guys would try to play hurt, but when the doctor tells you if you get hit again like right away, it could be catastrophic, so I think this deal has worked out extremely well as it could.  I mean, we were so happy yesterday that the MRI was completely normal, no damage.  We don't have a problem there. "For these two guys to have the kind of year they've had, to lead the points and get in the Chase, we've got a lot of years left to race, I always want to be on the side of safety, and I applaud Dale for raising his hand and going in there and getting checked out." Not only does the move to step out of the race car benefit Earnhardt Jr. personally, but it also benefits NASCAR as a whole. When a prominent figure like Earnhardt Jr. steps forward and openly admits that he has a big enough problem that forces to make a difficult decision, it only opens the door for more drivers in the future to think to themselves "If Dale Jr. can do it, so can I" if they're ever faced with a situation such as this. While NASCAR's biggest star will miss