NASCAR Cup Series

The Bank of America 500 weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway opened with breaking news Thursday morning when Dale Earnhardt Jr. announced he will not drive in Saturday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race. Regan Smith will replace Earnhardt in the No. 88 AMP Energy / National Guard Chevrolet as NASCAR’s most popular driver recovers from multiple concussions.

DALE EARNHARDT JR., NO. 88 AMP ENERGY/NATIONAL GUARD CHEVROLET met with media to discuss the fact that he will not be competing at this weekend's race at Charlotte Motor Speedway nor at next week's race at Kansas Speedway after being diagnosed with a concussion following the Oct. 7 race at Talladega Superspeedway. Also included in the discussion: Rick Hendrick, Owner of Hendrick Motorspots, Steve Letarte, Crew Chief, and Dr. Jerry Petty, neurosurgeon.

Tommy Baldwin Racing (TBR) will race at the team’s home track, Charlotte Motor Speedway, this weekend. David Reutimann will pilot the No. 10 TBR/TMone.com Chevrolet in Saturday’s Bank of America 500.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. will not be racing in this weeks NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway and the following week's race at Kansas Speedway.

NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Junior, pilot of the No.88 Chevrolet…whatever it is, and part of the Rick Hendrick/Ankle Bracelets for Christ racing mega-stable, suffered a devastating concussion after giving himself a violent facepalm upon the conclusion of the Good Sam 500 at the NASCAR Talladega High-Speed Crash Test Facility, outside of Talladega, Alabama.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. will not compete in the upcoming NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events at Charlotte Motor Speedway and Kansas Speedway after being diagnosed with a concussion following the Oct. 7 race at Talladega, Ala.

Race fans young and old can listen to a “Turtle Powered” family broadcast of the Bank of America 500 from Charlotte Motor Speedway beginning at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 13. A team of prominent NASCAR broadcasters will share the announcing duties with their sons and daughters for a one-of-a-kind production that families are sure to enjoy.

TOYOTA TIDBITS DISECTING DEGA: Camry driver Kyle Busch escaped a race-changing, last-lap wreck at Talladega Superspeedway to claim a third-place result in Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) race in Alabama. Busch was riding in the middle of the pack on the last lap when the race leaders made contact and spun, resulting in an accident that involved more than half of the field.

Denny Hamlin avoided a last-lap wreck and piloted the No. 11 FedEx Freight Toyota to a 14th place finish in Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway. With the result, Hamlin remains third in the Chase for the Sprint Cup points standings, 23 markers behind Brad Keselowski after four of 10 playoff races. The No. 17 of Matt Kenseth crossed the finish line ahead of the pack to claim the checkered flag.

Former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Kurt Busch will make his Furniture Row Racing debut in Saturday night’s Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.