Dale Earnhardt Jr. visits concussion specialists in Pittsburgh

Dale Earnhardt Jr. visited the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s sports concussion program on Tuesday, a place known for being one of the country’s foremost authorities on head injuries.

UPMC specializes in concussions and, according to its web site, helps “understand any long-term effects on an athlete and determine when it is safe for that athlete to return to play following a concussion.”

Earnhardt Jr. is set to miss at least another week after sitting out the Charlotte race due to a concussion at Talladega – his second in six weeks. Neurologist Dr. Jerry Petty said the driver could return at Martinsville if he’s headache-free for several days, passes a stress test and is able to drive several laps without any symptoms.

UPMC helped develop the “ImPACT” test – which stands for “Immediate Postconcussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing” – and it’s precisely the type of test Petty was referring to. It’s unclear how Earnhardt Jr.‘s visit went.

The driver was seen shaking hands with Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin at the team’s headquarters, which shares the same building as the UPMC sports program.