NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick hopeful Dale Earnhardt Jr. can return at Indianapolis

Team owner Rick Hendrick doesn’t think Dale Earnhardt Jr.‘s latest medical setback is career threatening and expects NASCAR’s most popular driver to return once he’s completely healthy.

Earnhardt, 41, revealed Thursday he’s dealing with concussion-like symptoms and is sitting out Sunday’s race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. His status is unknown for next week’s Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Earnhardt missed two races after sustaining two concussions within a six-week span in 2012.

“I’m hopeful and encouraged that (Earnhardt’s) going to be fine,” Hendrick told reporters Sunday at New Hampshire. “We’ve just got to give him a little time to rest and hopefully it could be next week and we’ll get a clean bill of health and he’ll be released and he’ll be in the car.

“He’s running through a bunch of tests and he’s going to have some more tests the first of the week. He’s doing good. He wants to be in the car. The doctors are going to tell him when it’s okay for him to be back.”

Hendrick Motorsports tabbed Alex Bowman to drive Earnhardt’s No. 88 car Sunday, and if Earnhardt is sidelined for Indianapolis, Jeff Gordon will come out of retirement to drive. Hendrick said a decision on Earnhardt’s status will be made no later than Wednesday.

Gordon won four Cup Series championships and 93 races driving for Hendrick’s team from 1993-2015. Hendrick spoke with Gordon this week, who is on a family vacation in France, about substituting and he agreed.

“He thought I was kidding at first,” Hendrick said of asking Gordon about his availability. “I asked him what he was doing next week and he said he’d be in Indy for one of the appearances he has to make. I said, ‘Well, bring your driver’s uniform just in case.‘ He said, ‘Are you kidding?’ I said, ‘No, I’m serious.’

“If Dale can’t go, then Jeff is ready to step in.”

The team has no contingency plans in place beyond Indianapolis, but Hendrick said Gordon is available to fill in if needed. Gordon 44, is an equity partner in Hendrick Motorsports and has acted in an advisory capacity this season working with rookie Chase Elliott, who took over driving Gordon’s No. 24 car.

“I would think so,” Hendrick said. “I haven’t talked to him about it. We’re just taking it a week at a time. Hopefully Dale’s going to be back next week and it’s not even something that we really think is going to happen.

“But if it does, Jeff is a team player and he wants to support the organization. I’m sure he’ll do whatever he has to do.”