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Dale Earnhardt Jr. says he plans to donate his brain for concussion research

Dale Earnhardt Jr. stands on the grid before the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Auto Club 400 in Fontana on March 20.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. stands on the grid before the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Auto Club 400 in Fontana on March 20.

(Jonathan Moore / Getty Images)
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Dale Earnhardt Jr. made a casual revelation over the weekend, tweeting that he intends to have his brain donated for concussion research after his death.

The popular NASCAR driver was engaging with fans Saturday on Twitter about such random subjects as NBA basketball, lottery tickets and scorpions when he tweeted a link to a Sports Illustrated article about former Oakland Raiders George Atkinson, George Buehler and Art Thoms deciding to donate their brains for head trauma research in honor of late former teammate Ken Stabler.

Stabler died of colon cancer last summer but it was later learned he also suffered from Stage 3 CTE, a degenerative brain disease that has been found in numerous NFL players.

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A fellow Twitter user commented to Earnhardt that the trio’s intentions “sound like a big commitment.” Earnhardt responded: “Why? What use is it to you at that point? I’m gonna donate mine.”

After suffering a pair of concussions in less than two months back in 2012, Earnhardt visited the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s concussion program and wound up missing his next two races.

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