Should Star Drivers Participate in Tire Tests?

In the midst of Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s stunning decision to remove himself from his Hendrick Motorsports #88, I wonder why he was ever in the test car to begin with.

Earnhardt suffered his first concussion when he crashed during an August 29th tire test at the newly repaved Kansas Speedway, he didn't tell anybody at the time because he feared of being taken out of the car just as the Chase for the Cup was revving up, Jr.'s second concussion occurred on the final lap at Talladega when his #88 Chevy was gobbled into a 25-car pile-up.

Should NASCAR's most popular driver, or any star driver, for that matter, be participating in tire tests? It wasn't even a race that produced his first concussion, it was a tire test at Kansas Speedway -- a track where the series races on this weekend -- that has sidelined NASCAR's most recognized driver for at least two weeks, if not more.

The hit Dale Earnhardt Jr. took at Talladega after his #88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevy was sucked into a hurricane of cars was a very non-violent type of impact, not the type of crash that usual would cause a concussion, but since he already had a concussion a month and a half earlier it made him much more prone to a repeat head injury.

Why was the face of NASCAR testing tires at Kansas Speedway anyways? You could send start and park drivers or drivers who are on the cusp of being out of the sport -- not that their lives are less important -- to participate in tire testing. Goodyear would acquire the equivalent data from a lesser-known driver as they did on August 29th from little E.

When Hollywood shoots movies with million-dollar actors, they use stunt actors for scenes that are dangerous instead of risking their star actor or actresses from getting hurt during the shoot, that same effect should be applied to tire testing. You don't see Harrison Ford swinging from the trees or participating in other sophisticated scenes when his movies were in the making.

Drivers like Darrell Wallace Jr. and Ryan Blaney or a driver who is trying to make their mark in the sport should be participating in these tire tests, I'm not saying their lives are less  important than Jr's, but having Jr. and other big-name drivers engaging in tire tests has more risk than award. The tire test basically abolished his championship chances, and I bet his sponsors aren't to pleased with this situation, not to mention race fans, who may not buy tickets to this week's race at the Kansas Speedway because of his absence.

Rick Hendrick can't be pleased either. Hendrick had to find a driver to fill in for his million-dollar man, if I was Hendrick, I would never allow any of my drivers to participate in a tire test again.

I'm glad Dale Earnhardt Jr. had the guts take himself out of the action to heal. We're dealing with a scary situation here that can be life threatening. I wish Jr. a speedy recovery and hope he can be back soon.