Dale Earnhardt Jr. has been medically cleared to race again after making a full recovery from a concussion. Dale will return for the beginning of the 2017 season at the Feb. 26 Daytona 500.The 42-year-old Earnhardt was cleared by Dr. Mickey Collins, medical director of the UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program in Pittsburgh, in consultation with Charlotte neurosurgeon Dr. Jerry Petty. Petty attended Dale’s 185-lap test at the 1.366-mile South Carolina racetrack.“Dale is one of the hardest-working patients I’ve ever encountered,” Collins said.