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CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- It took less than four laps for Dale Earnhardt Jr. to feel back at home in his race car. His test this week at Darlington Raceway was the final hurdle for NASCARs most popular driver to earn clearance to compete next season.The test ended months of speculation -- should Earnhardt retire? Was the risk of suffering yet another concussion too great? -- and a detailed medical plan helped get him back on the track when many thought he should just step away for good.When you get something taken away from you, you certainly realize what its worth, Earnhardt said Friday. Im feeling recharged and energized about coming back ready to race. Ive got a lot left in the tank.And he wants to make something perfectly clear: Earnhardt would not be climbing back into the No. 88 Chevrolet if his doctors had not assured him that hes healthy and his past concussion history hasnt put him at a heightened risk of permanent injury.I have a personal responsibility to myself. My health is number one. I am not going to take any unnecessary risks with my health, he said. I wouldnt be coming back to the seat and being excited to drive if there was any additional risk, other than the typical risk that every driver faces. I feel confident in what my doctors are telling me ... in me being able to withstand the normal wear and tear and getting into that unfortunate accident from time to time.Earnhardts lengthy history with concussions flared again this year after a crash at Michigan in June. He missed the final 18 races of the season and spent that time in intensive therapy meant to first help him control vision, balance and nausea. That lengthy process completed, his doctors focused on getting him ready to drive a car again, and it happened Wednesday at the South Carolina track considered one of the most demanding in NASCAR.He admitted to a sleepless night before the test, and an anxiousness to get inside his beloved Chevrolet the moment his feet touched the ground at Darlington. With neurosurgeon Dr. Jerry Petty on site, the Hendrick Motorsports team eased into the session.Earnhardt started with 15-lap runs, then climbed from the car to be assessed by Petty. As the day went on, his vision and balance were not only checking out fine, but improving after every run. Soon he was up to 30 laps at a time, he felt up to speed -- and he felt ready to race.Felt like an old shoe by the end of the day, he said. I felt really, really confident that by the end of the day, I was 100 percent ready to get back in the car.His clearance came as a boost to Hendrick Motorsports, which is already riding high after Jimmie Johnsons record-tying seventh championship. Hendrick made it through the second half of the season with a combination lineup of Jeff Gordon and Alex Bowman, and he insisted the sponsors who pay millions of dollars for Earnhardt to be in the car were concerned only with the driver getting healthy.Although Earnhardt will test again before the season begins at Phoenix -- and hes got a wedding to his longtime girlfriend on Dec. 31 -- he wont actually race until the events leading into Februarys season-opening Daytona 500. He will skip the exhibition race that kicks off Speedweeks at Daytona, not as a health precaution, he said, but because Bowman earned the right to race the car by winning the pole at Phoenix in November.Its owed to Alex, Earnhardt said.Earnhardt has worked closely the last few years with Dr. Micky Collins from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Sports Medicine Concussion Program. Its been Collins who first got Earnhardt healthy, then helped him get back into competitive condition.Collins has deemed Earnhardt healthy and ready to go, but Earnhardt will continue to work on many of the exercises hes received from the doctor for the sake of strengthening himself.This is from my doctors mouth -- I had to work really hard to be a human being again, to be normal again. The distance between just being myself and just being a race car driver, that was going to be another handful of exercises, he said. His advice was if I wanted to continue the exercises, it would only continue to strengthen the system. Hell, maybe this is something I could have been doing all along.---More AP auto racing: www.racing.ap.org China Jerseys Stitched . After dropping their final six games of December, the Wild opened the new calendar year with four consecutive wins. Following a loss to Colorado on Saturday, Minnesota rebounded the following night to blank Nashville 4-0, but then had the tables turned on them Tuesday. Fake China Jerseys . "I wrote 36 on my sheet at the beginning of the game," the Cincinnati coach said, referring the yard line the ball would need to be snapped from. https://www.chinajerseyscheap.us/ . Self was acquired from the Buffalo Bandits in a trade for Alex Hill midway through last season, and made his debut in Rochester on March 16, 2013. China Jerseys Wholesale . -- Anaheim Ducks defenceman Luca Sbisa will be out at least six weeks with a torn tendon in his right hand. 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England have received further recognition for a glory-laden 2016 after Owen Farrell, Billy Vunipola and Maro Itoje were included on World Rugbys six-strong shortlist for player of the year.The winner will be announced in London on Sunday night amid an unprecedented level of English interest in the prestigious awards that could see Itoje also crowned breakthrough player of the year, an achievement that would complete a unique double for the 22-year-old lock.Eddie Jones had already been announced as a contender for coach of the year, while Englands Grand Slam triumph and 3-0 series whitewash of Australia see them compete for team of the year.Completing the list of nominees for player of the year published on Monday afternoon are Ireland number eight Jamie Heaslip, who started Saturdays historic 40-29 victory over New Zealand in Chicago, and All Blacks Dane Coles and Beauden Barrett.Itoje, Vunipola and Farrell have played starring roles in England amassing a 10-Test winning run, nine of them falling under the guidance of Jones, and all three were also involved in Saracens march to a European and Aviva Premiership double last season.The last and only time an Englishman won the award was Jonny Wilkinson in 2003.It is testament to the current strength of the mens and womens 15s game that there was so much competition for these prestigious awards, World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont said.There is class in abundance with New Zealands Barrett and Coles, Englands Vunipola, Itoje and Farrell and Irelands Heaslip. There is also a great mix of experienced, proven campaiigners and exciting young talent.ddddddddddddEngland received more pleasing news on Monday in the form of a positive update on Courtney Lawes knee injury.Lawes was a late withdrawal from two Northampton matches last month due to bruising on the joint and had been given until Tuesday to prove his fitness for Saturdays clash with South Africa at Twickenham.But the 27-year-olds recovery has progressed well and he is set to resume his World Cup second partnership alongside Joe Launchbury in the injury-enforced absence of Maro Itoje and George Kruis.Courtney has taken part in training this morning (Monday) and will take part in training this afternoon so we expect him to be fit, defence coach Paul Gustard said.Mako Vunipola arrived at last weeks training camp in Portugal with a hip problem but that has also been resolved and England have a fully-fit 34-man squad to select from for the Springboks.Mako has been training too. Were in a good state of health and ready to continue our preparations for South Africa, Vunipola said.England will name their matchday 23 to face the Springboks on Tuesday night when those members of the 34-strong squad not required for Twickenham will be sent back to their clubs.The biggest area of uncertainty is at openside where Nathan Hughes, Teimana Harrison and Tom Wood are competing to start, while on the wings Semesa Rokoduguni and Jonny May are favourites to line up in the Old Mutual Wealth series opener. ' ' '