Concussions a Timeless, Not Laughing, Matter

Concussions are no laughing matter, but they’re such a ubiquitous part of racing history that even in racing’s earliest days they made their way into racing punchlines. In December 1906 the Daytona News Gazette ran the below comic poking fun at the city’s obsession with speed and the inherent danger of the pursuit.

The cars have changed. The drivers have changed. The safety features have progressed by leaps and bounds. However, now 110 years later with NASCAR superstar Dale Earnhardt Jr sitting out to recover from concussion symptoms, we realize how head injuries remain an inherent risk of auto racing.

http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn93059208/1906-12-29/ed-1/seq-4/