Dale Earnhardt Jr. speaks out for first time since plane crash: 'We are truly blessed'

In a message on Twitter, Dale Earnhardt Jr. spoke out for the first time following the plane crash he and his family were in last week on their way to Bristol Motor Speedway.

The private plane carrying Dale Jr., Amy Earnhardt, their 15-month-old daughter, Isla, their dog, Gus, and two pilots bounced after a hard landing on the runaway at Elizabethton Municipal Airport — about about 15 miles from the Bristol race track — in Tennessee on Thursday. It then slide off the runway and onto the neighboring highway and caught fire.

They were the only five people on board, and everyone was OK and did not suffer any serious injuries.

He wrote on Twitter:

“Amy and I want to thank everyone who has lifted us up with phone calls, messages and prayer since last Thursday. We are truly blessed that all on board escaped with no serious injuries, including our daughter, our two pilots and our dog Gus. With respect to the investigation, we will not be speculating or discussing the cause of the accident. I am thankful for the quick response of my pilots, local law enforcement, emergency personnel and hospital staff. Lastly, Amy and I continue to be very appreciative of the privacy extended to us to process everything. It has been important to do that together and on our own time.”

Earnhardt also addressed the crash in a brief statement at the beginning of his pre-recorded weekly podcast, Dale Jr. Download, which was released Monday. His comments were very similar to his statement on Twitter, but he also said:

“I just wanted to let everybody know that we are so thankful for all the prayers and phone calls and everything everybody did over the last several days has really helped lift us up. [Isla cries] Yup, Isla is here trying to help me send this message to you. …

“It’s been a very difficult few days for everybody. Me and my wife and our family just are trying our best to get back to normal as soon as possible, and we just really appreciate all the support. It’s just meant a lot to us and want you to know that.”

Not long after the incident Thursday, Dale Jr.’s older sister, Kelley Earnhardt Miller, confirmed the safety of the family and the two pilots aboard. But Junior taken to the hospital for brief observation.

Dale Jr. — who moved to the broadcast booth for NBC after retiring from full-time racing at the end of the 2017 NASCAR Cup Series season — returned home to North Carolina with his family following the crash.

He took the weekend off from TV, but NBC said he will be back for NASCAR’s trip to Darlington Raceway in South Carolina in a couple weeks. He is also expected to compete in the second-tier XFINITY Series race that weekend for his own team, JR Motorsports, which he co-owns will Kelley.

FOX Sports’ Bob Pockrass, who’s also a USA TODAY Sports contributor, helped with this story.