Denny Hamlin tears right ACL, won’t miss final 11 races of 2015
Denny Hamlin will be driving with a torn ACL again.
The driver of the No. 11 tore his right ACL on Tuesday. According to a statement from Joe Gibbs Racing, Hamlin has been cleared by doctors to drive at Richmond on Saturday and in the Chase. He tore it playing basketball.
“Hamlin had a MRI this morning to confirm the diagnosis and has been evaluated by the medical team at OrthoCarolina. He has received the medical clearance necessary to continue racing activities and is expected to race the remainder of the season and through the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship. Hamlin will require surgery to repair the ACL damage following the season.”
Hamlin previously tore his left ACL in January 2010. Guess how he tore that one too? Yep, playing basketball. He drove with the ACL tear at the beginning of the 2010 season but decided to go ahead and have the surgery in March 2010.
He didn’t miss any races that year and ended up winning eight times. It’s his most successful Sprint Cup Series season to date, though he lost the championship in heartbreaking fashion. He entered the final race of the year with a 15-point lead over Jimmie Johnson and struggled at Homestead. Johnson ended up winning the title by 39 points.
Hamlin is currently eighth in the Sprint Cup Series points standings and is in the Chase thanks to his win at Martinsville. He’s one of the favorites for the 2015 title at the moment given the speed of the four JGR cars. Hamlin was also the only JGR driver to make it to the final round of the 2014 Chase.
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Nick Bromberg is the editor of From The Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
