Denny Hamlin Reminisces Brutal Injury That Nearly Ended His NASCAR Career

If there’s one thing that most NASCAR drivers despise about their racing career, it is injuries. It is never good to be left out of the action to see other racers chase their dreams and season goals, while those injured can only witness the action from the common lens of a spectator. This was the case for Alex Bowman who was out of action for four weeks after suffering a vertebra fracture.

Bowman after undergoing the recovery process is now looking for a strong comeback this season. Speaking on NBC Sports, Denny Hamlin, who faced a somewhat similar injury, turned the clock back to 2013. The 43-year-old underwent a similar recovery process for his back injury. He went into the details of how long it took to regain full fitness and shed light on his fitness regime that allows him to perform at the highest level.

Denny Hamlin recalls his experiences dealing with a serious back injury during the 2013 NASCAR season

It was at the California Speedway last-lap sprint and the ongoing feud between Joey Logano and Hamlin had peaked. Both were going toe to toe for the win and amongst the tussle between the two, Logano tagged Hamlin’s car and the No.11 struck the inside wall near the entrance pit. Following the crash, Hamlin did manage to crawl out of his car but quickly collapsed on the ground. This left him with a scarring L1 compression fracture that left him struggling for a long time to regain his full fitness.

Going into the details of his injuries and explaining his recovery process while speaking with NBC Sports he said, “It took me six to eight months for my level to recalibrate because I’d lost so much feel when I fractured my vertebrae. So it eventually came back, but it just really took a lot of time for it to come back to where I thought it was before injury.”

Denny Hamlin had a degenerative disk condition and this was prior to his crash in 2013. While motorsports skills are essential for the racers, Hamlin has been active in his fitness regime. “It’s not just comfort for racing, it’s been comfort for my daily life(…) It hurts to get up in the morning, It hurts to do this and that the other day. I really kind of put a focus and emphasis on trying to do whatever I could to alleviate back pain.”

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This certainly was not the last injury battle Hamlin had to face as his recent shoulder surgery has given him another challenge ahead of the season.

Hamlin might not recover from his shoulder surgery in time

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Hamlin had a good outing in the Cup Series last year, with three wins in his campaign he was able to finish 5th in the overall points standings. Had it not been for his protruding shoulder injury that was a constant niggle for the 43-year-old could have gotten a better finish. After successful shoulder surgery, the recovery road looks tricky for Joe Gibbs Racing racer, putting his presence under doubt for the Clash at L.A. Memorial Coliseum.

“I’m a long way from where I need to be(…) It changes some things and certainly, the first laps on the tracks will be whatever we do in February. I don’t know – do we need to analyse the Clash? Maybe when the time comes because from what I’ve heard, they don’t want me loading it for three months. Obviously, that timeline does not line up.”

Recovering from surgery is a daunting task for any athlete. The Joe Gibbs Racing team is cautious of Hamlin’s recovery and won’t be taking any chances looking at the bigger picture.

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