On Wednesday, February 4, NASCAR driver and owner Denny Hamlin revealed he re-injured his shoulder during the off season. This came to light during a during a pre-The Clash media session at Bowman Gray Stadium. He added, because it’s so close to the season starting, getting surgery to repair it is not an option.
Slated for later in the day is the non-points paying 200-lap The Clash at BGS to kick of the NASCAR Cup Series season, Next week, the industry heads south for Daytona International Speedway to start Speedweek on Wednesday, Feb. 11.
No Surgery on Denny Hamlin’s Shoulder Now
Hamlin has battled through this shoulder injury before when he had it surgically repaired in 2023. The effects have lingered, but not to the extent where he re-injured it like now. However, he did discuss what can be done this year to get through the 202
“Looking into a crystal ball and as the year goes on, it certainly depends on making sure I’m doing the right things outside of the car,” a subdued Hamlin said. “Working to keep the range good, keeping the strength good to get to the that November date where I can work on getting it fixed again.
“Limiting a lot of the things I love to do is also a priority. It’s just going to be priority this season, unfortunately. I’m just going to miss a lot of fun things I like to do.
“A lot those things aggravate it and cause the tear to get worse. It’s torn, but it’s just kind of hanging on by a few parts and pieces that I need to keep intact for the full year.”
Off Season Losses Gives Hamlin New Perspectives
In November, Hamlin was laps away from earning his first NCS Championship title at Phoenix Raceway until a late-race caution forced a green-white-checkered finish. During those laps, Hamlin failed to move forward as Kyle Larson won his second championship.
A visibly dejected Hamlin sat on pit road as the racing world witnessed his dejection.
Then, a greater loss than any trophy took place when the home his father and mother lived in caught fire on Sunday, December 28. Two days later, his 75-year-old father, Dennis, died from injuries. His mother, Mary Lou, survived and is still recovering.
Hamlin, 45, was asked if recent events have changed how looks at life now.
“Yeah, the easy thing to say is ‘poor me,’” he said reflectively. “I still have a fantastic life and a great family. A lot of people go through tragedies. What happened with my family in the off season was highly publicized.
“There’s probably tons of those stories of crew members that happened to them in the off season, and during the season, that nobody knows about. Everyone has their times when they have to go through tough moments. Those are really building moments of your character.
“This season for me can certainly go one of two ways. It depends on which way I decide to turn. My focus is keeping this thing on the right track and making sure I spend these last couple of years accomplishing everything I want to achieve.”
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