NASCAR
Denny Hamlin’s Detailed Injury History Across NASCAR Career
If anyone in NASCAR is accustomed to racing through pain, it’s Denny Hamlin. The Joe Gibbs Racing veteran revealed Wednesday at Bowman Gray Stadium that 2026 will be another chapter in this ongoing saga. While combing through rubble at his parents’ burned-out home in December, Hamlin fell and reaggravated a past shoulder injury. As a result, his right labrum and rotator cuff are both partially torn. There are no plans for any corrective surgery until November 2026.
Hamlin, 45, is the oldest full-time driver in NASCAR and enters his 21st season. Multiple injuries have plagued Hamlin over the last two decades. Here’s a look back at the physical ailments that have pushed Hamlin to some of his greatest on-track achievements.
ACL Tears (2010, 2015)
Hamlin’s first major debilitating injury came a little over 16 years ago and propelled him to a career-defining season. While playing a pickup basketball game in January 2010, Hamlin tore his left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Hamlin initially refused to get any surgery to fix his knee, but later opted for an operation in an off week in March. 2010 saw a record eight wins for Hamlin, including at Martinsville Speedway the week before his surgery. Hamlin would end this year as championship runner-up to Jimmie Johnson.
The same injury happened to Hamlin’s other knee just over five years later. Again while playing basketball, Hamlin tore his right ACL in September 2015. Hamlin raced through this pain for the final 11 weeks of that season before getting corrective surgery in November. Hamlin once again did not miss any races, and actually won that year’s Chase opener at Chicagoland Speedway despite the ailing knee.
Hamlin’s passion for basketball cannot be understated. A longtime Charlotte Hornets season-ticket holder, a chance encounter at one of their games kick-started Hamlin’s friendship with Michael Jordan. This relationship ultimately led the pair to become business partners, founding 23XI Racing in 2020. Hamlin also started The Hoop Group, a NASCAR drivers-centric pickup basketball league, in 2016.
Broken Back (2013)
One of NASCAR’s greatest modern-day finishes unfortunately had a bitter ending for Hamlin. Racing for the win at Auto Club Speedway in 2013, Hamlin and former teammate Joey Logano made last-lap contact in turn three. This sent both drivers out of control, allowing Kyle Busch to scoot by and steal the win. Hamlin’s Toyota plowed head-on into an unprotected non-SAFER-Barrier wall, causing an L1 compression fracture in his back. Hamlin missed four weeks while recovering, the first races he ever sat out.
2013 would not see Hamlin make the Chase–so far the only time he has not made the championship hunt. Hamlin did end this year on a high note, however, winning the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Shoulder Problems (2019-Present)
Beginning amid another title hunt in 2019, Hamlin discovered a tear in his left glenoid labrum. Once again, he powered through this ailment for another banner postseason. The 11 won twice across the final 10 weeks and finished fourth in points. Hamlin underwent offseason surgery to repair this issue.
Another shoulder injury reared its head just two years ago during yet another championship chase. Hamlin was diagnosed with a right shoulder labrum tear and rotator cuff issues late in the 2023 season. At the time, Hamlin admitted to using his left arm more for steering due to limited right-arm movement. Hamlin failed to make this year’s Championship 4, finishing fifth in points. Soon after the season finale, Hamlin did undergo successful arthroscopic surgery. He was seen at that year’s banquet wearing a shoulder brace (see video below) and said recovery pain was worse than expected. Still, he was ready to go for 2024.
Jumping ahead to the present, Hamlin admitted that his 2023 injury never fully healed as hoped and persisted with nagging pain. This past December, Hamlin said he slipped on debris after his parents’ house fire and re-tore his right shoulder.
Hamlin remains dedicated to competing this entire season with this injury, saying he’s only limited in “the things I like to do and that’s not going to be a priority during the season, unfortunately. I’m going to miss out on a lot of the fun things, but I can’t do some things I like to do simply because that aggravates it and it causes the tear to get worse. It’s kind of hanging on currently, but still has a few parts and pieces hanging on that I need to keep intact for the full year.”
In his lone start with this current injury, Hamlin rebounded from two late spins to finish fifth in the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium. His shoulder’s progression–towards healing or possibly further damage–will be a season-long storyline. As proven with his past two decades, however, Hamlin is more than capable of gritting it out and racing through pain to great success.
Written by Peter Stratta
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Photo Credits to James Gilbert/Getty Images
