(By Reid Spencer NASCAR Wire Service)
Posted: Sunday,March 28th, 2010
MARTINSVILLE, Va.—Denny Hamlin will undergo surgery Monday morning to repair a torn ACL in his left knee, the driver of the No. 11 Toyota confirmed Saturday at Martinsville Speedway.
Hamlin doesn’t expect to miss a start in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series because of the operation.
Having torn the ACL during a pickup basketball game Jan. 22, Hamlin had hoped to forgo surgery until after the end of the 2010 season, but the worsening condition of his knee and the accompanying pain dictated otherwise.
Denny Hamiln at Martinsville Saturday. (Photo: Getty Images)
“We were doing some further damage to the knee, and to me it’s not something that’s worth suffering forever or having a permanent limp or anything like that,” Hamlin said. “It just didn’t make much sense.
“The goal right now is to go ahead and get it done on Monday—as soon as I can early Monday morning. We’ll see where we’re at come Phoenix. I’m at least somewhat relieved that we’re just going to go ahead and get it over with because it is a little bit bothersome.”
Though Hamlin expects to start every Cup race, he’s uncertain as to whether he’ll be able to finish them. Accordingly, he’ll have Casey Mears standing by for the next few races, in case he needs a relief driver.
“Right now, it’s about damage control, I guess you could say,” Hamlin said. “We have some good tracks in line as soon as that stint starts—Phoenix, Texas, Richmond—those tracks coming up. I’d like to be good by then. If we’re not, then we’re going to let Casey take over and do his thing. But right now, my plan is to start every race.”
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