Just when you thought Denny Hamlin was the man who could knock Jimmie Johnson off the pedestal – the throne Johnson has held for four consecutive seasons atop the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series – comes this news from ESPN’s Marty Smith.
Denny Hamlin Blows Out His Knee; Will Race With Torn ACL
↵Smith reports Hamlin tore the ACL in his left knee playing basketball on Friday, but with Daytona Speedweeks (which culminates with the Daytona 500) just a couple weeks away, Hamlin will postpone surgery until after the season.
↵Hamlin is quoted in the story as saying:
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↵"I planted my foot to make a move toward the basket, and my knee just shot directly out to the left."
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↵Sounds painful for both Hamlin and his title chances.
↵Was it foolish for Hamlin to risk his season by playing basketball? Not at all. He’s an avid hoops player and drivers can’t be expected to stop living their lives just in case of an injury (remember Carl Edwards’ freak Frisbee accident last year?).
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Smith has a quote from a team spokesman saying the injury wasn't expected to affect Hamlin inside the car. Still, this has to be a considerable setback for Hamlin.
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If anyone expects to knock off the seemingly unbeatable four-time champ, it'd be better to do it on two legs.
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