Denny Hamlin crash: Driver hospitalized overnight for back pain

Denny Hamlin was airlifted to a local California hospital following NASCAR’s Auto Club 400 on Sunday, after crashing during the last lap of the race. Hamlin spent the entire night in the hospital after complaining about back pain, according to USA Today’s Jeff Gluck, but further details on Hamlin’s injuries aren’t expected until later on Monday.

Hamlin crashed during the final lap of the Auto Club 400 after he and Joey Logano bumped into each other, forcing both drivers to lose control. Logano went on and finished sixth despite the crash, while Hamlin lost control and slammed into the inside wall in a head-on crash.

In case you missed it, here’s what Hamlin’s single-car crash looked like.

NASCAR officials maintained Hamlin was airlifted to the hospital simply as a precaution, as medics did not want to risk traveling through traffic had they taken Hamlin via ambulance.

An update on Hamlin’s condition is expected later Monday. Hamlin is currently in a California hospital, which operates on Pacific time, meaning an update could come later than usual.

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