Denny Hamlin heard the whispers and speculation that it wasn’t really an eye injury that kept him from running in last week’s Sprint Cup race at Auto Club Speedway.
Denny Hamlin on rumors he faked injury: ‘I would have to be an absolute moron’
The suspicion that he faked an eye injury to avoid a drug test was vehemently denied by Hamlin Friday at Martinsville.
Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
And two days after being cleared by NASCAR to return to the track, an infuriated Hamlin responded Friday at Martinsville Speedway.
"It's my business. People who think negatively of me or think that we side-stepped some sort of drug test or something is ridiculous.-Denny Hamlin
“My health is my business, but what if it was cancer or tumor -- I don’t have to tell anyone that,” Hamlin said. “It’s my business. People who think negatively of me or think that we side-stepped some sort of drug test or something is ridiculous.
“I’m in one of the top three cars in NASCAR, I would have to be an absolute moron -- moron to risk that. I have a daughter that I have to provide for a really long time. For people to question who I am inside and outside the race car, I’ve never done anything to even put that in question.”
What did happen was a scrap of metal became lodged in Hamlin’s eye during Friday practice at Fontana. He visited the infield care center Saturday night thinking his symptoms were similar to a sinus infection he had back in January.
Overnight his condition worsened and his vision became blurry, which prompted a second visit to the care center Sunday morning. It was during this visit doctors would not clear Hamlin to race and recommended he immediately go to a local hospital for further evaluation. To no avail, Hamlin even called NASCAR president Mike Helton to plead his case saying, “Come rescue me out of this infield care center and get me out of here and let me race.”
If he had his druthers Hamlin would have preferred not to sit out at Fontana, and he felt he was healthy enough to drive. But after a meeting with doctors, Helton and JGR president J.D. Gibbs, Hamlin understood the situation. What made the decision easier was NASCAR’s revised Chase for the Sprint Cup format, which doesn’t penalize a driver if they miss for medical reasons.
“They were looking out for me, and you can’t fault any group of people,” Hamlin said. “It’s hard for me to be selfish saying that I should be able to get in the car no matter what when they’re trying to look out for my best interest.
“I don’t need to be a liability out there and obviously with this new format we hardly lost anything in points. We still have a great shot to win a lot of races from here until the Chase so take the safe approach.”
As Joe Gibbs Racing tabbed Sam Hornish Jr. to drive its No. 11 car, Hamlin was transported to an area hospital where he met with an optometrist. That was where the piece of metal, which rusted and caused the infection, was discovered and removed. By that time, however, it was too late for Hamlin to make the start of the race.
But the lack of details cast suspicion that it was something other than an eye injury that was keeping from driving.
"It bothers me that my character is questioned. People think that there's some kind of conspiracy. I worked too hard to get here."-Denny Hamlin
While never leveling accusations, Dale Earnhardt Jr. said Tuesday he wished Hamlin and NASCAR would be fully transparent about the exact details of his injury. If not, Earnhardt said rumors would swirl and even if innocent, Hamlin would be seen as guilty in court of public opinion.
“I don’t stay tucked in my motorhome, I don’t stay tucked into my house, it’s not what I like to do,” Hamlin said. “Because I’m out there a little bit more people think I got out and I party. ... I don’t drink at all, hardly ever. I’ve never done drugs, ever. I’m as clean as they come. I don’t know why people question who I am outside the race track. I worked too hard to get here for one to throw it all away.
“If anyone has any questions about that, they can ask me directly. ... It bothers me that my character is questioned. People think that there’s some kind of conspiracy. I worked too hard to get here, and it’s what I’ve wanted to do since I was five years old. ... I’m done justifying and defending myself on those things -- I’m not going to let those people drag me down.”
Hamlin met with a Charlotte, N.C., doctor Monday, but it wasn’t until after a second test Wednesday that he was officially given the OK to run at Martinsville.
His plan to silence his critics is rather straightforward.
“I’m going to win this weekend, I promise,” Hamlin said.
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