Denny Hamlin relates to injured Kyle Busch

As Kyle Busch continues to recover from a broken right leg and left foot, Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin can sympathize to what Busch is undergoing.

Two years ago, Hamlin broke his back when he crashed into an inside concrete wall not covered with a SAFER (Steel and Foam Energy Reduction) barrier. The injury forced Hamlin to miss four races and the time out of the car provided a different outlook.

“He’s definitely paying a lot of attention to the races and what he sees from the outside,” Hamlin said Friday at Phoenix International Raceway. “I think he’s very engaged and obviously making the best of the situation that he’s got. I know when I was out two years ago, it just gives you a different perspective and a different way to look at things.

“I’m sure coming back he’ll probably be a lot more appreciative of the time he’s got inside that race car because he knows how quickly it can go away.”

Busch was injured last month when he slammed into a concrete wall during the Xfinity Series race at Daytona International Speedway. Like Hamlin, the wall Busch struck was not protected by a SAFER barrier. He is out for an indefinite amount of time.

Track workers covered the portion of the wall Busch hit with tire barriers for the next day’s Daytona 500. The speedway is in the process of installing SAFER barriers entirely around the racing surface before July’s NASCAR race.

Busch’s accident -- along with Jeff Gordon impacting a bare concrete wall the next week -- has prompted a reevaluation of safety measures within NASCAR. Officials for six tracks have already announced they will add either additional SAFER barriers or tire barriers. Gordon met with NASCAR officials this week to discuss how drivers can be better protected.

“I think more and more now we’re starting to put more eyes on where SAFER barriers (need to go),” Hamlin said. “I’m assuming from talks that I’ve had with Jeff, I believe the meeting he had with NASCAR was well and they’re doing everything they can to make sure the changes are happening as fast as they can. I’m assuming that the job is going to get done quickly and right.”

In Busch’s absence, David Ragan is driving his No. 18 Sprint Cup car. Various drivers will pick up the Xfinity races Busch was to compete in. The schedule will be divided among Hamlin, Erik Jones and Boris Said.

Hamlin doesn’t normally race a heavy slate of Xfinity races, preferring to concentrate on NASCAR’s No. 1 division. But a new Cup rules package, which includes a reduction of horsepower and decreased downforce, has made Cup cars more comparable to its Xfinity counterpart. Hamlin is hoping the increased seat-time will provide an advantage.

“I think the rules packages are now a little closer to where it probably can benefit you to run a few Xfinity races,” Hamlin said. “For me, I thought it was time for me to kind of get back and start running a few more just to see if I can find anything that can make me better on Sundays. Even though I typically don’t like doing double duty, the stats show that I always run better Sunday when I race on Saturday. I don’t know why, but it’s happened.”