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Denny Hamlin Undergoes Scheduled Knee Surgery to Repair ACL

By Tucker White

November 30, 2015

Less than 1 Minute Read

It appears Kyle Busch isn’t the only one at Joe Gibbs Racing going under the knife this offseason.

Denny Hamlin underwent successful surgery today to repair the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) in his right knee. This was previously scheduled and was done by Dr. Patrick Connor of OrthoCarolina. The knee is expected to recover by the time Speedweeks starts up in February at Daytona International Speedway.

The driver of the No. 11 JGR Toyota tore it while playing basketball September 8. This is his second ACL tear in a span of six seasons and the second that resulted from playing basketball.

It didn’t slow down his performance as he scored the victory in the opening Chase race at Chicagoland Speedway. When he arrived in the media center afterwards, he asked, “how many of you had me getting bounced this round?” Most of the crowd raised their hands.

His status for the Champion’s Week’s festivities is unknown at this time.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of SpeedwayMedia.com

Tucker White

I've followed NASCAR for well over 20 years of my life, both as a fan and now as a member of the media. As of 2024, I'm on my ninth season as a traveling NASCAR beat writer. For all its flaws and dumb moments, NASCAR at its best produces some of the best action you'll ever see in the sport of auto racing. Case in point: Kyle Larson's threading the needle pass at Darlington Raceway on May 9, 2021. On used-up tires, racing on a worn surface and an aero package that put his car on the razor's edge of control, Larson demonstrated why he's a generational talent. Those are the stories I want to capture and break down. In addition to NASCAR, I also follow IndyCar and Formula 1. As a native of Knoxville, Tennessee, and a graduate of the University of Tennessee, I'm a diehard Tennessee Volunteers fan (especially in regards to Tennessee football). If covering NASCAR doesn't kill me, down the road, watching Tennessee football will. I'm also a diehard fan of the Atlanta Braves, and I lived long enough to see them win a World Series for the first time since 1995 (when I was just a year old). I've also sworn my fan allegiance to the Nashville Predators, though that's not paid out as much as the Braves. Furthermore, as a massive sports dork, I follow the NFL on a weekly basis. Though it's more out of an obligation than genuine passion (for sports dorks, following the NFL is basically an unwritten rule). Outside of sports, I'm a major cinema buff and a weeb. My favorite film is "Blazing Saddles" and my favorite anime is "Black Lagoon."

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