“I Have Tremendous Amount of Back Issues”: Denny Hamlin’s Health Reveal That Should Concern Fans

Aug 31, 2023; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Denny Hamlin answers questions from the media at Charlotte Convention Center.

There are several reasons why a NASCAR driver’s performance might wane as they age. It could be slowed brain function, the loss of quick reaction times, a waning eyesight, or something different. For Denny Hamlin, it hasn’t impacted his performances adversely yet. But back issues have for long been silently tormenting him.

In 2013, Hamlin suffered a horrific crash with Joey Logano at the Auto Club Speedway. He crashed into an unprotected section of the wall and fractured his L1 vertebra. The compression fracture left him out of action for several weeks, and required significant rehab to recover.

Hamlin spoke about it on the Daily Social Hour Podcast earlier this year. He said, “I have a tremendous amount of back issues being in a race car as I have been in. I actually broke my spine in 2013 in a wreck. I do more research on what can fix my back and the things I need to do for that.”

Doctors could have fixed his issues, and they still can. But it is something Hamlin does not want to pursue yet.

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver revealed that his doctors could have worked on his back and fixed things for the better. But then, they hadn’t wanted to do so if he was going to keep racing. And so, the plan to conduct a surgery has been postponed at least to after retirement comes knocking on his door.

“My discs are degenerative, so you know, a lot of the fluid out of the disc has dissipated, so it’s just kind of bone on bone,” Hamlin added, creating a rather painful image for fans to deal with.

The toll that drivers pay to race cars for a living

It is in the nature of the job to experience physical deterioration over time. When a driver gets into the seat and pulls the straps tight, it places a significant amount of pressure on the spine. The cars are designed to be extremely low to the ground to generate more speed, and as a result, they have very little suspension.
Because of this, every little jerk and rumble is felt directly on the spine. Hamlin said, “It just constantly beats on your spine. It has for 20 years, and it has taken a toll. Most of the injuries you find with drivers are back pain and shoulder pain. I see on social media, at least three or four drivers getting shoulder surgery every single year.”
This hardship that they go through is what makes all the little wins extremely precious. Thus far, Hamlin hasn’t let his back get in the way of his results on the track. Hopefully, he will keep his resilience for a few more years until he gets to lift that pending championship trophy.
Post Edited By: Somin Bhattacharjee
Denny Hamlin

About the author

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Gowtham Ramalingam

Gowtham is a NASCAR journalist at The SportsRush. Though his affinity for racing stems from Formula 1, he found himself drawn to NASCAR's unparalleled excitement over the years. As a result he has shared his insights and observations by authoring over 3000 articles on the sport. An avid fiction writer, you can find him lost in imaginary worlds when he is not immersed in racing. He hopes to continue savoring the thrill of every lap and race together with his readers for as long as he can.

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