Driver Denny Hamlin suffered a torn ACL in his right knee while playing basketball on Tuesday night, per Joe Gibbs Racing.
Hamlin underwent an MRI on Wednesday morning Charlotte, confirming the injury but also getting clearance to race. He plans to wait and have surgery after the season, and does not plan on missing any races this season. He is locked into the Chase due to his win in the spring Martinsville race.
From a statement of Joe Gibbs Racing:
"Hamlin had a MRI this morning to confirm the diagnosis and has been evaluated by the medical team at OrthoCarolina. He has received the medical clearance necessary to continue racing activities and is expected to race the remainder of the season and through the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship. Hamlin will require surgery to repair the ACL damage following the season."
This is not the first time that Hamlin has torn his ACL while playing basketball with the first time coming in January of 2010. He tried to postpone surgery untill after that season, but eventually gave in, although he did not miss any races and even won at Texas Motor Speedway just two weeks after having surgery.
In March of 2013, he broke his back in a last-lap crash at Auto Club Speedway and although he did not need surgery, he did end up missing four races before returning at Talladega where he ran part of the race before being pulled from the car mid-race for a replacement driver. One year later, he missed his return to Auto Club Speedway after he got a piece of metal stuck in his eye, which was initially diagnosed as a sinus infection.
At eighth in the points, Hamlin is locked into the Chase - as all four Gibbs cars are entering this weekend's race at Richmond.
Stevie Larson is a writer for the VAVEL USA NASCAR section. Follow him on Twitter at @littletwinsfan.