Denny Hamlin was diagnosed with a compression fracture to the L1 vertebrae in his lower back after contact with Joey Logano on the final lap of the Auto Club 400. Hamlin appeared to be in position to win the race when Logano got into him and wrecked both cars.
Hamlin was airlifted to a hospital near Auto Club Speedway and kept overnight. He was expected to be released on Monday and allowed to return home.
His status for the Martinsville race in two weeks is still unclear. I am not a doctor but given the extended recovery times that other drivers have required before being able to race again it seems likely that Hamlin will miss a few races.
Denny Hamlin Suffers Broken Back originally appeared on About.com NASCAR Racing on Monday, March 25th, 2013 at 21:22:35.
