Why is denny hamlin sitting out

To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. Denny Hamlin had hoped he would be medically cleared to return to action this weekend when the Sprint Cup Series travels to his native state of Virginia.

I'll be back in no time. In multiple interviews over the last week, Hamlin repeatedly said his chances to race at Richmond were The short track is not only one of his better tracks, but it's a place where he attended races as a kid growing up in nearby Chesterfield, Va. Richmond also plays host to Hamlin's annual Short Track Showdown event, benefiting a local children's hospital. Hamlin then voluntarily went to the infield care center to get checked out. He said the hit gave him a headache, which was his primary reason for making the trip to the care center.

When asked if his back was bothered by the hit, Hamlin responded that it was fine. While Hamlin claims to be suffering no lingering effects, sitting out the rest of the season may not be a terrible idea. Hamlin climbed back into his car just six weeks after his initial back injury. The hope was that he would be able to win a couple of races, get into the top 20 in points to be eligible for a wild card and ultimately qualify for a spot in the Chase, all while having missed four races.

With nine races remaining before the Chase starts, Hamlin has yet to notch a victory. He currently sits 25th in the standings and is unofficially behind 20th-place Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Hamlin is not mathematically eliminated, but the odds of making a serious run at the Chase are clearly not in his favor. Ultimately his health should be more of a priority than winning races.

We could get hot. He treated the injury with ice, stimulation and a pain-killing injection, and said he will eventually need surgery. In hopes of making as close to a full recovery as possible by Saturday's race, Hamlin and his Joe Gibbs Racing team opted to keep him out of the car except when necessary Thursday and Friday. They realized one wreck could wipe out days of progress.

Skipping practice at Daytona is easier than at other tracks because drivers have little effect on the car's performance around the famed superspeedway, where drivers often hold the throttle wide open. Hamlin expects to get behind the wheel Friday for qualifying. But he's unlikely to do much else.