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Hamlin to Undergo Surgery after Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500

It would appear the torn anterior cruciate ligament Denny Hamlin managed to get during a basketball game this January is more serious than even Hamlin himself wanted to admit. Despite his repeted claims he will not miss any races this season because of the injury, Hamlin was forced to accept the facts and announced he will undergo surgery on Monday morning, following the Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500.

"We were going to wait until the end of the season, but just decided that it wasn't a good idea," said Hamlin, according to the source. "We were doing some further damage to the knee and to me it's not something that's worth suffering forever or having a permanent limp or anything like that. It just didn't make much sense."

 According to NASCAR, the Joe Gibbs Racing may be back in the No. 11 Toyota driver's seat as soon as the next Sprint race on April 10 in Phoenix, despite the fact his team has already announced Casey Mears is ready to take Hamlin's place. According to his doctors, the surgery does not guarantee a quick recovery for the driver.

"We're going to have Casey Mears standing by for a few weeks just to see how things go," Hamlin added. "Obviously, they've been trying to get that program together and we felt like he was our best option as far as being able to use someone to get a good finish." 

"From what the doctor told me and that's really all I can go by, is that recovery for everyone is different," Hamlin said. "Some people take right to it; some people it takes a little bit longer. Everyone is different."

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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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