WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Denny Hamlin will enter the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season nursing a shoulder injury, one that will linger throughout the season.
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Hamlin, 45, provided the revelation on Wednesday afternoon ahead of practice and qualifying for the Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium. He said that he fell while going through the rubble at his parents' house, which burned down in a December fire.
Hamlin said that he re-tore his shoulder, the same one on which he had surgery on ahead of the 2024 season. However, he will not have another surgery to repair the damage.
He will just go through the 2026 season with the pain and limitations. He will focus on his range of motion and the things that he needs to do so he can make it through to another November surgery.
"It's torn, but it's still got a few little parts and pieces hanging on that I need to keep intact for the year," Hamlin said.
So how long will this shoulder injury be a problem for Hamlin?
"I wish I could predict the future, that I could tell you, but I just don't know," Hamlin said. "I mean, I certainly give my team the preparation that they deserve as the leader of the team, so there's no way that I can actually show up this weekend and face my team and not be prepared.
"So I've done as much as I feel like I can to be prepared, given the amount of time that I've got, given all the stuff that I have going on. They know that once I get in that car, they never question whether I'm capable of going out there and competing and giving them their best opportunity to win."
The injury will not be the only limiting factor for Hamlin early in the Cup Series season. He will also have to knock off some rust considering that he spent his offseason focusing on other things.
He first had the trial featuring 23XI Racing, Front Row Motorsports, and NASCAR. Once the two sides of this lawsuit reached a settlement, he had the tragic passing of his father and the injuries sustained by his mother in the house fire.
As Hamlin said, he doesn't feel comfortable to the point where he just wants to throw his No. 11 Toyota into Turn 1 at Kansas. Fortunately, he won't have to worry about that for a few months. For now, he will have to take on a short track during an exhibition event.
