Analysis

NASCAR Cup

Once again, Fontana is forgettable for Hamlin

For Hamlin, the two-mile track in Fontana, Calif. is star-crossed, to say the least.

Edited: Mar 24, 2014, 9:12 PM

Copy link

Share on Viber

Add as a preferred source

Don’t blame Denny Hamlin if he develops the same sense of foreboding for Auto Club Speedway that Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch has for Kansas Speedway.

For Hamlin, the two-mile track in Fontana, Calif. is star-crossed, to say the least.

Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Photo by: Action Sports Photography

Last year, Hamlin missed four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races after breaking his back (a compression fracture of the first lumbar vertebra) after a collision with Joey Logano’s Ford sent his Toyota rocketing into the inside wall.

Naturally enough, one of the main story lines entering Sunday’s Auto Club 400 was a possible revenge play between Hamlin and Logano, but that show closed before the curtain went up.

Instead of walking to the starting grid, Hamlin rode to a local hospital on the morning of the race, suffering from a sinus infection serious enough to require immediate attention. Sam Hornish Jr. took his place in the No. 11 JGR Toyota and finished a solid 17th.

Hamlin was released from the hospital Sunday evening, with further observation and evaluation planned this week after his return to North Carolina, according to a statement his team released on Sunday night.

Coincidentally, Hamlin spent most more than 24 hours in the hospital before returning home after last year’s accident. A hospital certainly is an uncomfortable place for a driver to be.

But the most uncomfortable place a driver can be is anywhere outside his race car.

Here’s to a speedy recovery that will keep Hamlin’s absence as short as possible.

Reid Spencer - NASCAR Wire Service

We want your opinion!

What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?

Take our 5 minute survey.

- The Motorsport.com Team

Read and post comments

Share Or Save This Story

Copy link

Share on Viber

Previous article Stewart scores second straight top-five in Fontana

Next article Kyle Larson didn't arrive at Fontana; he was already there

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

View More & Comment

Latest news

Mercedes fined for George Russell skipping F1 Mexico GP media duties

Formula 1

F1 Formula 1

Mexican GP

2 min

Mercedes fined for George Russell skipping F1 Mexico GP media duties

Lewis Hamilton slams Charles Leclerc for "do or die" attitude after Mexico GP clash

Formula 1

F1 Formula 1

Mexican GP

47 min

Lewis Hamilton slams Charles Leclerc for "do or die" attitude after Mexico GP clash

Jeff Burton and Dale Jarrett blast Carson Hocevar: "That's not racing"

NASCAR Cup

NAS NASCAR Cup

Martinsville II

1 h

Jeff Burton and Dale Jarrett blast Carson Hocevar: "That's not racing"

Five things we learned from MotoGP's steamy Malaysian Grand Prix

MotoGP

Malaysian GP

Five things we learned from MotoGP's steamy Malaysian Grand Prix

Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.

From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.

You have 2 options:

Become a subscriber.
Disable your adblocker.

Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here

Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page

Manage Alerts