Denny Hamlin announced he will not run the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Darlington Raceway this weekend (Sept. 3) as previously planned, Joe Gibbs Racing announced Aug. 31.
Hamlin’s recovery from his Daytona International Speedway NASCAR Cup Series wreck last weekend is the reason he will not race in the Xfinity event. The No. 11 Toyota was one of over a dozen cars caught up in a lap 138 wreck as the leaders drove into a downpour entering turn 1.
“I have had some soreness in my neck, back, and hips from the wreck on Sunday,” he said in a team release. “I feel like the right thing for me to do is to sit out the Xfinity Series race and put 100% of my focus on getting ready for this weekend’s Cup Series playoff race.”
Hamlin still plans to run the Cup race as one of the 16 playoff contenders competing for the 2022 series championship.
In NXS, Christopher Bell will fill in for Hamlin in the No. 18.
Hamlin enters the playoff opener at Darlington as the sixth seed, 27 points back of top-seeded Chase Elliott.