Denny Hamlin says he's 50-50 to return this week at Richmond

Denny Hamlin has two wins ta Richmond over his career

KANSAS CITY, Kan.—Denny Hamlin hopes that he will return to Sprint Cup Series competition at Richmond International Raceway next week, but knows it depends on what the X-rays show.

Hamlin, who will miss his third consecutive Cup race Sunday when the STP 400 goes green at Kansas Speedway, said he has a doctor’s visit scheduled early next week to see if he can get approval to race.

To get that, doctors would need to see that the compression fracture in his lower back, suffered in the March 24 race at California, has started to heal.

Doctors initially predicted the Joe Gibbs Racing driver would miss five races.

“As far as Richmond, it’s going to be 50-50 on whether they’re going to feel comfortable letting me go at that point,” Hamlin said Saturday at Kansas Speedway.

“They want to be confident that anywhere I go, I can go the distance. … I’m doing all the rehab and stuff you’re supposed to do. You just hope that somehow your bones are healing the way they should be at this point.”

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