If he does race again at the next race, it will be good for Denny, but not the first time that a driver has driven with serious injuries. For example.....
At the first documented and organized Stock Car race in the state of Georgia, on November 11th, 1938, many of the participants wanted to ban local moonshiner, Lloyd Seay from Dawsonville, from racing because he had a broken arm. His left arm was in a sling and was thought to be a danger to others on track. He fought back saying that you didn't need two arms/hands for driving. The race directors decided to let Seay race, only if he would start in the back, that way he wouldn't hold up the faster cars near the front. The race ended early due to lack of light, and when the race was called, Seay was the leader, by half a straight-a-way. He propped his bad arm on the window sill of this 34' Ford Roadster and used his right arm for steering and shifting.
Less than ten years after Seay's first win, another driver came onto the Southern stock car racing scene, Air Force Veteran, Red Byron, who would also drive for Seay's cousin, Raymond Parks. Unlike Lloyd's temporary injury, Byron had a permanent injury that he would have to learn to live with for the rest of his life. During the war, a plane that he was tail-gunner on was shot down, upon impact, shrapnel entered the left side of his body. For 22 months, he was transported from hospital to hospital to try and fix his leg and allow him to walk again. At first, doctors wanted to amputate, but Red still wanted to drive a car, if he was ever able to. About 2 years after his plane was shot down, he could somewhat walk, but he had a bad limp, and really couldn't use his left leg that much. He began to race again in 1946, and within four years, he had won three national championships. Not only was it his driving ability, Raymond Parks' cars, but one of the major players in his success was Red Vogt's invention called the "Fatigue Pins" It was basically a brace that was welded onto the clutch pedal. With help, Bryon would put his left foot in the brace, then once in the car, he would shift his body to the left side, to compress the clutch pedal down. Once he shifted gears, he would pivot his body back to the right, lifting his body weight off of the left side, therefore releasing the clutch pedal. Just think, that all had to be done quick, within a matter of seconds. He was very lucky that his car never caught fire, because if it did, he would've been trapped inside the car with his foot to the pedal. He always had to have Vogt help him out of the car, usually with his left pant leg covered in blood. He was certainly a true fighter.
Over the years, racing got safer, and drivers became more aware of what could happen. There were some instances, like in the early 80's, when Dale Earnhardt flipped at Pocono. I'm not for certain on the year, but I'm thinking 1982, when going into the tunnel turn, Earnhardt got into Tim Richmond, the two collided and Earnhardt's Wrangler Jeans car flipped. He had to be helped out of the car, and sort of bounce on one leg to the ambulance. If I can remember right, he broke his ankle, but still continued to race soon after. Richard Petty's driven with broken ribs, Bill Elliott's driven with a broken wrist. Heck, just a couple of years ago, Denny Hamlin drove Richmond, less than a week after knee surgery. If you get down and count most of the times drivers have driven with injuries, it's really amazing. I guess it would true of the old saying....'if you want it bad enough, you really have to work for it.', because these guys certainly did.
