Denny Hamlin, slated to undergo surgery for a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) Wednesday morning in Charlotte, will only need clearance from his doctor to resume competing in NASCAR, according to officials with the sanctioning body.

Hamlin injured his left knee Jan. 22 while playing basketball, and had hoped to put off the surgery until after the 2010 racing season had been completed. But concern that he might further damage the knee by delaying the surgery led the 29-year-old to change his mind.

“He only needs to be cleared by his doctor, he needs for him to say it’s OK for him to return … that he’s good [to go],” NASCAR’s Ramsey Poston, managing director, corporate communications, said Tuesday.