May 17, 2008
Nascar
Special pole for Hamlin
He turns in lap of 126.198 mph at hometown track
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Denny Hamlin didn't realize how much he was feeling the pressure to perform in front of his hometown crowd until he was hurtling around the track in qualifying.
"I knew I was under pressure because my heart was beating out of my chest during my lap," Hamlin said yesterday after his fastest lap at 126.198 mph gave him his sixth career pole and second in Richmond, Va.
He's from Chesterfield, about a 15-minute drive from Richmond International Raceway.
"When your foot is shaking on the gas pedal, the nerves are starting to get to you," Hamlin said. "I don't know why. It's just a starting position for us, but it's something special about this racetrack. When you perform well, it just gives you that extra boost of confidence."
Hamlin's Toyota will have the Chevrolet of Mark Martin on the outside for tonight's Sprint Cup Series Dan Lowry 400, with the Chevrolet of Martin Truex Jr. and rookie Patrick Carpentier's Dodge in the second row. The Dodges of Reed Sorenson and Juan Pablo Montoya are next.
Martin, who is running a partial schedule this season, was elated with his qualifying run, which will give him a fine view of open track for his 45th career start at Richmond. That it came even after he was third on the track just showed that he's got a good car for the race.
"If you've got a bad draw and you've got a bad car, you've really got your hands full," he said.
Truex, whose contract status with Dale Earnhardt Inc. has been a hot topic of late, dodged questions about it after his run, saying he had larger issues demanding his concentration.
Truex is 17th in the series point standings.
"I'm just trying to get my season back on track. We've had good cars all year long and we've not been able to get many good finishes," he said. "We're focusing on that."
Carpentier, one of four rookies in the race, is 41st in points, outside the top 35 spots that give their owners guaranteed spots in the field each week.
Still, with much work to do, his performance was a cause for celebration.
"For the first time I won't see the leaders coming by me so quickly," he said.
His best previous starting spot was 12th at Las Vegas.
Other notables on the starting grid are points leader Jeff Burton, another Virginia native, who will roll off 33rd; defending race champion Jimmie Johnson, who will start 12th; and red-hot Kyle Busch, who is second in points and will start seventh tonight.
• Edwards // Carl Edwards briefly explored free agency before deciding to stay with Roush Fenway Racing. Edwards said he signed a multiyear contract extension to continue driving the No. 99 Ford, a decision that takes NASCAR's most sought-after free agent off the market.
Copyright © 2008, The Baltimore Sun
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