Hamlin to make 100th NASCAR Cup series start this weekend
By SceneDaily Staff
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
- TEXT SIZE: Increase Text Size Decrease Text Size Reset Text Size
- No Comments. Leave a Comment
- Digg This
- Add to Del.icio.us
- RSS Feeds
Sam Greenwood / Getty Images for NASCAR
Latest Headlines
Denny Hamlin will make his 100th NASCAR Cup Series start in Sunday’s Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway.
For Hamlin, the milestone couldn’t come at a much more fitting venue.
The 2.5-mile track is the site of Hamlin’s first two Cup points victories, which came when the Joe Gibbs Racing driver swept both annual Pocono events in his rookie season of 2005.
Looking back on his first 99 starts, Hamlin says he is proud of what he has been able to accomplish so far at NASCAR’s top level.
"I think it's gone as well as I ever could have hoped when [team owner] Joe and [team President] J.D. [Gibbs] made the decision to put me in the No. 11 car,” Hamlin said. “I've had the benefit of great equipment, having the same crew chief and crew for three years and having FedEx as a sponsor from the beginning. As a young driver coming into the series, I know I have been really fortunate to have that consistency all around me.”
Nowhere has Hamlin been more consistent than Pocono. In five starts at the triangular-shaped facility, Hamlin has never finished worse than sixth.
When the series convened at the track in June, Hamlin placed a solid third.
The driver says it’s hard to single out one of his Pocono runs or any particular moment as the most memorable of his first 99 starts.
"I would have to say that Bud Shootout win in 2006 [was a highlight] because it was really unexpected,” Hamlin said. “We made that race by winning the pole in Phoenix in 2005, and we were so far off the radar coming into 2006 that the Shootout win caught a lot of people, including us, by surprise. It also raised expectations a lot. Then we went on to win two races at Pocono, win the Rookie of the Year Award and have a great season.
“To be honest, this whole experience has been a highlight. You'll have your up and down moments here and there, but we've had more good days than bad in the Cup Series, and we think we have a lot to do yet."
What does Hamlin hope to achieve in his next 100 starts?
"To become a consistent championship contender and keep earning the respect of the veteran drivers in the garage," he said. "We've made the Chase in our first two seasons, so that's become the benchmark for this team - winning races, qualifying for the Chase and making a run at a championship.
"If we keep improving all the time, which I have no doubt we will, I think that's a reasonable goal. But with as competitive as this series is, I won't take anything we’ve accomplished so far for granted."
- Mentioned Drivers:
- Denny Hamlin
No Comments
Be the first to comment on "Hamlin to make 100th NASCAR Cup series start this weekend". Login or sign up for a free account below to post your comment