Denny Hamlin clinched his third Busch Light Pole Award of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season with a top speed of 118.162 mph in just 22.850 seconds during the qualifying session for the Cook Out 400. This sets a high bar for what is to come in the race.
Hamlin’s journey to the top of the qualifying leaderboard was not a straightforward one. Starting out in Group A as the fifth and final driver, he initially placed 11th in the day’s only practice session—a position that hardly hinted at the domination to come later in his campaign.
However, in a turnaround during the final round of qualifying, Hamlin soared to the front, leaving competitors wondering where this surge in performance came from.
As Hamlin himself revealed to the media, it was due to adjustments made by his team.
“We were the slowest car in the first round [of qualifying],” Hamlin confirmed. “The team made great adjustments. That’s the bottom line to it. [The crew] told me if I backed up my time, we’d have a shot at [the pole]. Certainly, a great job to this whole FedEx Camry team. Certainly, unexpected given the practice and first round qualifying we had.”
Hamlin’s stellar performance at Richmond is part of a larger pattern of success. A five-time winner at this track, with his most recent victory in September 2016, he appears ready to challenge for a historic sweep of both Richmond Cup events in a single season after his win earlier in April.
This latest pole marks the 43rd of his career, edging him closer to racing legends in the all-time standings — just two shy of tying with Buck Baker for 12th place. This pole also represents the first pole for Hamlin since the race at Nashville Superspeedway in June, signifying a robust season for Joe Gibbs Racing and the Toyota brand, which has now amassed six and eight poles this season respectively.
The rest of the qualifying results saw Martin Truex Jr., a teammate of Hamlin’s, securing a close second with a lap at 117.822 mph. Truex, by the way, is prepping for his final cup start at Richmond.
Beyond the leaders, the starting grid shapes up with promising talents scattered across the board. Rookie Josh Berry impressed with third place, followed by Chase Elliott and Christopher Bell.
Cup Series Cook Out 400 Qualifying Results
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