Denny Hamlin wants to become the first driver since Martin Truex Jr. in 2019 to win the two races at Richmond (Virginia) Raceway with the green flag on Sunday evening.
USA Network will broadcast the race at 6 p.m. EDT and you can stream it live on fubo TV (FREE trial), Sling TV (discount), and DirecTV Stream (FREE trial and discount).
Hamlin earned the pole for Sunday night’s NASCAR Cup Series race by leading Saturday’s qualifying session in his No. 11 Toyota. It was Hamlin’s third pole of the year, although he finished outside the top 10 after his first two in Phoenix and Nashville.
With his five career victories at Richmond, he is one behind Kyle Busch, the leader among active racing drivers.
Hamlin beat Truex, his teammate at Joe Gibbs Racing, in qualifying.
“I think we made some really good adjustments between the two laps and I was able to run the lap I wanted to run,” Hamlin told reporters. “Was I surprised it held up? Yes. I definitely was.”
Truex, who is retiring from full-time racing after this season, is still looking for his first win of the year. At Richmond in March, Truex was in good shape to win before a late caution sent all competitors to the pits. Hamlin eventually prevailed in overtime.
Chris Buescher won here last year when he pulled away on a restart with three laps to go to take the win. Hamlin finished second, followed by Kyle Busch, Joey Logano and Ryan Preece.
Three weeks ago, Kyle Larson beat Ryan Blaney and Tyler Reddick in overtime at the NASCAR Cup Series race in Indianapolis to claim the Indianapolis victory he earned in May’s Indy 500. Larson’s attempt to complete the motorsports double two months ago ended when the IndyCar event was delayed by rain.
This was the last race before NASCAR took a two-week Olympic break.
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There are still four races left in the NASCAR regular season. After the race in Richmond, Michigan, Daytona and Darlington follow. Larson is 15 points ahead of Hamlin in the drivers’ championship, followed by Christopher Bell and William Byron.
Seven drivers have already secured a spot in the 16-driver postseason: Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney, Larson, Reddick, Hamlin, Byron and Bell.
From left to right: Katelyn Larson, Kyle Larson and Rick Hendrick kiss the bricks after Kyle won a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Sunday, July 21, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)AP
Brad Keselowski, Alex Bowman, Joey Logano, Daniel Suarez and Austin Cindric have all won this season and would all secure a playoff spot unless a first-time winner prevails in Richmond, according to an Associated Press report.
Martin Truex Jr., Ty Gibbs, Buescher and Ross Chastain, the best drivers without a win in the overall standings, are at risk. On the other side of the current cut line are Bubba Wallace, Chase Briscoe, Busch and Todd Gilliland.
