It looks as if Denny Hamlin is back and ready to rumble.
After many weeks out of the seat due to a back injury in March at the Auto Club 400 in California, Hamlin has come back to the FedEx #11 Toyota with fire. He started the race at Talladega for points purposes but was out at the first pit.
The next event at Darlington he drove the full race and finished second then went to a sixth place at the All Star race.
Now, for the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte he has qualified on the pole with a track speed record.
We don’t know what he did while out of the car to keep is talent at the wheel so sharp but it has apparently worked. He was and has been around the tracks during his recovery and must have picked up some insight from the pit box and crew while Brian Vickers was in the FedEx #11. Drivers do not usually get to see the race outside of the car so his time seeing how his team manages the race should be of some benefit. He now knows what is happening in the car and what is being done in the background.
Does any of that make him faster? Probably not in the real lap time sense but on the side of confidence it likely gives a boost.
That boost of assurance, both in his ability proven many times and in the crew that backs him up, may be big step towards regaining some momentum with plenty of racing left to climb the points chart.
Denny Hamlin is back. He’s on the pole and ready to race.
Time will tell if he is on the “Chase” stage following the next visit to Richmond but it likely is not smart to bet against it.
However, one good wager may be if the Hamlin-Logano thing has run its course…
FYI – Joey Logano qualified 31st for the Coca-Cola 600. The remaining Top 10 from qualifying are:
- 2) Kurt Busch
- 3) Matt Kenseth
- 4) Mark Martin
- 5) Clint Bowyer
- 6) Kasey Kahne
- 7) Greg Biffle
- 8) Kyle Busch
- 9) Jamie McMurray
- 10) Ryan Newman