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Hamlin A Hometown Hit

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The Associated Press

Published: May 3, 2008

RICHMOND, Va. - 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," said Hamlin, who is from Chesterfield, about a 15-minute drive from Richmond International Raceway, after his fastest lap at 126.198 mph gave him his sixth career pole and second at Richmond.

"When your foot is shaking on the gas pedal, the nerves are starting to get to you. I don't know why. It's just a starting position for us, but it's something special about this race track. 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 race, 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.

But Hamlin, who had to make a quick uniform change to race in Friday night's Nationwide Series event, was the only one wearing a grin stretching from ear to ear.

"A pole at Richmond is equal to a race win anywhere else I go," said Hamlin, who was born in Brandon.

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 RIR. That it came even after he was third on the track just showed that he has 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, especially with a cooling track making it more receptive for later qualifiers.

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."

Hamlin Surges To Nationwide Win

RICHMOND, Va. - Denny Hamlin used a late pit stop for tires to foil the strategy of fellow NASCAR stars Kevin Harvick and Carl Edwards, blowing by them to win the Nationwide Series race at Richmond International Raceway.

Harvick and Edwards dominated the Lipton Tea 250 all night, but when the sixth caution flag flew with 22 laps to go, Hamlin gave up his fourth-place position to head to pit road for tires. When everyone behind him followed, leaving Harvick, Edwards and No. 3 Mike Bliss as the only cars still out on the track, Hamlin emerged still running fourth and with new tires.

He didn't waste any time, blowing by Bliss and then Edwards on Lap 241, the first after another restart, then ducking underneath Harvick at the start-finish line on Lap 242.

Hamlin quickly built a huge lead, but when another caution came out with three laps left, it allowed Kyle Busch to get right up on Hamlin's bumper for a two-lap dash to the finish.

It didn't matter, and Hamlin again pulled away with ease for his sixth career victory in the series and his first at the track.

"It's unbelievable," Hamlin said after climbing from his Toyota in a storm of confetti in Victory Lane. "This is my biggest win, Cup, anything. It doesn't matter. This is my biggest win by far. It means a lot to finally break through in Richmond."

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