RADIO
Denny Hamlin Qualifies Ninth for this Week's Cup Race at Darlington
Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin will start in ninth place for this week's Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway after qualifying. Hamlin is the only driver from JGR to qualify inside the top 10 this week. In 27 races at Darlington, Hamlin has five wins (most of active drivers), 20 top-10 finishes (most of active drivers), 1,022 laps led (second-most of active drivers), and an average finish of 7.9 (best of all drivers all-time). The No. 11 Toyota driver is also the defending winner of this week's race and has placed in the top 10 in each of the last four Darlington races. Through five races in the 2026 season, Hamlin has one win, three top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 12.0, and is currently fourth in the regular-season standings. In practice for Sunday's race, Hamlin ranked 34th in overall lap averages and as high as 12th in 30 consecutive lap averages. Although his practice speeds were underwhelming, Darlington is one of Hamlin's top statistical tracks and always is a threat to be considered for the win at the site. Fantasy players should not underestimate Hamlin because of his incredible track history at Darlington.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
