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Denny Hamlin clinches the pole position at Martinsville Speedway, marking his fifth career pole at this track and 49th overall in the Cup Series. This achievement ties him with NASCAR legend Bobby Isaac for 10th place on the all-time pole list. Hamlin clocks a blistering 98.241 mph lap in his No. 11 Toyota, outpacing William Byron, who qualifies second at 97.957 mph in his No. 24 Chevrolet for the upcoming 400-lap race.
Hamlin recently made headlines with a victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, breaking a tie with Kevin Harvick for 10th on the all-time win list in the sport. Now, he’s just two poles shy of matching Ryan Newman’s impressive career total.
“It’s pretty awesome,” says Hamlin, reflecting on his continued speed. He acknowledges the challenges of maintaining pace with age but remains determined. Hamlin boasts six wins at Martinsville, with his latest victory last season ending a decade-long drought at the 0.526-mile oval.
Byron, fresh off a win in last October's Martinsville race, expresses confidence in his race car's performance. He notes that Saturdays have been tough for his team this season. Josh Berry, Ty Gibbs, and Shane van Gisbergen round out the top five qualifiers. Brad Keselowski prepares for his 600th career start, qualifying 23rd.
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