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Bob PockrassNASCAR
HOMESTEAD, Fla. — Denny Hamlin is looking to extend a streak of winning at least once every season, and he upstaged the NASCAR Cup Series championship contenders in qualifying Friday night at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Hamlin, who has won a race in each of his 12 seasons but is winless in 2018 and has announced this will be his last race paired with crew chief Mike Wheeler, won the pole by 0.043 seconds over Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch.
“Overall I’m pleased with the effort today, and the guys did a good job,” Busch said.
Busch had the best run of the four championship contenders. Martin Truex Jr. will start third, Joey Logano will start fourth and Kevin Harvick will start 12th.
The polesitter gets the first choice of pit-stall selection, and it remains to be seen if Hamlin will give up the best pit stall so Busch can pick it.
“That’s probably too far [to ask], but it would sure be nice,” Busch said. “I think that if you’re not in the No. 1 pit box, [stalls] 2 through 40 are the same.”
The top finisher Sunday among the four championship finalists will win the title.
In addition to Hamlin, the other non-championship-contending driver in the top five was Brad Keselowski, who will start fourth.
Teams will get two practices Saturday to prepare for the 267-lap, 400-mile race.