DARLINGTON, S.C. - The only time NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin has clearly struggled at Darlington Raceway was when he was trying to impress the brass at Joe Gibbs Racing.
He and Tony Stewart tested at the track "Too Tough To Tame" about 15 years back, and Hamlin remembers tagging the infamous and troublesome wall some 19 or 20 times to the point the car "didn't have any sheet metal on the side and had worn completely through."
That was a long time ago.
"Since that point," Hamlin said, "it just kind of clicked."
Now a mainstay at JGR, Hamlin needs his Darlington touch to click once more at Sunday night's Southern 500. Hamlin has not won a Cup Series race since taking the checkered flag here a year ago. He's on the verge of qualifying for the playoffs - he needs to earn eight points in the race to clinch a spot with only one regular-season race remaining after this - but sorely wants to enter running at peak performance.
He got off to a good start this weekend by earning the pole position during qualifying Saturday. Kyle Larson will join Hamlin on the front row, with 2017 series champion Martin Truex Jr. starting third and Alex Bowman fourth.
Hamlin and Truex are Toyota drivers, with Larson and Bowman in Chevrolets, which has struggled this year during the Camaro's debut season. Saturday's qualifying should provide a boost - Chevy matched Toyota with four drivers in the top 10, with the other two in Fords.
Hamlin has won twice here in Cup Series race and five times in Xfinity Series events - he finished fourth in Saturday's race - but what's even more amazing is that he has never missed a lap in any Cup Series event he started at the track also known as "The Lady in Black."
"That's called a jinx, thank you," Hamlin answered when told of his success.
Hamlin could use having a bit of a jinx put on the trio of former Cup Series champions dominating this season. Kevin Harvick, the 2014 champion, leads the way with seven victories, 2015 champion Kyle Busch has six and Truex has four, meaning the Big 3 have combined to win 70 percent of the races.
Busch, who will start fifth Sunday, said his mission is clear: Finish the regular season as the top playoff seed.
"We want to continue our dominant stretch, continuing to win races, top fives and add to those bonus points," he said. "You want to win the regular season."
Harvick will start 22nd.
Some drivers, such as Hamlin, simply want to make the playoffs. Hamlin appears likely to clinch his spot this week, while Aric Almirola and seven-time series champion Jimmie Johnson also are close to making the 16-team postseason. The matter will be settled for sure next weekend when the 26th and final race of the 2018 regular season takes place at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Hamlin said he's not racing for points, just wins.
"Running better is very, very important to us at this point. So we're doing everything we can to work hard and get to that level we want to be at," he said. "Winning one of these next two would, for sure, help with the momentum going into the playoffs."
Keselowski wins Xfinity Series race
Brad Keselowski took advantage of a wreck between leaders Ross Chastain and Harvick to win the Xfinity Series race at Darlington.
Keselowski was running near the front but did not appear to have a strong enough car to catch Chastain or Harvick. It turned out all Keselowski had to do was wait.
On the 110th lap, Chastain and Harvick were side by side and passing a lapped car when Harvick's car sent Chastain's into the wall. As Chastain came back down, he clipped Harvick, who spun out with heavy damage.
Harvick drove into the pits, stopping at Chastain's stall to yell at his crew before going behind the wall. Harvick blamed Chastain for the wreck and said the 25-year-old driver probably would not get the chance to compete in too many races of this caliber in the future.
Cole Custer was second and Tyler Reddick third.
Power on pole for IndyCar race
PORTLAND, Ore. - Will Power is battling to remain in the hunt for the IndyCar season championship, and the reigning Indianapolis 500 winner will start in pole position Sunday as the series returns to Portland International Raceway for the first time in 11 years.
Power earned the 54th pole of his IndyCar career and fourth this season. The 37-year-old Australian is coming off a victory last weekend on the oval at Gateway Motorsports Park, and a victory today on the permanent road course would ensure he has a shot at winning his first IndyCar title.
Scott Dixon, a four-time IndyCar champion, holds a 26-point lead over Alexander Rossi with one race remaining after Sunday. Power and 2017 series champion Josef Newgarden are also still mathematically eligible to win the title.
Newgarden qualified second to give Team Penske and Chevrolet a front-row sweep, while Rossi will start third and Dixon was 11th in qualifying.