It’s been a while since fans have seen Denny Hamlin in Victory Lane but the same could come true this Sunday. The Joe Gibbs Racing star grabbed pole position for the NASCAR Cup Series race at the Nashville Superspeedway. As per the 43-year-old, winning the pole at this track is a lot more advantageous than most of the others. That doesn’t just have to do with track position, but where the pole-sitter’s pit box is going to be.
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It is no secret that pit stops are one of the most crucial elements of any motor race. A driver hopes for it to be a fast stop so that he can get out on track in a better position than their rivals. At the Nashville Superspeedway, the pole-sitter’s pit box that is the first box on pit road is only 35 feet from the timing line. That gives them a huge advantage when it comes to pitting under any circumstance.
“There’s only 35 ft from the pit box to the timing line, so it’s one of the shorter distances that we have on the pit out. So, it’s one of the tracks that carries a bigger advantage. Yeah, at this track, it means more,” Hamlin said as per Speedway Media.
The No. 11 has the speed to beat on the concrete!@dennyhamlin wins the #BuschLightPole for the #Ally400! pic.twitter.com/pRuTH1RGKr
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 29, 2024
For the first time in a couple of years, the Nashville race in the NASCAR Cup Series won’t be a night race. As per the driver of the #11 car, it will make passing easier and favor drivers with better techniques.
Denny Hamlin explains the difference between racing in the day and at night
Hamlin explained that before the Ally 400 became a night race in 2022, Nashville always had a few exceptional drivers fighting at the front and the rest of the pack behind them. All that changed when it became a night race as the track temperature was a lot lower. Cars were not sliding around like they used to which bunched up the pack and made passing tougher. That won’t be the case on Sunday.
“I think passing will be easier in these ridiculously hot conditions because the cars will be sliding around and really accentuate good handling and drivers that have good techniques,” the veteran racer added.
The JGR driver has had a good season so far with three wins to his name already. It remains to be seen if he will he be able to increase that tally to four this Sunday.
