05/16/26 02:17:00
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05/16 14:16 CDT Denny Hamlin rebounds from spin to win pole for first NASCAR
All-Star Race at Dover Motor Speedway
Denny Hamlin rebounds from spin to win pole for first NASCAR All-Star Race at
Dover Motor Speedway
DOVER, Del. (AP) --- Denny Hamlin overcame a spin on his warmup lap Saturday to
win the pole position for the NASCARAll-Star Race at Dover Motor Speedway.
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver looped his No. 11 Toyota shortly after pulling onto
the banking on the 1-mile oval, but he recovered for a two-lap time of 1
minute, 49.298 seconds that included a four-tire pit stop.
"I was just trying to get as much heat in the tires as I possibly could,"
Hamlin said. "I was just trying to feel it out, and it was slick. I just didn't
want to flat-spot (the tires). The lap was still competitive even though we
didn't do a great job on the warmup. Hats off to the team because they're the
ones that keep you in the game because it's all about the pit stop."
Brad Keselowski qualified second, followed by Erik Jones, Ross Chastain and
William Byron at the concrete track known as the "Monster Mile," which will
become the sixth oval to play host to the All-Star Race.
Hamlin was among several drivers who had trouble on their qualifying laps.
Connor Zilisch and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. also spun, and there were 10-second
speeding penalties for Zane Smith, Michael McDowell and Kyle Larson. Daniel
Suarez's No. 7 Chevrolet smacked the wall when his right-front tire popped off
after the checkered flag.
Hamlin, the 35th of 36 drivers making a qualifying attempt, said he was trying
to be mindful of the earlier issues when he lost control. It's his second pole
position in the All-Star Race, which he won in 2015 after starting first.
Sunday's event will feature two 75-lap stages before concluding with a 200-lap
segment featuring 26 cars.
"(Qualifying) is not my forte," Hamlin said. "I liked our car. It felt like we
were pretty strong. If we can do well in the first segment in traffic where we
excel, it could be a good weekend."
Though Smith qualified 25th, his No. 38 Ford team was awarded the first pit
stall selection and a $100,00 bonus because its crew set the fastest time
(12.612 seconds) on the four-tire stop.
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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
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