Hamlin shatters Charlotte track record

Seems as though every week in the Sprint Cup Series previous track records are falling by the wayside.

Whether it’s a short-track such as Bristol Motor Speedway or a 1.5-mile speedway like Charlotte, NASCAR’s new Generation-6 race car has led to blistering speeds when cars take to the track for qualifying.

That was no different Thursday evening as Denny Hamlin turned a lap averaging nearly 196 mph to win the pole position for Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600.

“This is like a victory for me,” Hamlin said after the qualifying session was over.

Hamlin’s lap at 195.624 mph knocked off provisional pole sitter at the time, Kurt Busch, to earn his second pole award of the season.

“It just takes so much nerve to do it,” was the way Hamlin described how it felt to run that fast around Charlotte Motor Speedway.

“You can’t do it without a fast car.”

The last time Hamlin won a pole position was at Auto Club Speedway back in March; the same race where he suffered an L1 compression fracture, sidelining him for the month of April.

“Proud to be back on the race track. We’re really getting things going right now so I’m really happy about everything.”

Busch will start alongside Hamlin, marking the third time in 2013 that the 2004 Cup champion will start on the front row.

“I left a little on the table in [turns] three and four,” Busch said after his lap.

Matt Kenseth, Mark Martin, Clint Bowyer, Kasey Kahne, Greg Biffle, Kyle Busch, Jamie McMurray, and Ryan Newman make up the top-10 starters for Sunday’s race.

44 cars attempted to make the 43-car field.

Mike Bliss was the lone driver to miss the starting field.

Coca-Cola 600 Unofficial Starting Lineup