Hamlin wins second consecutive Dover pole

Statistically speaking, Dover International Speedway isn’t Denny Hamlin’s best race track.

With just five top-ten finishes in 14 career starts at the one-mile oval, the “Monster Mile” certainly has been a monster for Hamlin in the past.

Last fall, Hamlin won his first career pole at the track he considered his biggest challenge in the ten-race Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.

Hamlin finished that day with an eighth-place finish; his best at the track since 2010.

Friday afternoon, Hamlin took his second career pole position at Dover – grabbing the top starting position for Sunday’s FexEx 400 Benefiting Autism Speaks.

“That’s good for us. That’s two-in-a-row at this race track,” Hamlin said after winning the pole. “This is my worst race track, so this is a step in the right direction.”

Turning a lap averaging 157.978 mph, Hamlin earned his second-consecuvtive pole at Dover.

“Kyle made it interesting on us,” Hamlin said. “It was close. He made me sweat it.

“I didn’t think we had the draw nor the speed to do it, but great effort by all of the Joe Gibbs cars up there once again.”

Hamlin won his second pole of the season last week at Charlotte Motor Speedway, making Friday’s his third pole position of the 2013 season despite missing four races in April.

The pole also marked the seventh time in 2013 that Joe Gibbs Racing has won a pole in the Sprint Cup Series this season between their three full-time drivers.

Martin Truex Jr., who picked up his one-and-only Sprint Cup victory at Dover back in June,2007, will start alongside Hamlin for Sunday’s race.

Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth, Ryan Newman, Mark Martin, Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, and Jamie McMurray make up the top-ten starters for Sunday’s race.

FexEx 400 Benefiting Autism Speaks 400 Unofficial Starting Lineup 

1. Denny Hamlin 
2. Martin Truex Jr.
3. Kyle Busch
4. Matt Kenseth
5. Ryan Newman
6. Mark Martin
7. Kevin Harvick
8. Joey Logano
9. Brad Keselowski
10. Jamie McMurray
11. Kasey Kahne
12. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
13. Kurt Busch
14. Juan Pablo Montoya
15. Clint Bowyer
16. Paul Menard
17. Casey Mears
18. Carl Edwards
19. Greg Biffle
20. Jeff Gordon
21. Landon Cassill
22. Tony Stewart
23. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
24. Jimmie Johnson
25. Austin Dillon
26. Bobby Labonte
27. David Reutimann
28. David Gilliland
29. Jeff Burton
30. Marcos Ambrose
31. Michael McDowell
32. Mike Bliss
33. Aric Almirola
34. David Stremme
35. David Ragan
36. Joe Nemechek
37. Dave Blaney
38. Travis Kvapil
39. Danica Patrick
40. JJ Yeley
41. Josh Wise
42. Timmy Hill
43. Scott Riggs