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CUP: Hamlin’s Martinsville History Speaks Volumes
Denny Hamlin says anything short of victory a disappointment…
Mike Hembree  |  Posted October 28, 2012   Martinsville, VA
Denny Hamlin (Left), pictured here with crew chief Darian Grubb, had hoped to return to racing this weekend. (Photo: LAT Photographic)
Denny Hamlin’s history at Martinsville Speedway leaves little room for small expectations.

He has won four times at the track in 14 Sprint Cup appearances, and he put together a remarkable streak from the fall race in 2006 through the fall race in 2010, winning four times, finishing second twice, third once and logging no finish worse than sixth.

He’ll start fifth Sunday in the Tums Fast Relief 500 with plans to make gains on point leader Brad Keselowski. Hamlin is third in points, 20 behind Keselowski.

"Ultimately, if we finish outside of the top five, then there's something wrong,” Hamlin said. “Something wrong with the car, something wrong with me. You come here, and you expect to go up there and challenge for race wins. I feel like I can make up a little bit when the car is not at its best here. And the car can carry me sometimes when I'm not at my best.

“It just works hand-in-hand here, and that's why we really perform so well here – we've had that success, and I felt that feel in the car that I need to win races."

The goal Sunday, Hamlin said, is to score another win. In the pursuit of Keselowski, anything less is not acceptable, he said.

"There's no reason that we should lose points to the 2 (Keselowski) this weekend,” he said. “I don't anticipate it. I don't plan on it, but you need to widen that spread. We need to gain seven – six to seven, and the way to do that is to win.

“If you don't win, then it's going to be very hard to gain the points that we need for the last three races. Right now, the biggest jump we can get is winning and getting those three extra points for winning – leading a lap and things like that. We can't afford really to even finish second and let those guys finish three, five, six. That's just not a big-enough chunk. We need to win races, and we know it."

Starting in front of Hamlin, who won Saturday’s Truck Series race at the track, Sunday will be pole winner Jimmie Johnson, Brian Vickers, Kyle Busch and Jeff Burton.

Keselowski will start 32nd.

Mike Hembree is NASCAR Editor for SPEED.com and has been covering motorsports for 30 years. He is a six-time winner of the National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year Award.
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