Denny Hamlin heads to Kansas after latest bad break in Chase for Sprint Cup

Ray Slover

Denny Hamlin heads to Kansas after latest bad break in Chase for Sprint Cup image

Looking for a black cloud at Kansas Speedway? It will be there, hanging over Denny Hamlin.

As good as he is, Hamlin just has no luck during the Chase for the Sprint Cup. He was reminded of that last weekend at Charlotte, and he heads for Sunday's race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup wondering if his jinx will continue.

MORE: Charlotte winners, losers | Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s Chase title pick

Hamlin enters the Hollywood Casino 400 in eighth place after one race in the Round of 12 in the Chase. The only luck that came Hamlin's way at Charlotte was the misfortune of four other drivers. So Hamlin has a three-point lead over Austin Dillon and Chase Elliott, with Kevin Harvick and Joey Logano below them.

That's pressure.

Hamlin is philosophical about his plight, as he noted after an engine failure at Charlotte.

"It's just my time and it's usually Chase time when I have these things happen," Hamlin said. "Tough break, obviously. Had a good car and we'll have to go to Kansas and get a good run there and do everything we can to advance."

After all, this is a familiar happenstance.

MORE: Big problems at Charlotte | Where Chase drivers stand

Last year, for example, he was second at Charlotte and fourth at Kansas — before a crash at Talladega left his 37th and out of the Chase.

"I've been doing this 11 years and I can't name anyone else who has had as bad of luck as I have in the Chase, but it's just part of it and it's part of racing," Hamlin said. "You have to have every piece of the puzzle just perfect to win these championships and this is just a hiccup. Luckily some other guys had some bad days and we're not out of it."

Weather won't be a problem — glory be — at Kansas. Given Hamlin's luck, however, a twister could appear at any second.

Here's the Kansas entry list. Chase drivers in bold.

No. Driver/
Hometown
Brand Sponsor/
Owner
1 Jamie McMurray
Joplin, Mo.
Chevy CESSNA
Chip Ganassi Racing
2 Brad Keselowski
Rochester Hills, Mich.
Ford Miller Lite
Team Penske
3 Austin Dillon
Welcome, N.C.
Chevy Dow Coating Materials
Richard Childress Racing
4 Kevin Harvick
Bakersfield, Calif.
Chevy Outback Chevrolet SS
Stewart-Haas Racing
5 Kasey Kahne
Enumclaw, Wash.
Chevy Farmers Insurance
Hendrick Motorsports
6 Trevor Bayne
Knoxville, Tenn.
Ford Advocare Ford Fusion
Roush Fenway Racing
7 Regan Smith
Cato, N.Y.
Chevy Fire Alarm Services Inc. Chevrolet
Tommy Baldwin Racing
10 Danica Patrick
Roscoe, Ill.
Chevy Nature's Bakery Chevrolet SS
Stewart-Haas Racing
11 Denny Hamlin
Chesterfield, Va.
Toyota FedEx Express
Joe Gibbs Racing
13 Casey Mears
Bakersfield, Calif.
Chevy GEICO
Germain Racing
14 Tony Stewart
Columbus, Ind.
Chevy Code 3 Assoc./Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS
Stewart-Haas Racing
15 Clint Bowyer
Emporia, Kans.
Chevy 5-Hour Energy
HScott Motorsports
16 Greg Biffle
Vancouver, Wash.
Ford Ford EcoBoost Ford Fusion
Roush Fenway Racing
17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Olive Branch, Mississippi
Ford Fastenal Ford Fusion
Roush Fenway Racing
18 Kyle Busch
Las Vegas, Nev.
Toyota M&M's Core
Joe Gibbs Racing
19 Carl Edwards
Columbia, Mo.
Toyota XFINITY
Joe Gibbs Racing
20 Matt Kenseth
Cambridge, Wis.
Toyota DeWalt Flexvolt
Joe Gibbs Racing
21 Ryan Blaney
High Point, North Carolina
Ford Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center
Wood Brothers Racing
22 Joey Logano
Middletown, Conn.
Ford Shell Pennzoil
Team Penske
23 David Ragan
Unadilla, Ga.
Toyota Dr Pepper
BK Racing
24 Chase Elliott
Dawsonville, Ga.
Chevy SunEnergy1
Hendrick Motorsports
27 Paul Menard
Eau Claire, Wis.
Chevy FVP / Menards
Richard Childress Racing
30 Josh Wise
Riverside, Calif.
Chevy Curtis Key Plumbing
The Motorsports Group
31 Ryan Newman
South Bend, Ind.
Chevy Caterpillar
Richard Childress Racing
32 Joey Gase
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Ford Midwest Transplant Network
GO FAS Racing
34 Chris Buescher
Prosper, Texas
Ford Love's Travel Stops
Front Row Motorsports
38 Landon Cassill
Fairfax, Iowa
Ford Snap Fitness
Front Row Motorsports
41 Kurt Busch
Las Vegas, Nev.
Chevy Monster Energy/Haas Automation Chevrolet SS
Stewart-Haas Racing
42 Kyle Larson
Elk Grove, Calif.
Chevy Target
Chip Ganassi Racing
43 Aric Almirola
Tampa, Fla.
Ford Smithfield
Richard Petty Motorsports
44 Brian Scott
Boise, Idaho
Ford GoBowling Ford
Richard Petty Motorsports
46 Michael Annett
Des Moines, Iowa
Chevy Northland Oil
HScott Motorsports
47 AJ Allmendinger
Los Gatos, Calif.
Chevy Dillons
JTG Daugherty Racing
48 Jimmie Johnson
El Cajon, Calif.
Chevy Lowe's
Hendrick Motorsports
55 Cole Whitt
Alpine, Calif.
Chevy TBD
Premium Motorsports
78 Martin Truex Jr.
Mayetta, N.J.
Toyota Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats
Furniture Row Racing
83 Matt DiBenedetto
Grass Valley, Calif.
Toyota Scorpyd
BK Racing
88 Alex Bowman
Tucson, Ariz.
Chevy Nationwide
Hendrick Motorsports
95 Michael McDowell
Glendale, Ariz.
Chevy Thrivent Financial
Circle Sport-Leavine Family
98 Reed Sorenson
Peachtree City, Ga.
Chevy Harrahs North Kansas City
Premium Motorsports

 

Ray Slover