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 |