Richmond win would be priceless to Hamlin
SCENEDAILY - 11:17AM ET SATURDAY MAY 5, 2007 -
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RUSTY JARRETT / GETTY IMAGESRICHMOND, Va. - Give Denny Hamlin a choice between winning the Daytona 500 or winning at Richmond International Raceway, and Hamlin would pick Richmond.
He grew up south of Virginia's capital city in Chesterfield, Va., and going to victory lane so close to home would mean a lot to Hamlin.
"I'd definitely rather win this one than any other race, and it means something different for everyone," Hamlin said. "Tony [Stewart] has his Indy, and [this is] my Indy. It's a track where I've really spent a lot of time growing up, and it'd be really special to get a win here."
Hamlin hasn't won a race at Richmond, but he does have a pole, earned last September in the Nextel Cup Series. The feelings he had after winning that pole were unlike anything he's felt in his career - including both his Nextel Cup victories.
"I never felt any kind of emotion like I had just after I won the pole here," Hamlin said. "Even the wins I had at Pocono, nothing matched the pole that I got here, so I couldn't imagine how I would feel after a win.
"When you see all the people that have your shirts on and all the people that you see around town and in the pits cheering you on, it makes a difference, and it kind of gets to you."
Suffice to say the smile on Hamlin's face would be as wide as the state of Virginia should he win Saturday's Crown Royal/Jim Stewart 400.
"I've made no two bits about it that I would rather win here than at Daytona or any other race track that I go to," Hamlin said. "It's very special to me just because my parents still have their season tickets to this race track. It's kind of surreal to me when I go up in the stands and I go up in the suites and look down on my race car in the pit area and realize that that's the car I drive. Each week it's becoming a reality; it's just not quite sunk in yet."
SCENEDAILY - 11:17AM ET SATURDAY MAY 5, 2007 -
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RUSTY JARRETT / GETTY IMAGESRICHMOND, Va. - Give Denny Hamlin a choice between winning the Daytona 500 or winning at Richmond International Raceway, and Hamlin would pick Richmond.
He grew up south of Virginia's capital city in Chesterfield, Va., and going to victory lane so close to home would mean a lot to Hamlin.
"I'd definitely rather win this one than any other race, and it means something different for everyone," Hamlin said. "Tony [Stewart] has his Indy, and [this is] my Indy. It's a track where I've really spent a lot of time growing up, and it'd be really special to get a win here."
Hamlin hasn't won a race at Richmond, but he does have a pole, earned last September in the Nextel Cup Series. The feelings he had after winning that pole were unlike anything he's felt in his career - including both his Nextel Cup victories.
"I never felt any kind of emotion like I had just after I won the pole here," Hamlin said. "Even the wins I had at Pocono, nothing matched the pole that I got here, so I couldn't imagine how I would feel after a win.
"When you see all the people that have your shirts on and all the people that you see around town and in the pits cheering you on, it makes a difference, and it kind of gets to you."
Suffice to say the smile on Hamlin's face would be as wide as the state of Virginia should he win Saturday's Crown Royal/Jim Stewart 400.
"I've made no two bits about it that I would rather win here than at Daytona or any other race track that I go to," Hamlin said. "It's very special to me just because my parents still have their season tickets to this race track. It's kind of surreal to me when I go up in the stands and I go up in the suites and look down on my race car in the pit area and realize that that's the car I drive. Each week it's becoming a reality; it's just not quite sunk in yet."