BRISTOL, Tenn. — Denny Hamlin set a track record at Bristol Motor Speedway with his pole-winning run Friday in knockout qualifying.
Hamlin turned a lap at 129.991 mph to earn the top starting spot for the NASCAR Sprint Cup race Sunday. He broke the mark of 129.535 set by Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch a year ago.
Hamlin also snapped two weeks of dominance by Team Penske drivers Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano. The teammates swept the front row at Phoenix and Las Vegas, where the new format was first used.
Both Penske drivers made one last effort to grab the pole from Hamlin, and Keselowski came up just short in second with a lap at 129.965.
Hamlin’s teammate, Matt Kenseth, qualified third and Logano wound up fourth.
Marcos Ambrose rounded out the top five.
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