Hamlin Takes Coca-Cola 600 Pole with Record Lap

Hamlin Takes Coca-Cola 600 Pole with Record Lap

Denny Hamlin drives the #11 FedEx Office Toyota during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 23, 2013 in Concord, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) - Denny Hamlin broke the track record Thursday with a lap of 195.624 mph to capture the pole for the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Hamlin, who has never won a Sprint Cup race at CMS, was one of eight drivers to top the previous record of 193.708 set last October by Greg Biffle.

It is Hamlin's 14th career pole.

Four Toyotas will start in the top five. Hamlin will start alongside Kurt Busch on the front row, followed by Matt Kenseth, Mark Martin and Clint Bowyer.

Kasey Kahne will start sixth, Biffle seventh, Kyle Busch eighth, Jamie McMurray ninth and Ryan Newman rounds out the top 10.

Sprint All-Star race champion Jimmie Johnson starts 12th.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. will start 11th and Danica Patrick starts 24th.

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Filed Under: Charlotte Motor Speedway, Coca-Cola 600, Denny Hamlin, NASCAR
Categories: Sports

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