Hamlin 勝利,勝つs 1st 政治家 of season for Toyota and Gibbs

BRISTOL, Tenn. (AP) - Denny Hamlin has won the 政治家 for Saturday night's race at Bristol モーター Speedway, a 批判的な short-跡をつける 対決 for drivers trying to qualify for the プレーオフs.

The Daytona 500 勝利者 turned a (競技場の)トラック一周 at 129.230 mph in his Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing in Friday's qualifying 開会/開廷/会期. His 成果/努力 bumped Kyle Larson to second and Larson is not locked into the 16-driver プレーオフ field with three races remaining to fill the final seven slots.

Winless on the season, Larson is 階級d 13th in the standings and 簡潔に held the 政治家 until Hamlin's 急速な/放蕩な (競技場の)トラック一周. The two planned to watch Friday night's Xfinity Series race together sitting in the Bristol stands, so Hamlin took 広大な/多数の/重要な delight in knocking him from the 最高の,を越す starting 位置/汚点/見つけ出す.

"I was wondering why he was giving me the finger when I pulled in," said Hamlin, who won not only his first 政治家 of the season but the first for Toyota and JGR.

Larson still feels good about a strong run that can 押し進める him into a プレーオフ 位置/汚点/見つけ出す. Only nine drivers have locked up 寝台/地位s and a victory earns an (a)自動的な/(n)自動拳銃 位置/汚点/見つけ出す in the 選手権 race.

"I feel like we've been points racing a little bit lately," Larson said. "I feel if it 現在のs itself, we can be a little different and go after 行う/開催する/段階 勝利,勝つs. We aren't locked in, but I feel good."

Denny Hamlin watches a television monitor as the last car qualifies for the NASCAR Cup Series auto race, Friday, Aug. 16, 2019, at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tenn. Hamlin won the pole for Saturday night's race. (David Crigger/Bristol Herald Courier via AP)

Denny Hamlin watches a television 監視する as the last car qualifies for the NASCAR Cup Series 自動車 race, Friday, Aug. 16, 2019, at Bristol モーター Speedway in Bristol, Tenn. Hamlin won the 政治家 for Saturday night's race. (David Crigger/Bristol 先触れ(する) 特使 経由で AP)

ツバメ Truex Jr. qualified third in a Toyota for Gibbs, while 半導体素子 Ganassi Racing had two Chevrolets in the 最高の,を越す four as Kurt Busch will be lined up behind チーム仲間 Larson at the start of the race.

Aric Almirola, a driver still trying to qualify for the プレーオフs, was fifth and the highest qualifying Ford driver. He believes he'll have to fight for every position around the .533-mile 固める/コンクリート bullring.

"At this place you have to be 積極的な all the time. Dodging (競技場の)トラック一周 traffic and cars on 再開するs and everything," Almirola said. "You have to be on 十分な send all the time and you're 権利 on the 辛勝する/優位 of out of 支配(する)/統制する, and everything happens so 急速な/放蕩な that いつかs that's what jumps up and bites you is that things happen so 急速な/放蕩な."

Chase Elliott qualified sixth in a Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, followed by the surprise of the 開会/開廷/会期 in Matt DiBenedetto, who was seventh for Leavine Family Racing just days after the team 知らせるd him he won't be 支援する for a second season in 2020.

DiBenedetto was admittedly 荒廃させるd by the news, said he has "no アイロンをかけるs in the 解雇する/砲火/射撃" for 2020 with the sudden 決定/判定勝ち(する) he's 存在 解放(する)d, and the news (機の)カム during the best season of his career. He's a career-best 23rd in the standings but Leavine is 提携させるd with Joe Gibbs R エースing, and Gibbs has a logjam of 調印するd drivers and not enough Cup seats. Christopher Bell is 推定する/予想するd to be 促進するd from the Xfinity Series into DiBenedetto's seat.

"Sports suck," Hamlin said about DiBenedetto's 苦境.

DiBenedetto understood the Gibbs 状況/情勢 all season, but hoped for a different 結果.

"I don't want to say I was blindsided, I was just trying to let my 業績/成果 behind the wheel do the talking and hope that would 勝つ/広く一帯に広がる over everything but いつかs 業績/成果 isn't everything," he said. "I hate it is coming to an end, but my entire career has been 荒廃 at the time, but it's always been a better door 開始. Every 選び出す/独身 time since I was literally a kid, it's been a 堅い 旅行 and I'm accustomed to that."

Kevin Harvick, Erik Jones and Alex Bowman 一連の会議、交渉/完成するd out the 最高の,を越す 10.

Kyle Busch, an eight-time 勝利者 at Bristol, qualified an uncharacteristically poor 31st.

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Denny Hamlin makes his way around the track during qualifying for a NASCAR Cup Series auto race, Friday, Aug. 16, 2019, in Bristol, Tenn. Hamlin will start on the pole Saturday night. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

Denny Hamlin makes his way around the 跡をつける during qualifying for a NASCAR Cup Series 自動車 race, Friday, Aug. 16, 2019, in Bristol, Tenn. Hamlin will start on the 政治家 Saturday night. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

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