Read more: clint bowyer, denny hamlin, kurt busch, kyle busch, nascar, nascar nationwide series, nascar sprint cup series, richmond international raceway, tony stewart
This weekend, Denny Hamlin will try to break an 0-for-6 streak at Richmond International Raceway. A win at RIR is one the native of nearby Chesterfield, Va. wants more than any other – and he has come very close in the past.
Hometown success is a statistical phenomenon in NASCAR. For the most part – and for whatever reason – drivers excel when the pressure is on to perform in front of the home crowd.
Take a look at a few drivers who have been geographically linked to a home track:
Denny Hamlin Hometown: Chesterfield, Va. Best Avg. Driver Ratings Driver
Track Rating
Pocono 123.6
Richmond 115.3
Darlington 112.5
Martinsville 106.3
Watkins Glen 106.2
Tony Stewart Hometown: Columbus, Ind. Best Avg. Driver Ratings Driver
Track Rating
Watkins Glen 134.0
New Hampshire 115.6
Chicagoland 114.3
Martinsville 114.1
Indianapolis 111.2
Clint Bowyer Hometown: Emporia, Kan. Best Avg. Driver Ratings Driver
Track Rating
Kansas 100.2
Richmond 93.3
New Hampshire 91.1
Dover 90.2
Atlanta 89.0
Kyle Busch Hometown: Las Vegas, Nev. Best Avg. Driver Ratings Driver
Track Rating
Chicagoland 115.3
Richmond 109.9
Las Vegas 109.4
Auto Club 107.9
Infineon 104.8
Of course, not all drivers are strong at their home track. For instance, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points leader Kurt Busch has struggled in his Las Vegas Motor Speedway career. His Las Vegas Driver Rating is just 87.6, which ranks as his 13th-best among the 22 active tracks.
But Hamlin certainly brushes off any pressure that may arise from racing just minutes from where he grew up. He is outstanding at Richmond, and was on his way to a win in last season’s spring race before a tire problem on lap 382. He led 381 laps that race and scored a race-high Driver Rating of 129.1 despite a finish of just 24th. Hamlin, though, did win the NASCAR Nationwide Series Richmond race that weekend.
Hamlin has finished in the top 10 in four of his six Richmond races, and has led laps in all of them. Below is his Richmond statistical race log:
Denny Hamlin at Richmond International Raceway Date Finish ARP FLR LT15% DR Led
5/06 2 5 15 100 118.5 19
9/06 15 8 10 96.5 97.1 19
5/07 3 4.5 15 99.8 118.2 12
9/07 6 6.6 18 96.3 111.3 17
5/08 24 2.3 104 94.9 129.1 381
9/08 3 5.8 39 98.8 117.5 4
Total 8.8 5.4 201 97.7 115.3 452
Hometown success is a statistical phenomenon in NASCAR. For the most part – and for whatever reason – drivers excel when the pressure is on to perform in front of the home crowd.
Take a look at a few drivers who have been geographically linked to a home track:
Denny Hamlin Hometown: Chesterfield, Va. Best Avg. Driver Ratings Driver
Track Rating
Pocono 123.6
Richmond 115.3
Darlington 112.5
Martinsville 106.3
Watkins Glen 106.2
Tony Stewart Hometown: Columbus, Ind. Best Avg. Driver Ratings Driver
Track Rating
Watkins Glen 134.0
New Hampshire 115.6
Chicagoland 114.3
Martinsville 114.1
Indianapolis 111.2
Clint Bowyer Hometown: Emporia, Kan. Best Avg. Driver Ratings Driver
Track Rating
Kansas 100.2
Richmond 93.3
New Hampshire 91.1
Dover 90.2
Atlanta 89.0
Kyle Busch Hometown: Las Vegas, Nev. Best Avg. Driver Ratings Driver
Track Rating
Chicagoland 115.3
Richmond 109.9
Las Vegas 109.4
Auto Club 107.9
Infineon 104.8
Of course, not all drivers are strong at their home track. For instance, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points leader Kurt Busch has struggled in his Las Vegas Motor Speedway career. His Las Vegas Driver Rating is just 87.6, which ranks as his 13th-best among the 22 active tracks.
But Hamlin certainly brushes off any pressure that may arise from racing just minutes from where he grew up. He is outstanding at Richmond, and was on his way to a win in last season’s spring race before a tire problem on lap 382. He led 381 laps that race and scored a race-high Driver Rating of 129.1 despite a finish of just 24th. Hamlin, though, did win the NASCAR Nationwide Series Richmond race that weekend.
Hamlin has finished in the top 10 in four of his six Richmond races, and has led laps in all of them. Below is his Richmond statistical race log:
Denny Hamlin at Richmond International Raceway Date Finish ARP FLR LT15% DR Led
5/06 2 5 15 100 118.5 19
9/06 15 8 10 96.5 97.1 19
5/07 3 4.5 15 99.8 118.2 12
9/07 6 6.6 18 96.3 111.3 17
5/08 24 2.3 104 94.9 129.1 381
9/08 3 5.8 39 98.8 117.5 4
Total 8.8 5.4 201 97.7 115.3 452
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