Sunday’s green flag in the Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway marked 700 career NASCAR Cup Series starts for Denny Hamlin.
The 44-year-old pilot became the 22nd driver in series history to accomplish the feat, joining NASCAR Hall of Famer Jimmie Johnson, who made his 700th career start last weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Leading 79 laps and grabbing a playoff point with a Stage 1 checkered flag, Hamlin ran in the top five throughout the 300-lapper on the 1.33-mile concrete oval, finishing third on the evening and snapping a skid of four finishes outside the top 15.
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As the full-time driver of the No. 11 car for Joe Gibbs Racing since 2006, Hamlin has transformed into one of NASCAR’s premier stars, finding Victory Lane 56 times, currently the 11th-most all-time.
With two victories so far this season, Hamlin is slated to make his 19th career Cup Series Playoffs appearance dating back to 2006, creating another opportunity for Hamlin to capture his first career Bill France Cup.