DARLINGTON开云体育, S.C. (AP) Denny Hamlin is continually questioning his confidence as he navigates his latest try for a NASCAR Cup Series title.

Hamlins win last week at Martinsville has him in the field of 16 when the playoffs come around in about five months. And hes prepping to run the Goodyear 400 on Sunday at Darlington Raceway, a track where he leads all current drivers with four previous victories.

Still, Hamlin said self-scouting is essential.

I think its always good to question your confidence, Hamlin said Saturday.

If you dont, Hamlin explained, youre left wondering if youve truly done all you can to make your race team as successful as possible.

Hamlin, 44, has done just about everything possible in the sport except claim a championship. Hes won the Daytona 500 and Southern 500 three times each and owns a victory in the 2022 Coca-Cola 600, the circuits longest race and considered another of the sports crown jewels.

Still, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver with 55 career wins has not cashed in his numerous opportunities at a title. He was in NASCARs last four four times (2014, 2019, 2020, 2021) without a final, career-defining win.

Theres a long stretch to go before Hamlin fully focuses on ending that title drought. Last weeks breakthrough victory was a positive step.

It was certainly a great week for the team, he said.

And whenever they can follow success like that at a track where Hamlin has won before the last time was the Southern 500 in 2021 it adds to the teams excitement to get back to work.

Points leader William Byron knows what its like to win at Darlington, which he did in this race two years ago. There are good feelings whenever you return somewhere youve had success before. Its a tough place to run, but knowing weve done well there helps, he said.

Byrons teammate, Kyle Larson, is second in points through seven races with a victory at Homestead-Miami two weeks ago. He, too, has felt the boost of confidence after a Darlington win, taking the Southern 500 in 2023, then finishing fourth in his last visit this past Labor Day weekend.

Its always been someplace Ive felt good about, Larson said.

Throwback weekend

Theres clearly a love-hate component heading into Darlingtons latest throwback weekend.

The celebration of NASCARs past has been part of the schedule here since 2015. Kyle Larson, who will run a throwback to Terry Labontes tiger-stripe car he ran to win at Darlington in 2003, likes seeing the different schemes many of the teams pull out for the weekend.

Fellow Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott thinks the throwback balloon has popped. I thought it lost it about four, five years ago, he said. If things continue, Elliott said, theyll be throwing back to me in 2018.

I think weve rode that horse to death, he said.

Brad Keselowski, owner at RFK Racing, said gaining trademark permissions from multiple parties to run an old scheme can take months or years to navigate. RFKs three cars are not running throwback schemes at Darlington.

Its calls with partners. Its calls with trademarks. Its calls, he said. You get to the point, Hey, I just want to race.

Odds and ends

Kyle Larson is the betting favorite, according to BetMGM Sportsbook, to take the Goodyear 400 on at +450, followed by Ty Reddick (+650), Ryan Blaney (+700) and Denny Hamlin (+700).

Larson won the Southern 500 in 2023 and has had seven top-five finishes in his 14 starts.

Up next

The series goes to Bristol on April 13 before taking its traditional Easter break.

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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/apf-AutoRacing

达灵顿，南卡罗来纳州（好意思联社）——丹尼·哈姆林在争取得到纳斯卡杯系列赛冠军的最新尝试中，赓续质疑我方的信心。

哈姆林上周在马丁斯维尔的得手使他得以进入16东说念主决赛，这场决赛将在轻佻五个月后进行。他正在为周日达灵顿赛说念的固特异400赛作念准备，该赛说念上他此前也曾得到了四次得手，现在特地通盘现役车手。

尽管如斯，哈姆林如故暗示自我注目是至关迫切的。

周六，哈姆林（Hamlin）暗示：“我认为质疑我方的信心老是件功德。”

淌若你莫得作念到，哈姆林解说说，你会运行念念考是否确切也曾竭尽所能使你的赛车队尽可能地得手。

44岁的哈姆林在赛车畅通中真实完成了通盘可能的任务，除了赢得冠军。他分辩三次夺得Daytona 500和Southern 500的冠军，并在2022年的好意思味可乐600赛中得手，该赛事是该赛说念的最长赛事，被视为赛车畅通中另一项金冠上的明珠。

尽管如斯，这位领有55场业绩生计得手的Joe Gibbs Racing车手，仍然莫得末端其屡次夺冠的承诺。他在NASCAR的终末四届比赛中（2014年、2019年、2020年、2021年）均未能得到决定业绩生计的最终得手。

在汉姆林皆备专注于截止这一冠军荒之前，还有很长的路要走。上周的冲破性得手是一个积极的面貌。

这无疑是对球队来说至极棒的一周。

每当他们在哈姆林也曾得手的赛说念上取得得手时，举例2021年终末一次的南边500赛事，这都会让团队从头插足职责，加多他们的感奋度。

积分榜的领头羊威廉·伯恩（William Byron）深知在达灵顿赢得比赛的味说念，他恰是在两年前的这场比赛中得到得手。每当回到你也曾得手过的方位，都会有一种好意思好的嗅觉。'这是一个很难跑的方位，但知说念咱们之前在何处作念得很好，这照实有匡助，'他说说念。

拜伦的队友凯尔·拉森在七场比赛中以第二名的收货得分，两周前在Homestead-Miami取得突脱手。他也因达灵顿的得手而信心倍增，2023年赢得了南边500，然后在上周末职业节时刻终末一次造访中得到了第四名。

拉尔森说：“这（这个方位）一直以来都是我感到容许的方位。”

怀旧周末

在达灵顿（Darlington）的最新怀旧周末活动中，彰着存在着一种爱恨交汇的复杂厚谊。

自2015年以来，纳斯卡（NASCAR）的怀旧庆祝活动一直是这里的日程安排的一部分。凯尔·拉尔森（Kyle Larson）将驾驶一辆怀旧版特里·拉邦特（Terry Labonte）的虎纹赛车参赛，该车曾在2003年的达灵顿（Darlington）赛说念上匡助他得手，他心爱看到好多车队为周末比赛而推出的不同决策。

亨德里克车队（Hendrick Motorsports）的队友蔡斯·埃利奥特（Chase Elliott）认为，追想夙昔的观念也曾粉碎。“我认为它梗概在四、五年前就失去了这个观念，”他说。淌若事情连接这么发展下去，埃利奥特暗示，“2018年他们可能会追想到我这里。”

“我合计咱们也曾把那匹马骑死了。”

RFK Racing的领有者Brad Keselowski暗示，从多个方面得到使用旧决策的商标许可可能需要数月或数年的时刻。RFK的三辆车在达灵顿赛说念上并未继承复旧决策。

这是与合营伙伴的通话，这是与商标通盘者的通话，这亦然粗拙的通话。

零粉碎碎

笔据BetMGM Sportsbook的赔率，凯尔·拉森（Kyle Larson）以+450的赔率成为Goodyear 400赛事的热点东说念主选，紧随后来的是泰·雷迪克（Ty Reddick，+650）、瑞恩·布兰尼（Ryan Blaney，+700）和丹尼·哈林（Denny Hamlin，+700）。

拉尔森在2023年赢得了南部500英里大赛的冠军，并在他参加的14场比赛中得到了7次前五名的收货。

接下来

该系列将于4月13日赶赴布里斯托尔，之后将进入传统的回生节假期。

好意思联社汽车比赛新闻：https://apnews.com/apf-AutoRacing开云体育