D Ham in the ATL

Martinsville is a distant memory and D Ham is heading for the bright lights of the ATL and Atlanta Motorspeedway. He came away with a solid Top 5 finish that helped boost his confidence and proved that once again you can't keep the Virginia boy down at his home track.

When I talked to Denny on Monday, he had some pretty interesting questions to answer for me and I want to share those with you. I have to keep the wheel man on his toes and this week I certainly did just that!

Becca: What happened with the car? I heard mention that the car was really loose in practice and that perhaps the team tightened it up just a bit too much. Please tell me about that.
Denny: Well yes the car was loose during practice and it was just to free for us. The crew tightened it up for us but it was just to tight and hard for us to turn the corners. We finally got it adjusted the way that we needed it during a pit stop.

Becca: Rain once again cancelled qualifying and cost valuable practice time. What are your thoughts on that?
Denny: We were pretty disappointed that it rained out most of practice and qualifying. We felt we could have gotten a better starting position and we just feel like we were robbed of that because of weather.

Becca: What is your favorite TV Show?
Denny: I don't really get much time to watch tv but when I do I like to watch CSI and Family Guy.

Becca: What is your biggest pet peeve? For me it's people who are late...what's yours?
Denny: I would have to say people that are rude.

Becca: What is your favorite number? (Mine is 11..hmmm....wonder why? HA HA)
Denny: haha I don't really have a favorite number but I guess I would have to say 11 too. It is the best number ever made right? haha

Becca: Atlanta is next in the Chase, what is your track record at Atlanta? How do you feel about your chances there?
Denny: I feel that we are pretty good there. Depending on how the weather treats us this weekend and how the car handles I say we will get a decent finish.

Becca: If you could ask ME 2 questions what would you like to ask me?
Denny: Why you think I'm so special and How did you end up knowing so much about NASCAR?

~Alright D Ham...here's the answer to those two questions....

1. Why do I think you're so special? Because as a rookie in 2006, you won the Bud Shootout against NASCAR's fastest and finest. You came back from being laps down at Pocono to win your first race, you don't wreck race cars or crash people to win and you're a gentleman. You have talent that impresses me and you drive for the best owners in the sport. On the personal side, there isn't a kinder, more thoughtful, genuine man on this planet let alone in the sport of NASCAR. I don't need to tell you my reasons lately because you already know them, but when I look at you I see your heart and the man behind the race car driver. I really like that... it's rare and quite valuable.

2. How did I end up knowing so much about NASCAR? Well, I've watched racing since I was 7 years old. Cars are my passion and I thirst for knowledge about them. I read books, watch TV shows, listen to Tim Brewer who has become my new best friend, I can't listen to him enough, and I just pay attention. I ask a lot of questions, when I don't understand something I search it on the internet or ask someone who would know. I eat, sleep and breathe racing. I can't drive a race car but that doesn't mean I can't know about them. It's my love.

Becca: Who was the driver I followed just before your Rookie season when I became your biggest fan?
Denny: There you go testing my memory! You know my memory is horrible haha. Umm.....lets see..I gotta think about this.....Elliot Sadler. haha

Now my D Ham is in the ATL and he's running a Craftsman Truck Series race in the # 15 Toyota. Billy Ballew Motorsports officials said Monday that Sprint Cup driver Denny Hamlin will drive the team’s No. 15 Toyota in this weekend’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Hamlin has driven in two Truck series races for Ballew, including one earlier this year at Martinsville, where he started second and finished 21st.

“I consider Billy a good friend, and this is a home race for him,” Hamlin said. “I’ve watched the trucks at Atlanta, and it’s a wild race. I’ve actually watched it from Billy’s suite at the track, and it just looks like fun, so when he asked if I was interested, I jumped at the chance. “I’ve been in the trucks before, not many times, but enough to get a feel for them and to know this will be a totally different race from what I’ve done before. I raced trucks at Texas, but that was four years ago, so I am sure it will take a couple of laps to get back in the swing of it. After that, it’s just trying to find the comfort level and be competitive."Hamlin, who drives Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 11 Toyota in the Cup series, has made eight Truck starts, with a best finish of eighth at Martinsville two years ago.

Rain set into Atlanta and once again forced NASCAR to cancel qualifying and set the field according to points. Hamlin will roll out 11th and should have a really good shot at a good finish. I just finished watching NCTS practice and Denny was way too tight and the team will need some adjustments before race time. Regardless, I am excited to see Denny in a Truck at Atlanta. He will start 20th next to Donny Lia after their qualifying was also rained out. NASCAR elected to make the qualifying session a much needed practice time which was in my opinion, one of the wisest choices they have made in quite a while.

I'm growing ever so tired of rain and truly believe NASCAR needs to make a change to their qualifying rules. But then again, since the pole position no longer matters, there really isn't much of a point to the whole thing. When NASCAR changed the Bud Shootout rules it made winning a pole position pointless, literally and figuratively. As a die-hard race fan, I want to see the cars on the track as often as possible. And with the amount of money race teams are putting into simply attempting to make a race, something has to change. But I've lost my focus and I need to rope this back in and talk about Denny Hamlin.

Atlanta is very special to me and I am excited about seeing my hero race there this weekend. But it is also kinda sad because the season is rapidly winding down and then I will have the long, cold winter without my favorite driver every weekend. But I guess even Superman needs a rest. Made of steel or not, Denny Hamlin deserves some time off. But not quite yet.... Boogity Boogity Boogity....Let's Go Racing Boys!!!!