Hamlin to lead field for Nashville race

LEBANON, Tenn. — Denny Hamlin was awarded the pole at Nashville Superspeedway when a surprise rain shower washed out the second round of Saturday qualifying.

The session was halted right before the fastest 10 drivers were set for the shootout to determine who will lead the field to green Sunday. It will be Hamlin in his No. 11 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing on the front row next to Joey Logano in the No. 22 Ford for Team Penske.

Gibbs and Penske are two of the elite Cup organizations who have struggled some this year with the introduction of the new Next Gen stock car. The car has been an equalizer that has allowed smaller teams to compete — for example, both Daniel Suarez and Ross Chastain of Trackhouse Racing advanced to the second round ahead of the rain.

The top 10 consisted of three Toyota drivers, three Ford drivers and four Chevrolet drivers. From the Chevy camp, Hendrick Motorsports teammates Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott locked up third and fourth. Larson is the defending race winner and reigning Cup champion.

Suarez, who earned the first Cup win of his career at Sonoma this month, will start fifth. Ryan Blaney of Penske is sixth, followed by Chastain.

Kevin Harvick had a surprisingly strong run in the No. 4 Ford for StewartHaas Racing to land eighth, followed by JGR teammates Christopher Bell and Martin Truex Jr., who announced he’s returning to the team next year.

Bubba Wallace was fastest in Friday practice but briefly wiggled during his qualifying lap and will start 30th. Kyle Busch had the worst day of the four Gibbs drivers: Busch spun on his lap and hit the wall, and he’ll start at the back of the field Sunday.

TRUEX JR. RETURNING WITH GIBBS RACING

LEBANON, Tenn. — It took Martin Truex Jr. only seven words to end the season-long speculation about his future in NASCAR.

“I’m back in the 19 next year,” Truex said at Nashville Superspeedway. A statement from Joe Gibbs

Racing was even more brief: ”I’m coming back,“was Truex’s attributed quote.

Nice and succinct for the 2017 NASCAR champion, who has never been verbose but particularly short on details as he pondered his future the last several months. His contract with JGR expires at the end of the year, and the most Truex would reveal was that the organization needed a decision from the driver this summer.

“The competitive side of me said I’m not done and I’m going to keep fighting, so here we are,“said Truex, who turns 42 on Wednesday.

Next year will be his 18th season in the Cup Series, and the New Jersey native has 31 career wins and a pair of Xfinity Series titles. He heads into Sunday’s race at Nashville winless on the season but ranked sixth in the standings.

Now that Truex is signed, JGR can turn its full attention to two-time champion Kyle Busch. He’s also in a contract year but JGR needs a sponsor for the No. 18 because longtime partner Mars, Inc. is leaving NASCAR after this season.

With Truex returning, JGR keeps a perpetual title contender. He advanced to

NASCAR’s title-deciding championship race in four of the last five seasons, winning his only title in 2017 when he drove for now-defunct Furniture Row Racing. He has finished second in the championship three times since, including last year when he lost to Kyle Larson.

He’s a three-time runnerup since moving to Gibbs in 2018, and he’s won 16 races since joining the organization.

“We’re delighted that our 2017 Cup Champion, partner and friend is back in his Camry TRD for at least another year,“said David Wilson, president of Toyota Racing Development.

It was unclear what Truex might decide in part because of his own struggles in the new Next Gen stock car, but also JGR’s struggles. The four JGR drivers — Christopher Bell, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Truex — have a combined three wins. Bell and Truex have yet to reach victory lane.

“I think as we all continue to learn and grow, the good teams will be the good teams everywhere,” Busch said. “But you know, it is kind of patchy, right now with just getting an understanding built around this car.”