Love-hate affair
NASCAR's Hamilton a threat on least-favorite flat tracks
Posted: Thursday July 09, 1998 11:55 PM
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Hamilton says he doesn't like flat tracks, but two of his three career victories have come on flat oval tracks (AP) |
LOUDON, New Hampshire (AP) -- Bobby Hamilton isn't counting on having much fun during this weekend Jiffy Lube 300, and that usually means he'll be in
contention to win.
"I don't like flat tracks," Hamilton said of his least
favorite, the 1.058-mile New Hampshire International Speedway. "But I seem to do so well on them. It's very strange."
Two of his three career victories have come on the Winston Cup
circuit's flatest ovals, in Phoenix, and Martinsville, Virginia,
where he won earlier this season. In the most recent race, on the
unbanked road course in Sonoma, California, the 41-year-old Tennessean
was a strong second.
Throw in a pair of second-place starts last year at New Hampshire, and
Hamilton figures to be a contender despite his distaste for the
layout.
"He says he doesn't like flat tracks, but I can't think of
anybody who drives them any better than he does," said crew chief
Robert Larkins. "When we unload this car at any flat track,
everybody starts looking for us, wondering how strong we're going
to be. We're going to do everything we can to make sure they're
reading the Kodak on the back of the car instead of the front.
"As far as I'm concerned, he can hate flat tracks the rest of
his career as long as he drives them as good as he does. Shoot, he
says he isn't a road course racer, either. But after the way he
drove Sears Point two weeks ago, I'd disagree with that, too."
Hamilton says each race starts every Friday, when 43 cars try to
Qualify, in this case for the 17th of 33 events on the schedule.
The idea is to win the pole, a coveted possession on a layout where
single-file racing makes passing difficult.
"Being up front is really important at any race, but especially
here," Hamilton said. "Track position on Sunday starts on Friday
morning. That first practice and that pole qualifying session are
pretty important. Sure, it's possible to go from the back of the
field to the front, but it's a whole lot easier to just start at
the front and not worry about it."
But starting high, Hamilton insists, guarantees nothing more
than contention if the car runs well and the racing luck is decent.
Those points were firmly established in both races last year at
NASCAR's only New England stop.
Jeff Burton defends his title after winning last year's Jiffy Lube 300
from the 15th position on the grid. Jeff Gordon won last September's CMT 300 after starting 13th.
"There were some late cautions in the second race last year
that probably helped some guys move up," Hamilton said.
But as Burton's victory demonstrated, a lack of yellow flags
favors those closer to the front as the race winds down. He led 98
of the last 105 laps.
"Still, starting as far forward as possible, has to be your
goal," Hamilton said. "A really good qualifying run and a really
good starting position can still make a big difference for you in
the race."
In addition to a valued position on the grid, coveted spots on
pit road go to the fastest qualifiers. With so much emphasis placed
on getting in and out of the pits quickly, the importance of
favorable stalls can't be understated, Hamilton says.
"Whether you have an opening in front of or behind you, or
whether you are up at the best possible position in the pits or
pitting way back behind the start-finish line, all of that depends
on your qualifying," he said.
Still, the race often comes down to track position. The better
the position, the smoother it should go on the asphalt.
"The first thing for any driver is trying to win the pole,"
Hamilton said. "That way, he doesn't have anybody else to pass.
He's already there."
And even if a favorable starting position isn't achieved, one in
the top-25 -- a first-day lock in the field -- is a must.
"If you're in the top 25, then you move right on to your race
setup and you don't end up losing all of your race practice time to
qualifying practice time," Hamilton said. "There are reasons race
winners don't usually come from further back than 25th, and that's
one of them."
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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