Chesterfield native Denny Hamlin and his NASCAR buddies roll into his hometown this week for the annual Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series races at Richmond International Raceway, but Hamlin has additional plans while he’s home. The Manchester HS grad will host his annual Short Track Showdown race on Thursday night at RIR.
The Denny Hamlin Foundation, his charitable organization, will donate the proceeds to Cystic Fibrosis research, an idea sparked by Hamlin’s cousin, Kevin Jones, who suffers from the disease. In fact, Jones will be the grand marshall for Hamlin’s Thursday night race. This is Hamlin’s 5th Showdown race since he became a full-time NASCAR driver, and forgive us if we brag, but he’s one of the best!
Hamlin also heads home celebrating his second win of the season on Sunday at Kansas Motor Speedway, so he’s got momentum, he’s coming to friendly territory, and he’s racing at a track he knows very, very well. When Hamlin lines up for the Crown Royal 400 on Saturday Night, he’ll be 5th in the NASCAR point standings, and racing under the lights on Laburnum Avenue. Welcome Home Denny!
