DARLINGTON, S.C.–If any active driver has come close to mastering the Track Too Tough to Tame, it’s Denny Hamlin, who asserted his superiority once again in Saturday’s qualifying session for the Cook Out Southern 500 (6 p.m. ET Sunday on USA, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Gaining enormous time through Turns 3 and 4 on his single qualifying lap at Darlington Raceway, Hamlin knocked Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Chase Briscoe off the provisional pole for the first NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race.

A five-time winner at Darlington–most among active drivers–Hamlin covered the 1.366-mile distance in 28.694 seconds (171.381 mph), beating Briscoe (171.255 mph) by 0.021 seconds. Briscoe had won the pole position for the previous three Crown Jewel races–DAYTONA 500, Coca-Cola 600 and Brickyard 400.

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