All the momentum is with Denny Hamlin headed to Martinsville Speedway for the opening race of the third round of NASCARs playoffs.
Hamlin, a five-time winner at the Virginia short track, need not look far for worthy challengers, including two of his Joe Gibbs Racing teammates.
JGR moved into the round of eight with three of its four drivers still racing for the Cup Series title and a reasonable shot at advancing the trio into the season finale shootout next month. Kyle Busch was the regular-season champion and holds a four-point lead over teammate Martin Truex Jr. in the standings before Sundays race. Truex leads the series with six wins, including two in the first round of the playoffs.