Hamlin made his Nationwide Series debut at Darlington in 2004 and finished eighth, unheard of for a rookie at a track known for its sandy, abrasive and unpredictable surface and whose walls award "Darlington stripes" to unsuspecting -- and suspecting -- drivers.

Since his debut, it's safe to say that Hamlin has charmed the "Lady in Black." He finished seventh in 2005 and won from the pole the past two seasons. On Friday, he will make his 100th career start on his best track.

"Darlington has always been special to me since I made my first Nationwide Series start there," Hamlin said. "I remember coming to my first test there (in 2004). I must have made 50 laps and hit some part of the wall on 49 of those laps. To come from that to win there the last two years really meant a lot to me.

"I quickly found out that you really have to be on your toes every lap at Darlington. As soon as you lose focus, it can be very easy to make a mistake. It's a fun track to me because it challenges the driver on every lap. The key to running well there on the old surface was having a lot of patience. You really had to be careful not to use up your tires too early. (You have to) run your own pace and not focus on how hard other guys are running."