Hamlin has the horses in Darlington Busch race

Denny Hamlin didn’t horse around at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway on Friday night, winning the Diamond Hill Plywood 200 for his second Busch Series victory of the season.

Hamlin needed 19 stitches to close a gash on his left hand after goofing with teammates only a few days before last week’s races at Richmond International Raceway.

But at Darlington, the 25-year-old Hamlin showed little effects from the injury. He took the pole in qualifying during the afternoon, then held off four Roush Racing drivers – Matt Kenseth, Jamie McMurray, Mark Martin and Greg Biffle – on a final restart two laps from the end. Hamlin won by 0.353 seconds.

“I didn’t get nervous or anything because I knew they were going to come flying by me like they did all day,” Hamlin said. “I just didn’t know our car was going to be so strong at the end.”

McMurray had the strongest car early while Kenseth held the lead for much of the middle of the race. But Hamlin moved in front out of the pits during the fifth of nine caution periods and remained there through four restarts over the last 26 laps.

Nextel Cup

Kasey Kahne qualified fastest for tonight’s Dodge Charger 500, his third pole in the past four events at Darlington.

Kahne’s Dodge sped through the egg-shaped layout with a speed of 169.013 mph, edging Ryan Newman and Clint Bowyer for the top spot.

Kahne was fastest here at the Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 as a rookie in 2004.

He also was quickest at Darlington last spring for the raceway’s initial Mother’s Day weekend race.

Champ Car

Mario Dominguez reached 104.850 mph on the road course at Reliant Park to earn his first career pole in qualifying for the World Series Grand Prix of Houston. The 30-year-old Mexican racer had started 65 races without sitting on the pole.

Bruno Junqueira will join Dominguez on the front row. Junqueira reached 102.051 mph Thursday to earn the provisional pole. Paul Tracy will start from the No. 3 spot after reaching 104.132 mph.