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Since taking sixth at Bristol on March 16, Hamlin has had four straight top-five finishes, including a victory at Martinsville and back-to-back thirds at Phoenix and Talladega.

Through the last five races, Hamlin has had an average finish of 3.6, best in the Sprint Cup series. But Hamlin is OK with the fact that no one has taken much notice.

“It’s just motivation — when we don’t get the press that I feel we deserve,” Hamlin said this week. “I’m fine with it. Write about somebody else, because if you’re not writing about us, we’re able to stay focused. So I’m fine taking a back seat to those guys.”

Now, Hamlin is heading home to Virginia, where he will make his fifth career Cup start at Richmond International Raceway on Saturday night. Hamlin, who grew up in Chesterfield, Va., just more than 20 miles from the three-quarter mile track, has no interest in taking a back seat to anyone on Saturday.

He had made it clear that a victory at his home track is among his top priorities. He led 12 laps last spring at Richmond before finishing third.

Since a poor start at Daytona and a tough break the following race at California, Hamlin said his luck has changed.

“We’re really showing how strong of a team we are — showing all three (Gibbs) teams are equal,” Hamlin said.

Having a three-car team can be a tricky balancing act, but Hamlin said things are running smoothly at Joe Gibbs Racing.

“Everyone will say, ‘Well, Tony Stewart’s the team leader. No matter what, you’re going to have a leader within a team. And I think Tony is that for us.

“I’ll play whatever role people want me to play. But ultimately, we’re going to go out there and try to win races. Doesn’t matter if I’m a leader or a follower. As long as I have a ride, I’m going to be happy.”