Denny Hamlin earned the
second NASCAR Sprint Cup
Series (NSCS) win for Toyota
in today’s race at
Martinsville Speedway in
Virginia. The Chesterfield,
Virginia-native also earned
his career-first win at the
half- mile short track.
Toyota Camrys led 89 laps in
today’s race at Martinsville
with race-winner, Hamlin
leading 82 of 500 laps.
Other Camrys drivers taking
turns up front today
included David Reutimann
(three laps) and Dave Blaney
(four laps). In addition to
Hamlin’s win, Tony Stewart
(fifth) also earned a
top-five finish today. Other
Toyota drivers in the field
included Brian Vickers
(23rd), Michael McDowell
(26th), J.J. Yeley (27th),
Mike Skinner (31st), Michael
Waltrip (35th), Ken Schrader
(37th), Kyle Busch (38th),
Reutimann (39th) and Blaney
(43rd). Camry drivers
unofficially in the top-20
in the NSCS standings
include Busch (fifth),
Stewart (sixth), Hamlin
(eighth) and Vickers (18th).
DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11
FedEx Toyota Camry, Joe
Gibbs Racing Finished: 1st
Can you talk about your win?
“Finally! The curse is over
I hope. We had such bad luck
over these last two weeks.
It finally feels good to
come here and get a win in
front of the hometown fans.
I can’t wait -- this is a
sign of things to come, I
believe.” Is this the
biggest win of your career?
“Without a doubt and to see
all my fans here wearing my
gear in the stands -- that
means a lot to me. A lot of
these people traveled from
my home town to come watch
me race here. For these fans
for sticking it out -- it’s
amazing to have the support
that we have from these race
fans. They are the reason
that we’re here -- to
weather through it one way
or another. This whole FedEx
team did a great job getting
me off pit road when it
counted. We just got it all
together finally.” Can you
talk about the last pit stop
that helped put you out
front? “We didn’t take tires
there so those guys were on
newer tires than what we
were so we decided to just
take fuel and called the
tires off right at the last
minute. Our car was good on
the long run and that’s what
counted.” What happened
early in the race that put
you behind? “A dumb driver
mistake pitting when we were
leading right there -- I
thought more guys were going
to pit behind me, but we
motored back to the front.
We didn’t do it with any
help from cautions or
anything like that -- just
bided our time. We made some
great adjustments on the car
-- this was definitely not a
race-winning car when we
started this race, but Mike
Ford (crew chief) did a
great job adjusting on it
and everyone on this team
for not giving up -- finally
back in victory lane.” How
emotional is this win for
you here at Martinsville?
“It’s very emotional -- you
don’t come here that often
and have opportunities to
win races and I felt like
we’ve been very close here
in the past. We’ve run
second and third and just
not had the car to win at
the end. We timed it
perfectly -- we got to the
front when it counted and
made the right adjustments
to the car. Everyone did a
great job adjusting the car
and just had some breaks go
our way there at the end.”
What role did the weather
play in the race for you
today? “It was good from our
standpoint -- it wasn’t very
hot in there. We had some
long runs and had some short
runs so it was pretty easy
from our perspective, but
you have to give props to
all the fans for sticking
around and watching this
race.”
DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11
FedEx Toyota Camry, Joe
Gibbs Racing, continued What
role did the weather play in
the race for you today? “It
was good from our standpoint
-- it wasn’t very hot in
there. We had some long runs
and had some short runs so
it was pretty easy from our
perspective, but you have to
give props to all the fans
for sticking around and
watching this race.” Were
you worried about Jeff
Gordon and Jeff Burton
catching you at the end? “I
thought we were too far
ahead and I really started
slowing down and making sure
I was hitting my lines there
at the end. We had really
been hard on the tires to
try to hold off the 31 (Jeff
Burton) when he came on the
charge. I just took my time
and tried to do everything I
could so that if he made a
run on me I would have a
little left. I was just
watching in that mirror and
made sure that I kept a safe
distance.” How slick were
your tires at the end of the
race? “It was very slick and
we didn’t hardly have
anything left. I’m sure our
tires are worn down to the
cords, but that’s what we
love as race drivers -- to
have a tire that wears out.
This one definitely did and
we have to thank Goodyear
for coming with such a great
tire because we want to run
fast for a couple laps and
then let the tire drop off.
Then we can start slipping
and sliding because that’s
when we can make passes --
we could do that today.”
Where will you put the
clock? “I don’t have a
place, but I’ll probably put
it back home in Virginia --
that’s where it belongs.
Probably in the house I grew
up in. I remember sitting
there many times wondering
if I would ever get one. Now
that I have one, I will be
putting it there.” Did you
have any run-ins with any of
the older drivers as you
learn how to fill that role,
and how do you learn how to
have respect and still show
well for your boss out there
at the same time? “Well,
it's a balancing act. I mean
you want to be aggressive at
times, but it just seems
like getting away with being
aggressive around some guys
a little bit more than
others. But you definitely
try to set an example for
some of the rookies that are
coming in of how to race. I
feel like I've done a good
job of trying to stay out of
trouble, avoiding, you know,
contact with other drivers
throughout my career. Other
than that one deal with Kyle
(Busch). Other than that,
it's been pretty easy.
Everyone's pretty much gave
a lot of room to each other.
Kind of went through a
segment there in the race
where, you know, everyone
was kind of running into
each other and it kind of
put a damper on us. But
seemed like our car really
performed in the long run,
and, you know, that's where
we beat those guys.” How has
the start of your season
been with being disciplined
and having to learn
humility? “It's been
difficult. I mean, it's hard
to be patient. When you get
so close to winning so many
races and something bad
happens or, you know, things
just don't work out in your
favor at the end and you end
up losing a win, it's tough
to maintain confidence. It's
tough -- your self-esteem
starts going down. It takes
its toll on you -- last week
was just like how many times
do we have to go through
this. Because the previous
week in Atlanta I felt like,
you know, as we got to
second behind Kyle (Busch)
we had power steering
issues. So I felt like we
had a chance to probably win
three in a row here, but
just the first two races
just had a lot of problems.
A lot of thanks go the guy
at TRD (Toyota Racing
Development) to help support
us at Joe Gibbs Racing to
try to get our issues worked
out. They don't have to - -
those are issues within our
race team that we had. For
them to kind of take a lead
role and say that they would
do whatever it took to help
us fix the problems -- that
goes a long way. And that is
what you look for in a
manufacturer from those
guys. And I couldn't be
prouder to be with them.” Do
you go into Texas now with
enough momentum that you can
quit worrying about winning
and how do you think that's
going to carry going
forward? “You definitely
start to have doubts. When
things don't go your way and
you hear it from the
veterans that have been
around the sport for 10, 20
years, if you just keep
having fast race cars
eventually it's all going to
turn around. This bad luck's
been happening seems like
for over a year. When the
Car of Tomorrow first came
out at the beginning of last
year, we had a position to
win five or six races easily
and just things never worked
out for us.”
DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11
FedEx Toyota Camry, Joe
Gibbs Racing, continued
There were a lot of people
in this race who have very
little experience on a track
like this. How did they do?
“I thought everyone did a
pretty good job for the most
part, especially the new
guys. The open-wheel guys, I
felt like they did a great
job coming here and being
respectful of the leaders at
times. It's just really
tough to have the lap cars
on the inside line here.
It's very tough. I would
almost vote to have,
somewhere like Bristol and
those tracks, the lap cars
be put to the outside
because it's much easier. It
causes more wrecks -- the
inside line is definitely
preferred on the fastest
groove. Those guys are on
the inside line because
they're not as fast as the
leaders. So then you have
kind of a conflict of
positioning when you have
slower cars in the faster
groove. I think they did a
good job of holding their
lines and I really had no
issues with them. I've
watched them with other guys
and it seemed like they were
very respectful of the track
position and knowing where
they were on the racetrack
-- I definitely applaud them
for that.” Why did you race
with your visor up today? “I
couldn't see much out of my
windshield anyway because of
the mist and I had a darker
shield on. On the shorter
tracks for some reason where
it's very, very line
sensitive I like to be
focused. You have too many
layers of windshield in
between and things start to
get disoriented. So I feel
like if I have a clear shot
of knowing where I'm going
to have a better chance of
hitting my marks. Just seems
like on these short tracks I
run with my visor up.
Probably not the safest
thing -- it works.”
TONY STEWART, No. 20 Home
Depot Toyota Camry, Joe
Gibbs Racing Finished: 5th
What happened in your pit
stop sequence today? “I
screwed us today. I pitted
and took a gamble when we
had 40 laps on tires. I
thought everybody would come
in, but if they didn’t I
thought we might get a run
and catch them. It didn’t
work out. I ended up losing
11 spots, I think, so it was
a bad decision on my part.
I’m proud of these guys. I’m
proud of Zippy (Greg
Zipadelli, crew chief) and
everybody on my team. They
did a good job of staying
with it all day, but we
never got it right.” How did
your car handle today? “I
was tight in the center. The
car really got up off the
corner good. It looked like
if it was good getting to
the center then we could get
underneath guys and we were
alright. I went on the
outside of Casey Mears and
went by him, but Junior
(Dale Earnhardt Jr.) raced
me hard there at the end.
It’s fun being around that
group of guys up in the
top-five because you trust
them. You race with them
every week. That is what
makes the races fun -- when
you get around guys like
that because you know you
can race hard.”
BRIAN VICKERS, No. 83 Red
Bull Toyota Camry, Red Bull
Racing Team Finished: 23rd
What happened that took you
out of the top-10 late in
the race? “We were really
fast all day today and were
hoping for a top-10 so we
could gain the points we
lost in Bristol. We were
second after the last pit
stop when we gambled and
took fuel only because we
were banking on the rain
coming in early. But we ran
out of gas with only a
couple laps to go and had to
come to pit road under
green. It’s just really
disappointing because I know
we had a top-20 finish for
the second-straight race and
had something take us out of
the running at the end.”
MICHAEL MCDOWELL, No. 00
Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota
Camry, Michael Waltrip
Racing Finished: 26th What
happened at the end of the
race with Jeff Burton?
“We’re all racing for spots
and the 00 Aaron’s Dream
Machine was really good. I
was trying to gain a few
spots and we’re trying to
keep the car in the top-35.
The 11 (Denny Hamlin) got by
and we were able to hang
with him for four or five
laps and once the 31 (Jeff
Burton) put a nose
underneath, I let him go.
I’m sorry if I held him up
-- it wasn’t the intention,
but I was racing the 28
(Travis Kvapil) and the 16
(Greg Biffle) at the time.
We’re trying to keep this
thing in the top-35 and
that’s real important to
Aaron’s and to Michael
Waltrip Racing and Toyota. I
just want to thank all the
guys - they gave me a great
car. I made a few mistakes
out there today, I’m sure,
but by no means was I trying
to hold the 31 (Burton) up.”
MICHAEL MCDOWELL, No. 00
Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota
Camry, Michael Waltrip
Racing, continued What was
your first Cup start like
here at Martinsville? “It
was great and it was exactly
what we needed to do is run
laps. We were racing hard
there at the end with the 28
and the leaders were coming
for sure. It was a tough
situation and I was trying
to keep the car towards the
front and gain as many
points as we could. I want
to thank David Reutimann for
getting this car in, which
allowed me to make this race
and without the Aaron’s
Dream Machine guys I
wouldn’t have been able to
it. It was a good run for us
-- there at the end we got
spun and we were in the way
of the leader. They can’t be
too mad, but at the same
time we’re racing hard for
spots too. I’m not upset
about it, but next time
maybe I need to give him
more room.” Did you learn a
lot about the
‘give-and-take’ today?
“There wasn’t a whole lot of
give in there -- there was a
lot more take. Especially
for me being the new guy out
there -- it’s just one of
those things where I have to
go out there and earn their
respect. I think we did a
good job today -- we ran all
the laps, almost finished on
the lead lap right until the
end.”
MIKE SKINNER, No. 84 Red
Bull Toyota Camry, Red Bull
Racing Team Finished: 31st
What did you struggle with
throughout the race today?
“We really struggled all
day. We had a great test,
but when we left the test I
knew we were off a little. I
felt like we could have
qualified a little better.
It’s a work in progress and
I haven’t driven these cars
all that much. I’m not going
to make excuses because we
should have run better.
We’re really struggling with
the bump-stop deal. When the
pace slowed down enough to
stay off that bump-stop, we
were as good as anybody and
we were just two or three
laps down so it didn’t make
any sense to race anybody --
I just tried to stay out of
the way of the leaders. I
think we were only racing
one guy so we just tried to
stay in front of him.”
DAVE BLANEY, No. 22
Caterpillar Toyota Camry,
Bill Davis Racing Finished:
43rd What happened that took
you out of the race? “We
looked like we could finish
in the teens and thought it
might have been a pretty
good points day for us.
Something went through the
radiator I guess and ran all
the water out of it and
killed us. I just wish it
could have rained a little
earlier.”
J.J. YELEY, No. 96 DLP
HDTV Toyota Camry, Hall of
Fame Racing Finished: 27th
MICHAEL WALTRIP, No. 55
NAPA Auto Parts Toyota
Camry, Michael Waltrip
Racing Finished: 35th
KEN SCHRADER, No. 49
Microsoft Small Business
Toyota Camry, BAM Racing
Finished: 37th
KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 M&Ms
Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs
Racing Finished: 38th
DAVID REUTIMANN, No. 44
UPS Toyota Camry, Michael
Waltrip Racing Finished:
39th