Camry driver Denny Hamlin
earned his third NNS victory
of the 2008 season Friday
night at Daytona
International Speedway.
Earlier this year, Hamlin
registered wins at Richmond
and Dover. Hamlin started
17th and led three times for
29 laps in his Joe Gibbs
Racing (JGR) No. 20 Hardee's/Coca-Cola
Camry. Camry drivers have
now won 13 of the 19 NNS
races this year. Along with
Hamlin, other Camry drivers
who have won NNS races this
year include Tony Stewart
(five wins), Kyle Busch
(four wins) and Joey Logano
(one win). The JGR No. 20
Camry has nine NNS wins this
season. Drivers who have
recorded wins in the No. 20
entry include Stewart
(five), Hamlin (two), Busch
(one) and Logano (one).
Other Camry drivers in the
field today included Busch
(second), David Reutimann
(14th), Mike Wallace (22nd),
Jason Leffler (23rd) and
Brian Vickers (37th). Camry
drivers led a total of 35
laps in today's 105-lap
race. In addition to Hamlin
(29 laps), other Camry
drivers to lead the field
today were Busch (five laps)
and Wallace (one lap). Five
Camry drivers currently rank
in the top-20 in the
unofficial NNS point
standings following Daytona.
Reutimann (fourth), Busch
(seventh), Wallace (eighth),
Leffler (11th) and Hamlin
(20th) currently rank in the
top-20 for Toyota.
DENNY HAMLIN, No. 20
Hardee's/Coca-Cola Toyota
Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing How
excited are you to win this
race tonight? "To do this
with the Coca-Cola/Hardee's
Toyota today -- it just
means a lot. Our final ride
in the No. 20 car. It feels
good to do this in my last
ride. Got to thank all the
fans. Got to thank everyone
for sticking with me. Got to
thank Kyle (Busch) for
sticking with me right there
at the end. The only way we
weren't going to win is if
he actually went for the
win. Just thank everyone --
Dave Rogers (crew chief) did
another great job and the
pit stops were great all
day. Can't thank everyone --
Toyota, Hardee's, Old Spice
-- everyone who sponsors
this No. 20 car throughout
the year."
What were thinking during
the final caution with Kyle
Busch behind you? "Kyle's
(Busch) has a lot of fire in
him. He wants to win races
no matter what. We had two
very strong Toyotas today. I
knew he could go for the win
and maybe not succeed. As
long as he stuck on our rear
bumper there was no way we
weren't going to have a
one-two finish."
Were you focusing more on
your mirror or windshield
after the late restart? "Out
the mirror mostly. Kyle
(Busch) kind of got back
there on the restart a
little bit and kind of
worried me a little bit that
he was going to get a run. I
knew he was going to have a
good head of steam. He was a
good teammate. Just a fine
example of how it worked
last week (in NH) -- we had
a one, two, three finish for
all of us, and one-two this
week. I just couldn't be
prouder to have Kyle (Busch)
as a teammate."
What were the final laps
like from the driver's seat?
"It was a great night for us
because it looked like with
about 15 (laps) to go after
that pit stop we weren't
going to catch that lead
pack. With just pitting that
one lap later kind of put a
bind on us because it let
those guys run new tire
speed lap versus our old
tire speed lap and that was
the difference. It was about
two seconds or so or what
have you. Once they pulled
that gap I needed those guys
to battle. If they would've
stayed inline there's no way
we would've caught them I
don't believe. It would've
been close but I don't think
we could have but I think
one guy got shuffled out of
line and it let us suck
right back up to the lead
pack with 10 to go. Then it
was up to me to kind of
drive through there. It was
a great handling race car.
We worked on it all day.
Dave (Rogers, crew chief)
really did a good job with
the adjustments. He never
really overstepped
everything. He just kept
getting it a little bit
better all day. We did what
we had to do to win."
What is your response to
Dale Earnhardt Jr. thinking
Tony Stewart was driving the
20 car tonight? "You could
take that several different
ways. I think honestly a lot
of the confusion is because
it's the same colors as what
Tony (Stewart) usually runs.
I don't know. My head is a
lot smaller than his -- I
don't know. You could take
it as I was driving a lot
like Tony (Stewart), which
is a compliment in my eyes.
If I was driving like Tony
(Stewart) on a superspeedway,
I was pretty dang good so I
will take it. Maybe he
wouldn't have helped me if
he would've knew it was me."
DENNY HAMLIN, No. 20
Hardee's/Coca-Cola Toyota
Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing
(continued) Do the Joe Gibbs
Racing drivers fight to
drive the 20 car in the
Nationwide Series? "I don't
think so. No discredit to
Dave (Rogers) but the 18
(Kyle Busch) is very, very
strong. Jason (Ratcliff, No.
18 crew chief) does a really
good job. The advantage that
Jason (Ratcliff) has is that
he can focus even more on
the races that they do run
so that car is very strong
when it does run. So really
it doesn't matter which one
you get in but there's great
communication right now
between Dave (Rogers) and
Jason (Ratcliff) and the
guys that are head of the
fabrication shop. They are
all doing a really good job
working together -- figuring
out what we need to work on
to make these cars better.
We're always thinking of
things we need to make
better on these race cars
because you can't just say,
'We're dominating. The guys
are so far behind us now
that they will never catch
us.' They're right there and
this team has been very
fortunate. The 18 team has
been very fortunate to get
the wins that they have.
Sometimes things full their
way and they get the wins,
but other times they have a
strong race car. Here at
Daytona, just because you're
in the 20 car doesn't mean
it's an automatic win. The
best car doesn't rarely win.
For me, it was going to be
up to me to make it happen.
When you've got a car as
good as I did, it gives me
some options on that race
track. When you don't have
that it makes it a lot
tougher. I'm proud to do it
for them."
Can you go through the
last two laps after the
caution? "I didn't want to
happen what did happen --
that was us get out too far.
It looked like the 18 (Kyle
Busch) took off the same
time I did but it looked
like he didn't want to go.
It looked like he was trying
to build up a run with the 5
(Dale Earnhardt Jr.). Once
we pulled about four car
lengths there I just tried
to do my best to just --
it's so hard to do -- but
just ride that brake while
you're in the lead to let
those guys sit there and
catch you. But they've got
to catch you at the right
time. You've got to put them
to a decision. If they catch
you in the center of the
corner with the big head of
steam they need to make a
decision -- are they going
to go for the win and
sacrifice maybe a good
finish or are they just
going to ride inline and
protect what they've got? By
doing that in the corner
that's what decision you
make and I think Kyle
(Busch) realized a one-two
finish was better than the
alternative."
DAVE ROGERS, Crew Chief,
No. 20 Hardee's/Coca-Cola
Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs
Racing How did the race look
from on top of the pit box
tonight? "At the checkered
flag it looked pretty good.
Denny (Hamlin) did a great
job. I was telling him that
we were going to win this
race but I wasn't so sure.
There was a two second
deficit he had to make up by
himself. He just did a
really good job of staying
focused and staying inline
and sniffing the draft as
best he could and put
ourselves in position to
win. It was a lot of fun."
Is the driver-crew chief
chemistry difficult with
drivers switching almost
every week? "No, not really.
We've looked in the mirror a
lot this year to figure out
why are we running well and
how do we keep it and that
chemistry word keeps coming
up. I think what chemistry
boils down to is trust. I
think right now our team
trusts that all of these
drivers can get in it and
win. And I think these
drivers think that this team
can win. I think there's so
much trust in this team that
the chemistry is pretty much
seamless week to week."
Why weren't you confident
that Denny could pull off
the win? "I wasn't -- once
we caught the pack I was
convinced we were going to
win but the deficit is just
so hard to overcome. It was
two seconds and they were
single file and I didn't
really think they were going
to go two-wide there to give
us an opportunity. I wasn't
doubting Denny (Hamlin) by
no means but I wasn't sure
if the car had it. Side note
here is I don't know if that
matters because I think
tonight was Denny's last
race in the car for a while
so he'll forget about it by
the next time we work
together."
KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 Farm
Bureau Insurance Toyota
Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finished: 2nd How bad did
you want to win this race?
"We wanted to win here
badly. Congratulations to
the 20 team -- obviously
that's three straight for
their car. That car is
awfully strong and hard to
beat every week anyway but
that restrictor plate car is
strong, too. I've got to say
thanks to Farm Bureau,
Toyota, NOS Energy drink and
MAC Tools. I was pretty
comfortable tonight and the
guys gave me a great Butler
built seat. All is well, I
guess, finishing second.
First Farm Bureau finish of
the year so that's always
nice to have as well instead
of tearing up a perfectly
good race car there."
What happened on those
final two laps? "I just knew
that we got a green-white
checker restart and the 5
(Dale Earnhardt Jr.) really,
really hung back on us and
we kind of hung back on the
20 (Denny Hamlin) but when
we got a little run down the
back straightaway I just
pulled inline and did what a
teammate would do. I'm glad
we were able to get a JGR
(Joe Gibbs Racing) car in
Victory Lane and wish it was
us but that 20 team is
awfully hard to beat. That's
three straight for them in
restrictor plate cars so
it's a special car."
KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 Farm
Bureau Insurance Toyota
Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing
(continued) Was there no
where you could go when you
made a move to the outside
coming down the stretch?
"No, there's not enough
momentum and that car is too
strong. He (Denny Hamlin)
could pull right up back
along side of me, side-draft
me and drag me back. I
could've lost more spots
going for that."
What are your thoughts on
the race tonight? "It was a
good night for JGR (Joe
Gibbs Racing) that's for
sure. The 20 car (Denny
Hamlin) being as strong as
it has been all year long
and of course that
restrictor plate car --
that's three in a row for
that thing this year. Just a
tremendous opportunity there
for us to capitalize on a
good night and thankfully
that was the first finish
for Farm Bureau in the
Nationwide Series for the
JGR (Joe Gibbs Racing) camp.
I'm glad we were able to
give them that tonight. I
felt like we had a good car
and battled upfront all
night long and stayed in
position to win. I felt like
I drove probably one of the
smartest if not the smartest
races out there tonight. I
just kept my stuff on the
bottom and had a fast car
where I could stay out of
trouble and didn't have to
maneuver around too much and
find something that would
work for my car. My car just
seemed to work on the bottom
the best. Overall, a good
night and the green-white
checker made it a little
more exciting for the fans
but I knew there wasn't
going to be much to get
around that 20 (Denny
Hamlin). He was just too
much."
How unbelievable has that
No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing car
been this year? "It is. In
Daytona testing here that 20
car was so strong that we
cut mine up and tried to
make it a duplicate and just
couldn't get it done for the
February race and we cut it
apart for Talladega and
still didn't get it. Then we
cut it apart again and still
didn't get it tonight. It's
the closest it's been but
still not what the 20 car
is. It's definitely really,
really strong. For them to
have the type of season that
they're having it's just
unbelievable. Whoever gets
in that thing seems to win.
Thankfully I was apart of
that in a race earlier this
year at Mexico City, had a
shot at Atlanta and missed
out there, and had a shot at
Nashville and missed out
there. It's been a good ride
for that team, that's for
sure."
What happened with the
missed communication on the
pit stops with Denny Hamlin?
"We were going down the back
straightaway and it was 78
or 77 -- one of the two and
we were either supposed to
be on pit road on lap 78 or
79 -- I don't remember which
one. But anyways, we were
going down the back and it
was one lap shy of when we
were supposed to come in and
Denny was waving like, 'I'm
pitting this time, I'm
pitting this time.' And so I
figured if he was going to
come this time then I'm just
going to come with him and
he came off of turn four and
kept digging and I was
slowing down so I don't know
what happened there. I don't
know why he was waving
unless he was just saying
hi. Somehow we just missed
communication there. It
didn't really matter much. I
got out in front of him
after the pit stops were
over and he charged right
back through the field and
had one lap fresher tires,
which really didn't make the
difference. He just had a
faster car and got by us
all."
BRIAN VICKERS, No. 32
Dollar General Stores Toyota
Camry, Braun Racing
Finished: 37th What happened
to your car on the final pit
stop to take you out of the
race? "We don't really know
for sure. We think it's just
a parts failure. Something
broke. We tried to leave the
box in first gear, revved it
up, dropped the clutch and
it just snapped. I could
hear the drive shaft
rattling around so I knew we
had an issue. That's
unfortunate. This car was
really good all night. We
thought we were going to be
in really good shape in the
end but unfortunately it's
not going to be able to show
it."
DAVID REUTIMANN, No. 99
Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota
Camry, Michael Waltrip
Racing Finished: 14th
MIKE WALLACE, No. 7 GEICO
Toyota Camry, Germain Racing
Finished: 22nd
JASON LEFFLER, No. 38
Great Clips Toyota Camry,
Braun Racing Finished: 23rd