DENNY HAMLIN — #11 FEDEX FREIGHT TOYOTA CAMRY
RACE INFO: Event: STP 400Date/Time: June 5/12 p.m. CT2010 winner: N/A2010 polesitter: N/A Distance: 267 laps/400.5 milesTrack Length: 1.5 milesBanking: 14 degreesTrack Shape: Quad-oval
EXPRESS NOTES: Charlotte Recap: Denny Hamlin and the FedEx Racing team fell one-half lap short on fuel in Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, finishing 10th after a gutsy performance by both driver and crew. Hamlin started fourth in the 400-lap event, and ran among the leaders throughout the early portion of the race — leading a total of 24 laps. However, he reported a possible engine issue on Lap 139. As crew chief Mike Ford and the team tried to diagnose possible problems, the #11 FedEx Express Toyota maintained its top-10 position through the race’s midpoint. The team suspected a carburetor issue, and with 100 laps to go, Ford called Hamlin to pit road so the crew could replace the part. The team changed the carburetor in less than 90 seconds, keeping the #11 machine from losing a lap. Hamlin fell to 27th in the running order, but quickly sliced through the field. With differing strategies among teams, Hamlin tried to conserve enough fuel to make it to the finish, but a caution with four laps remaining set up a ‘green-white-checkered’ restart with Hamlin in third. Leader Kasey Kahne ran out of fuel at the green flag, and Hamlin moved into second behind Dale Earnhardt Jr. However, both drivers ran out of gas on the backstretch of the final lap, and the #11 Toyota coasted to the checkered flag in 10th. The finish moved Hamlin up one spot to 12th in the point standings following Charlotte, now 106 points behind leader Carl Edwards after 12 of 26 ‘regular season’ races.
Hamlin Set to Make 200th Start: Hamlin will make his 200th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start Sunday at Kansas Speedway, the site of his very first Cup race. The 30-year-old Virginia native has 16 victories, 62 top-fives and 101 top-10 results in 199 career starts, all with Joe Gibbs Racing. Hamlin made his debut at Kansas on Oct. 9, 2005, and has made the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship in each of his first five full seasons of Cup competition (2006-2010). Hamlin has made six career Cup starts at the 1.5-mile oval, with a best finish of fifth in 2009 and an average finish of 17.8. This season marks the first time Kansas Speedway will host two Sprint Cup Series events and first time the track will host a ‘regular season’ race.
2011 FedEx Racing Press Kit – Available for Download: Please visit www.fedexracing.com/presskit for the 2011 FedEx Racing press materials, including bios for Denny Hamlin, Mike Ford and Joe Gibbs Racing leadership, program highlights, program statistics and 2011 crew roster.
East Kansas City District Along for the Ride in Kansas: The East Kansas City FedEx Freight district has become one of the largest pickup and delivery operations in the company, and will be recognized with its “EKC” code letters on the b-post of the #11 FedEx Freight Toyota this weekend.
HAMLIN CONVERSATION – KANSAS SPEEDWAY: How do you feel about reaching the 200-start milestone? “It’s pretty cool that my 200th start will come at Kansas, where I made my first start a few years ago. I don’t feel like I’m that old yet, but reaching 200 starts in the Cup Series means that you’ve been around a little bit. I have been fortunate to be in a good car with a good team throughout the years with JGR, and we’ve had some success together.”
Is Kansas a race track you enjoy? “Kansas was the place really where I got my first mile and a half victory in the Nationwide Series. It’s a very flat track. We’ve not always hit the perfect setup there in the Cup car before. It’s a track that I’m glad we are going to twice, especially knowing that it’s a Chase race. That’s a place where we need to improve. We’re going to use this time around to hopefully build a setup in which we can be competitive when we go back for the Chase.”
2011 FEDEX RACING TEAM – SEASON RESULTS DATEEVENTLOCATIONSTARTFINISHLAPSSTATUSWINNINGSLEDPTSTREND Feb. 20Daytona 500Daytona1821 207/208 Running$328,363 719th ▬ Feb. 27Subway Fresh Fit 500Phoenix1211312/312Running$123,000914th▲ March 6Kobalt Tools 400Las Vegas177267/267Running$159,30008th▲ March 20Jeff Byrd 500Bristol2533488/500Running$131,225017th▼ March 27Auto Club 400Auto Club239105/200Engine$123,8801521st▼ April 3Goody’s Fast Relief 500Martinsville512500/500Running$123,3508919th▲ April 9Samsung Mobile 500Texas2315333/334Running$160,850020th▼ April 17Aaron’s 499Talladega2923188/188Running$133,425017th▲ April 30Crown Royal 400Richmond112400/400Running$202,7753817th▬ May 7Showtime Southern 500Darlington36370/370Running$152,000016th▲ May 15FedEx 400Dover2616400/400Running$134,825013th▲ May 29Coca-Cola 600Charlotte410402/402Running$165,8002412th▲ Averages/Totals14.616.297.3% $1,938,793182
2011 FEDEX RACING – TEAM ROSTER
Crew Chief: Mike Ford – Morristown, Tenn. Front Tire Changer: Nick Krizmanich – Kenosha, Wis. Car Chief: Chris “Spider” Gillin – Smithtown, N.Y. Front Tire Carrier: Brandon Pegram – Statesville, N.C. Engineer: Mike Wheeler – Southholt, N.Y. Rear Tire Changer: Mike Hicks – Salisbury, N.C. Shocks: Drew Bible – Coldwater, Mich. Rear Tire Carrier: Heath Cherry – Belmont, N.C. Tire Specialist: Patrick Mullen – Brick, N.J. Jackman: Nate Bolling – Swanton, Ohio Engine Tuner: Chris Woodward – Franklin, N.H. Gas Man: Scott Wood – Liberty, S.C. Mechanic: Rick Bray – Placerville, Calif. Pit Crew Coordinator: Paul Alepa – Vienna, Va. Mechanic: John Furino – Long Island, N.Y. JGR Athletic Director: Michael Lepp – Charlotte, N.C. Spotter: Curtis Markham – Fredericksburg, Va.
Hauler Driver: Jerry Hess – Lancaster, Pa. Hauler Driver: Frank Hodel – Blythe, Calif.
