DENNY HAMLIN — #11 FEDEX EXPRESS TOYOTA CAMRY
RACE INFO:
Event: Wonderful Pistachios 400 Date/Time: Sept. 10/7:30 p.m. ET 2010 winner: Denny Hamlin 2010 polesitter: Carl Edwards
Distance: 400 laps/300 miles Track Length: three-quarter-mile Banking: 14 degrees Track Shape: Oval
EXPRESS NOTES:
Atlanta Recap: Denny Hamlin finished eighth in Tuesday’s rain-postponed NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, gaining valuable Chase points in the penultimate regular season event. Hamlin, driving the #11 Charter Communications Toyota, started 13th and quickly worked into the top-10 in the 325-lap race originally scheduled for Sunday. The #11 Toyota handled well on longer runs early in the event, with Hamlin taking the lead on Lap 24 and leading five different times for a total of six laps. Rain showers during the race’s midpoint caused short runs and intermittent caution periods, with the #11 machine a bit too tight to challenge for the race lead. Once the rain finally subsided, the race took its last restart on Lap 255, and Hamlin battled to an eighth-place finish to race winner Jeff Gordon. Hamlin moved up one spot to 12th in the NASCAR point standings following Atlanta, trailing leader Jimmie Johnson by 164 points. Hamlin maintains hold of the second Chase “wild card” spot heading into Saturday’s regular season finale at Richmond International Raceway.
Hamlin Honored at White House: Hamlin was among a contingent of 2010 Chase for the Sprint Cup Series participants that was honored by President Obama on Wednesday at the White House in Washington, D.C.
Richmond Preview: Hamlin heads to his home track as the two-time defending fall race winner at the three-quarter-mile Richmond facility. Growing up in nearby Chesterfield, Va., Hamlin has a career average finish of 7.5 in 11 starts at Richmond, second to Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch among active drivers. Hamlin finished second to Busch in the spring race at Richmond, after starting 11th and leading 38 laps. In September 2010, Hamlin dominated the final regular season race, leading 251 of 400 laps from his 14th-place starting position. Two years ago, Hamlin was even better, guiding the #11 FedEx Toyota to victory lane after leading 299 of 400 circuits. Hamlin has two wins, two poles (fall 2006 and spring 2008), six top-five finishes and has led 1,188 laps in 11 Cup Series starts in Richmond.
Race Series Date Start Finish Laps (Led)
Crown Royal 400 Sprint Cup April 30, 2011 11 2 400/400 38
Air Guard 400 Sprint Cup Sept. 11, 2010 14 1 400/400 251
Crown Royal 400 Sprint Cup May 1, 2010 30 11 400/400 0
Chevy Rock & Roll 400 Sprint Cup Sept. 12, 2009 3 1 400/400 299
Crown Royal 400 Sprint Cup May 2, 2009 3 14 400/400 148
Chevy Rock & Roll 400 Sprint Cup Sept. 10, 2008 11 3 400/400 4
Crown Royal 400 Sprint Cup May 3, 2008 1 24 407/410 381
Chevy Rock & Roll 400 Nextel Cup Sept. 8, 2007 5 6 400/400 17
Crown Royal 400 Nextel Cup May 6, 2007 6 3 400/400 12
Chevy Rock & Roll 400 Nextel Cup Sept. 9, 2006 1 15 399/400 19
Crown Royal 400 Nextel Cup May 6, 2006 7 2 400/400 19
Averages/Totals 8.4 7.5 99.9% 1,188
BDL Market Along for the Ride in Richmond: The FedEx Express market covering Hartford, Conn., will be recognized for its team members efforts in relief supply distribution in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene with its “BDL” code letters on the b-post of the #11 FedEx Express Toyota this weekend..
HAMLIN CONVERSATION – Richmond International Raceway:
Is there a better track than Richmond for you to race to get into the Chase?
“No. It seems like here lately with giving so much information to (Kyle Busch), he’s been the guy we’ve had to kind of harness here lately at that track. Regardless of whether we win or whether we run top-five, we know we’re going to go there and we’re going to be competitive. We feel like we will be. We always look at the schedule and luckily for us some of our best race tracks are the three to four that lead into the Chase. That part of it has been good. Hopefully, we’re going to make the Chase and be on an upswing. You’d rather do that than try to figure out, ‘Okay, we won some races at the beginning of the year, why aren’t we running good anymore?’ I’d rather sneak in but be dangerous than be locked in two weeks ago and still trying to figure out how we’re going to be competitive with 10 races to go.”
