RACE INFO:
Event: 5-Hour Energy 400
Date/Time: May 10/6:30 p.m. CT
2013 winner: Matt Kenseth
2013 polesitter: Matt Kenseth
Distance: 267 laps/400.5 miles
Track Length: 1.5 miles
Banking: 14 degrees
Track Shape: Quad-Oval
EXPRESS NOTES:
Triumph in Talladega: Denny Hamlin captured his first points-paying victory of the 2014 season in Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway in his 300th-career start in the #11 FedEx Express Toyota. Hamlin was in front when the white flag waved before a wreck deeper in the pack brought out the caution to freeze the field for the finish, giving Hamlin his first-career regular season restrictor plate win and 24th victory of his career, moving him into 30th on the all-time wins list. Hamlin led six times for a total of 12 laps at Talladega, and ran among the leaders throughout the 188-lap event. He passed Kevin Harvick for the lead on Lap 183 just prior to a multi-car incident brought out the yellow, which set up a two-lap shootout to the checkered flag. Hamlin won the drag race Turn 1 on the restart, and used drafting help from behind to pull ahead of the field before a crash on the fronstretch after the white flag had been displayed ended the race under caution. Hamlin now has three wins and a runner-up result in four restrictor plate races in 2014, including wins at Talladega and in the preseason exhibition Sprint Unlimited and Budweiser Duel qualifying races at Daytona, as well as a second-place finish in the Daytona 500. The victory effectively clinched a Chase for the Sprint Cup championship berth for the #11 FedEx Racing team. Hamlin has made the Chase in seven of the last eight years, missing for the first time in 2013 after a back injury forced him to miss four full races.
Kansas Preview: The Series heads to Kansas Speedway for the 1.5-mile track’s first night race. Hamlin was victorious the last time he competed in a spring event at Kansas, in 2012, missing the race last year due to injury. In 11 Kansas starts, Hamlin has three top-five finishes and has led a total of 68 laps, including 32 in April 2012 en route to victory lane. Hamlin has started in the top-10 in each of his last four Kansas races, and finished 23rd at the track last October.
Race Series Date Start Finish Laps (Led)
Hollywood Casino 400 Sprint Cup Oct. 6, 2013 10 23 267/267
Hollywood Casino 400 Sprint Cup Oct. 21, 2012 9 13 267/267
STP 400 Sprint Cup April 22, 2012 4 1 267/267 32
Hollywood Casino 400 Sprint Cup Oct. 9, 2011 7 16 272/272
STP 400 Sprint Cup June 5, 2011 15 3 267/267 34
Price Chopper 400 Sprint Cup Oct. 3, 2010 12 12 267/267
Price Chopper 400 Sprint Cup Oct. 4, 2009 22 4 267/267 1
Camping World RV 400 Sprint Cup Sept. 29, 2008 30 11 267/267 1
Lifelock 400 Nextel Cup Sept. 30, 2007 5 29 209/210
Banquet 400 Nextel Cup Oct. 1, 2006 25 18 266/267
Banquet 400 Nextel Cup Oct. 9, 2005 7 32 265/267__________
Averages/Total 13.3 14.8 99.9% 68
FedEx Office – Closest to Kansas Speedway: 13450 W. 87th St. Pkwy, Lenexa, KS 66215, (913) 894-2010
Rock Island, Ill., Along for the Ride in Kansas: The FedEx Freight service center in Rock Island, Ill., which serves eastern Iowa and western Illinois, will be recognized with its “RKI” code letters on the b-post of the #11 FedEx Freight Toyota this weekend at Kansas Speedway.
HAMLIN CONVERSATION – KANSAS:
How important was the win at Talladega for the team’s momentum, Chase implications and season overall?
“Obviously, a win relatively early in the season is a great momentum-builder for our entire FedEx team. Our program on intermediate and short tracks isn’t quite where we need it to be, but this win gives us the opportunity to spend the next couple months getting ready for September and the Chase, when the playoffs start. We had been a top-10 car the last few weeks, but haven’t gotten the finishes we should’ve, which was disappointing for me and the team guys. To run up front and win Talladega, after a strong SpeedWeeks in Daytona, is a big relief for us. We weren’t exactly panicking about getting a win, but it was a tough balance trying to work on our cars while also looking at the new Chase format, especially with me missing a race. This win was huge for the 11 team and comes at a great time with some good tracks coming up for us.”
