RACE INFO:
Event: Irwin Tools Night Race
Date/Time: Aug. 23/7:30 pm ET
2013 winner: Matt Kenseth
2013 polesitter: Denny Hamlin
Distance: 500 laps/266.5 miles
Track Length: 0.533-mile
Banking: 36 degrees
Track Shape: Oval
EXPRESS NOTES:
Michigan Recap: Denny Hamlin finished seventh in Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway, recording his fifth top-10 finish in the last six events in the #11 FedEx Toyota. Hamlin restarted fifth following the race’s final caution with 17 laps to go and crossed the finish line seventh behind eventual winner Jeff Gordon. A two-time Michigan winner, Hamlin started 21st in the #11 FedEx Freight Toyota and quickly picked his way through the field. Varying fuel strategies and quick work on pit road by the FedEx crew moved Hamlin into the top-10 near the halfway point, where he stayed for the remainder of the race. A timely caution while Hamlin was already on pit road for a green flag stop moved the #11 machine up a couple more spots in the running order. The finish – coupled with Gordon’s victory – clinched a 2014 Chase for the Sprint Cup championship berth for Hamlin and the FedEx team. Hamlin has now made the Chase eight times in nine years.
Bristol Preview: The Series heads to Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway for Saturday night’s 500-lap event on the high-banked, half-mile bullring. Hamlin won the prestigious event in 2012, and has eight top-10 finishes in 17 career Bristol starts, leading 496 total laps at the track. Hamlin has started on the pole in the last two races at Bristol, leading 23 laps last August before a late-race incident relegated the team to a 28th-place result. Earlier this year, Hamlin led the first four laps at Bristol and finished sixth.
HAMLIN CONVERSATION – BRISTOL:
What are your expectations heading into Bristol this weekend?
“For us, we have worked really hard on our short track program this year, and believe we have gotten our FedEx cars better on the smaller tracks. The short tracks definitely suit my driving style, and we have had some success at Bristol over the years. Obviously, we have been strong in qualifying the past two races, but really haven’t challenged for the win since 2012. Hopefully we can go there this weekend, start up front and compete for another Bristol trophy, one of the coolest in the sport.”
