RACE INFO:
Event: AAA 400
Date/Time: Sept. 28/2 p.m. ET
2013 winner: Jimmie Johnson
2013 polesitter: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Distance: 400 laps/400 miles
Track Length: 1 mile
Banking: 24 degrees
Track Shape: Oval
EXPRESS NOTES:
New Hampshire Recap: Denny Hamlin finished 37th in Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway won by Joey Logano. The finish dropped Denny seven spots to 13th in the Chase standings, 48 points behind leader Brad Keselowski with one race remaining in the first playoff segment. A two-time winner at the flat one-mile Loudon oval, Hamlin moved to second from his fourth-place starting position at the drop of the green flag. A competition caution on lap 35 saw quick work by Darian Grubb and the FedEx pit crew get Denny out in the lead after changing right-side tires only. Hamlin led the field for the next 32 laps before dropping back to second. On lap 95 he pitted for four tires and fuel, returning to the race in 25th, followed by and untimely caution trapping the FedEx car one lap down. After the stop, Grubb realized there was a problem with the fuel probe in the car as it wasn’t allowing the crew to fill the tank. Forced to make three stops under caution, the crew fixed the problem, but returned to the race 41st, four laps down. Adding insult to injury, at lap 180, three cars tangled in front of Hamlin, who was unable to avoid hard contact with the right front of the FedEx Ground Toyota, resulting in a trip to the garage for lengthy suspension repairs. Hamlin rejoined the race in 39th place, 38 laps behind the leader.
Dover Preview: The Series heads to Dover International Speedway for the third and final race of the first Chase playoff segment. Hamlin is making his 18th-career Cup Series start at the high-banked, one-mile concrete oval. Hamlin has six top-10 finishes in 17 previous Dover events, including a fifth-place result earlier this season in the FedEx 400 benefitting Autism Speaks at the track. Hamlin also owns a pair of pole positions at Dover, in 2012 and 2013.
How does the FedEx team put New Hampshire in the rear-view mirror to advance in the Chase?
“Our FedEx team can certainly advance to the next segment, but now we need a little help on Sunday. It’s obviously disappointing to have a mechanical issue take us out of a good finish at New Hampshire, but it’s important to put that in the past and focus on what we can control this weekend at Dover. We have had some speed at the track the last few trips there, and we’ll need that again this weekend.”
