- Camry driver Denny Hamlin was one of the final four drivers to battle to the end of this year’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday.
- Hamlin’s seventh-place finish placed him third in the unofficial final point standings behind champion and race-winner Kevin Harvick and second-place Ryan Newman.
- Hamlin started the race from the eighth position and led five times for 50 laps (of 267) en route to his 18th top-10 finish of the season.
- Matt Kenseth (sixth) was the first Toyota driver to the finish line in Sunday’s NSCS race at the 1.5-mile Florida oval.
- Behind Hamlin, three Camry drivers finished the 2014 season in the top-20 in the unofficial NSCS point standings, including Kenseth (seventh), Kyle Busch (10th) and Clint Bowyer (19th).
MATT KENSETH, No. 20 Dollar General Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 6th
DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 FedEx Express Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 7th
How was your race?
“Championship effort. It wasn’t for a lack of trying. I thought we had a better car than those guys, just I had a bad restart and lost position to the 4 (Kevin Harvick) and Darian (Grubb, crew chief) made the decision to leave us out there on tires trying to do something to get that track position back that I lost on the restart and it just didn’t work out for us. With all of those cautions it just allowed all of those guys to close back up and it was kind of all she wrote for us. It’s just one of those things. Sometimes the cautions fall your way and sometimes they don’t. We had a great car on the long run. Really improved on the short run all day. But, can’t thank FedEx enough for their support this year and Toyota, Sprint, The Greenbrier, Jordan Brand and the fans for a great year. We definitely gave ourselves a shot and things were looking really good for us, those cautions just really, really hurt us.”
What was the intensity of the race like from inside of your race car?
“Well, I think it showed that we had the right four in the final bracket. We were upfront — all four of us most of the day. By no means did we have a seventh place car. We backed that up. Just unfortunate and then proud to be in this position and happy for all of our JGR (Joe Gibbs Racing) teams to come out there and at least have a shot at it and be leading this thing with a few laps to go. But, just couldn’t overcome those tires and that was all she wrote.”
How do you feel about the effort tonight?
“Proud of our effort, but obviously very disappointed. The guys gave me a car that I was able to drive to the front and contend for a race win. We knew a race win was what it was going to take. Just got killed with that strategy there at the end and all those cautions really hurt us a lot allowing those guys to close back up. It’s just part of it. Sometimes they fall your way and sometimes they don’t. Unfortunately, the breaks didn’t really go our way at the end of the race today.”
How difficult was the final restart?
“It was hard, especially I was on hot tires and older tires than those guys. Just trying to fight and get all I could and was getting bad restarts and spinning the tires trying to go. Couldn’t really time it right and restarts were something that was hindering us throughout the day with getting going. We had a championship-type car today and definitely could have won this race if things played out evenly. They didn’t and we have to go to work and we’ll fight for 2015.”
What was going through your mind initially getting out of the race car?
“Disappointment obviously and knowing that for the latter part of the race we had the best car and just we needed — those cautions at the end just killed us. We don’t have a short run car and then when we were on older tires at the end compared to those guys we were just a sitting duck. Things didn’t work out our way and they very easily could have worked out our way, but they didn’t and gave a championship effort today. That’s all we can ask for.”
How strong was the pit crew?
“We had the best pit crew all day and I would have liked to have raced those guys on even tires, but we just felt the track position was going to mean a little more. We didn’t count on all those restarts at the end to allow those guys to close back up on us. That’s just part of it and part of the breaks. We’ll keep fighting. This is a good effort from us today and it’s good to see the winner win the championship.”
Who made the call to stay on the race track and not pit for fresh tires?
“He (Darian Grubb, crew chief) said pit and then at the last minute he wanted me to stay out. We lost track position to the 4 (Kevin Harvick) on that restart and allowed him to get to my outside and I don’t know if it changed what he (Grubb) would have done, but he made a call to try to win the race for us and things just didn’t work out. If the race goes green, we very easily could be talking about this in victory lane, but it didn’t and things just didn’t go our way. I was proud of the effort and that was a championship-type effort that we needed.”
How would you summarize the season?
“A lot of ups and downs — it’s been a tough year to start the year missing a race. We didn’t have the tools to win a lot of races throughout the year, but we got better and we got better when it really counted. It wasn’t for a lack of effort. Everyone gave 100 percent to give me the best car they could this weekend. It just wasn’t enough to beat those guys.”
DARIAN GRUBB, crew chief, No. 11 FedEx Express Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing
Why did you make the decision to stay out on the track late in the race?
“Hindsight is 20-20. It’s the wrong call. But, at the time it was the perfect call. We were able to get out there and get the lead. We had, I think, 17 laps to go. We were walking away from them and the next closest guy with tires was in seventh, I believe. So, we had it wrapped up there and then two quick cautions are what killed us. Then two quick cautions — then the guys at the in-between that pitted, between the guys with us and tires. I just killed us. But, I’m very proud of the team. Everybody hung in there. I made that call. And I knew some guys were going to be aggressive. And of course the 31 (Ryan Newman) was — he did the two tires. I thought we could beat him straight up, but I couldn’t predict the 4 (Kevin Harvick) and the 22 (Joey Logano) both having really, really bad pit stops on that last round and that’s what it would have gave us a clear advantage if we’d come in and done four (tires) in hindsight. It’s over and done with now and we’re going to fight for next year.”
CLINT BOWYER, No. 15 5-hour ENERGY Toyota Camry, Michael Waltrip Racing
Finishing Position: 8th
How was the race?
“Good to end the season with a top-10 run. My 5-hour ENERGY guys were on it in the pits today. They kept me up front. It was sure an exciting race for the championship. Proud of Toyota and Denny (Hamlin) for being a part of it. We’re already working hard to make sure we are part of it next year.”
BRIAN VICKERS, No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota Camry, Michael Waltrip Racing
Finishing Position: 23rd
COLE WHITT, No. 26 Speed Stick Gear Toyota Camry, BK Racing
Finishing Position: 26th
ALEX BOWMAN, No. 23 Dip Your Car Toyota Camry, BK Racing
Finishing Position: 33rd
BRETT MOFFITT, No. 66 Toyota Camry, NEMCO Motorsports
Finishing Position: 36th
JJ YELEY, No. 83 Dip Your Car Toyota Camry, BK Racing
Finishing Position: 37th
KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 M&M’s Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 39th
