FedEx Racing Express Facts – Martinsville Speedway
Denny Hamlin
#11 FedEx Express Toyota
Joe Gibbs Racing
Race Info:
Race: STP 500
Date/Time: March 29/1 p.m. ET
Distance: 500 laps/263 miles
Track Length: 0.526-mile
Track Shape: Oval
Banking: 12 degrees
2014 Winner: Kurt Busch
Express Notes:
Press Kit: Download the 2015 FedEx Racing press materials at www.fedexracing.com/presskit, including bios for Denny Hamlin, Dave Rogers and Joe Gibbs Racing leadership, program highlights, statistics and the 2015 crew roster.
Fontana Recap: Denny Hamlin finished 28th in Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Auto Club (Calif.) Speedway following a pit road penalty with less than 15 laps remaining. Hamlin came off pit road in third place during a late-race yellow flag, but was forced to start at the tail end of the field for an uncontrolled tire during the stop, taking the checkered flag 28th behind eventual winner Brad Keselowski. The #11 team showed great speed throughout the 209-lap race, leading 56 laps. Hamlin started sixth and quickly moved to the front, taking the lead from teammate Matt Kenseth on Lap 32. A mid-race restart shuffled him back outside the top-10, but the team worked diligently to regain track position for a run at the victory. The finish dropped Hamlin one spot to 14th in the standings following Fontana, 100 points behind leader Kevin Harvick after five of 26 regular season races.
Martinsville Preview: The Series heads to Martinsville (Va.) Speedway for Sunday’s 500-lap event at the half-mile ‘paper clip.’ Martinsville is arguably Hamlin’s best track on the circuit, with the Virginia native owning four Cup Series victories and three poles and the short track in 18 starts. Hamlin has posted 14 top-10 finishes and has led 1,221 laps around Martinsville, and has started inside the top-five seven of his last eight Martinsville races. He finished eighth in the most recent trip to the track last fall.
Hamlin Statistics:
Track: Martinsville Speedway
Races: 18
Wins: 4
Top-5: 9
Top-10: 14
Average Start: 9.5
Average Finish: 8.7
Laps Led: 1,221
Hamlin Conversation:
What is the team’s outlook for Sunday’s race at Martinsville?
“Certainly, Martinsville is a track that we circle on our calendars each year as a race we feel we can win at. It’s a track that really adapted to my style early on in my career, and we have run up front and led a lot of laps there. We haven’t had the finishes we expect at Martinsville the last few races there, but I think we’ll come with a strong FedEx Express Camry that hopefully we can get up to the front and battle for the win.”
Sacramento Along for the Ride in Martinsville: The FedEx Express ramp at Sacramento International Airport, serving all of northern California, will be recognized for its outstanding community service work helping several local non-profit organizations with its “SMFR” code letters on the b-post of the #11 FedEx Express Toyota this weekend.
FedEx Office – Closest to Martinsville Speedway: 3731 Battleground Ave., Greensboro, NC 27410, (336) 282-5650
#11 FedEx Racing – 2015 Crew Roster
Crew Chief – Dave Rogers
Car Chief – Joe Fiorelli
Engineers – Chris Gabehart, Kenny Oates
Shock Specialist – Ron Denton
Tire Specialist – Jamie Turski
Mechanics – Joey Forgette, Jerad Hewitt, Jason Clements
Spotter – Chris Lambert
Front Tire Changer: Dustin Necaise
Front Tire Carrier: Brandon Pegram
Rear Tire Changer: Mike Hicks
Rear Tire Carrier: Heath Cherry
Jack Man: Tracy Duncan
Gas Man: Caleb Hurd
Pit Crew Coordinator: Paul Alepa
Athletic Director: Mike Lepp
Transportation – Bob Hannigan, Kyle Bazzell
