FedEx Racing Express Facts – Bristol Motor Speedway
Denny Hamlin
#11 FedEx Freight Toyota
Joe Gibbs Racing
Race Info:
Race: Food City 500 in support of Steve Byrnes
Date/Time: April 19/1:00 p.m. ET
Distance: 500 laps/266.5 miles
Track Length: 0.533-mile
Track Shape: Oval
Banking: 24-28 degrees
2014 Winner: Carl Edwards
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.
Texas Recap: Denny Hamlin finished 11th in Saturday night’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway in the #11 FedEx Office Toyota, overcoming an early penalty on pit road to battle at the front of the field for the final third of the event won by Jimmie Johnson. Hamlin restarted 10th after the final caution with 25 laps to go, but was unable to make up spots before the checkered flag, racing side-by-side with a variety of competitors in a thrilling finish to the 334-lap race on the 1.5-mile track.
Hamlin, a two-time Texas winner, started 18th and immediately felt an issue with the car’s handling from the drop of the green flag. Crew chief Dave Rogers called for a long list of changes during the first handful of pit stops, including wedge, track bar, spring rubber, shock and air pressure adjustments. During one stop, Hamlin was penalized for driving through too many pit boxes after exiting his, and he was forced to restart at the tail end of the field. He drove through the traffic and benefited from another caution after a round of green flag stops to get back his track position. A string of late-race cautions saw teams use a variety of pit and tire strategies before the checkered flag. The finish dropped Hamlin one spot to eighth in the NASCAR standings following Texas, 101 points behind leader Kevin Harvick after seven of 26 regular season races. Hamlin’s win at Martinsville two weeks ago keeps him fifth in the Chase playoff standings.
Bristol Preview: The Series heads to Bristol Motor Speedway for Sunday’s 500-lap event on the high-banked concrete oval. Hamlin is making his 19th-career Bristol start this weekend, and owns one victory (summer 2012) and eight top-10 finishes in 18 previous races at the track. He has led 524 laps around Bristol, including at least one lap in each of the last five races. Last spring, Hamlin started on the pole and led four laps en route to a sixth-place result.
Hamlin Statistics:
Track: Bristol Motor Speedway
Races: 18
Wins: 1
Top-5: 4
Top-10: 8
Average Start: 17.1
Average Finish: 16.9
Laps Led: 524
Hamlin Conversation:
What are your expectations heading into Bristol this weekend?
“Bristol has been a great track for our FedEx team over the years. We might not have all the finishes to match how we have run there, but outside of a couple races, we’ve shown speed, led laps and been up front a lot. It’s one of the best places that we go to and I love racing on short tracks, so I’m eager to get to Bristol this weekend. It’s a chance for us to hopefully notch another win.”
Kingsport, Tenn., Along for the Ride in Bristol: The #11 FedEx Freight race car will feature the call letters “KPT” on the b-post during Sunday’s race at Bristol Motor Speedway, recognizing the FedEx Freight service center in Kingsport, Tenn. In operation since 2009, the Kingsport service center averages 300 shipments daily, with more than 60 FedEx Freight team members safely delivering freight to the tri-cities and Southwest Virginia.
#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: Nate Bolling
Gas Man: Caleb Hurd
Pit Crew Coordinator: Paul Alepa
Athletic Director: Mike Lepp
Transportation – Bob Hannigan, Kyle Bazzell
