FedEx Racing Express Facts – Martinsville Speedway
Denny Hamlin
#11 FedEx Ground Toyota
Joe Gibbs Racing
Race Info:
Race: Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500
Date/Time: Nov. 1/1:15 p.m. ET
Distance: 500 laps/263 miles
Track Length: 0.526-mile
Track Shape: Oval
Banking: 12 degrees
2014 Winner: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Express Notes:
Talladega Recap: Denny Hamlin finished 37th in Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway and was eliminated from the 2015 Chase for the Sprint Cup championship playoffs, unable to overcome a mid-race roof flap failure that required multiple trips to pit road to repair and ultimately costing the No. 11 FedEx Freight Toyota three laps on the race track. Hamlin started eighth and was running near the front of the pack throughout the early portion of the final Contender Round event at the high-banked, 2.66-mile speedway. However, following a round of green flag stops, Hamlin noticed the roof hatch – used as a safety mechanism for drivers in restrictor-plate events – was loose and flapping. The team brought him to pit road multiple times for repairs, but with the race still green and Hamlin lacking drafting help, he wound up three laps down as a result. Making matters worse, Hamlin was involved in a multi-car incident on the race’s final restart attempt, relegating the team to a 37th-place finish and dropping Hamlin to ninth in the standings to miss the Eliminator Round. Joey Logano was the race winner.
Martinsville Preview: The Series heads to Martinsville (Va.) Speedway for Sunday’s 500-lap race on the flat, half-mile ‘paper clip.’ Arguably Hamlin’s best track, the 34-year-old Virginia-native owns five Cup victories at Martinsville, including taking the checkered flag earlier this year. In that race, he led 91 laps en route to victory lane. In 19 career races at the track, Hamlin has won five times and recorded 15 top-10 finishes with an impressive 8.3 average finishing position. He has led 1,312 laps at Martinsville in his career and seeks a sixth win Sunday in the #11 FedEx Ground Toyota.
Giving Back: Hamlin hosted the 4th Annual “Denny and Mark’s Pro-Am Jam” celebrity concert and golf tournament with Mark Bryan from Hootie and the Blowfish on Monday and Tuesday in Charleston, S.C. The event benefitted the Student Transportation of America Education Foundation, Carolina Studios and the Denny Hamlin Foundation, which provides resources for cystic fibrosis research.
Hamlin Statistics:
Track: Martinsville Speedway
Races: 19
Wins: 5
Top-5: 10
Top-10: 15
Average Start: 9.8
Average Finish: 8.3
Laps Led: 1,312
Hamlin Conversation — MARTINSVILLE:
What is the team’s mindset heading into Martinsville this weekend?
“It’s obviously disappointing to have circumstances at Talladega take us out of the Chase when I felt like we had a good shot at moving on and battling for the championship. It was a pretty self-inflicted day for us, and ultimately, cost us a few laps on the track and put the nail in the coffin on our Chase hopes. Martinsville has been a great track for us throughout my career, so it will be important to go there and try to lead every lap and win the race with our FedEx team. There are still trophies to get this season and we plan on doing our best to end the year on a high note.”
SmartPost Along for the Ride in Martinsville: The letters “FXSP” on the b-post of the #11 FedEx Ground Toyota this weekend recognize a quality action team that improved processes for capturing data for FedEx SmartPost packages.
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 – Nate Bolling
Gas Man – Caleb Hurd
Pit Crew Coordinator – Paul Alepa
Athletic Director – Mike Lepp
Transportation – Kyle Bazzell, Bob Hannigan
