Denny Hamlin
#11 FedEx Freight Toyota
Joe Gibbs Racing
Race Info:
Race: Food City 500
Date/Time: April 17/1:00 p.m. ET
Distance: 500 laps/266.5 miles
Track Length: 0.533-mile
Track Shape: Oval
Banking: 24-28 degrees
2015 Winner: Matt Kenseth
Express Notes:
Press Kit: Download the 2016 FedEx Racing press materials at www.fedexracing.com/presskit, including bios for Denny Hamlin, Mike Wheeler and Joe Gibbs Racing leadership, program highlights, statistics and the 2016 crew roster.
Texas Recap: Denny Hamlin finished 12th in Saturday night’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway, battling a loose #11 FedEx Office Toyota throughout the 334-lap event won by Kyle Busch. Hamlin restarted fourth after the final caution with 33 laps to go, but the outside line didn’t lend itself well to the loose condition Hamlin was fighting and he began to fall back as the laps clicked at the 1.5-mile track. Hamlin started sixth and stayed among the top-15 throughout the 501-mile race that was delayed by a little over two hours due to a brief rain shower that passed over the track prior to the scheduled start. The rain brought cooler temperatures and changed the track conditions which played a factor in the handling characteristics for the drivers. Crew chief Mike Wheeler called for a host of changes during each pit stop and took a couple of big swings at chassis adjustments, but halfway through each run Hamlin would report that the car was still too loose. The finish moved Hamlin up one spot to eighth in the NASCAR standings, 58 points behind leader Kyle Busch after seven of 26 regular season races.
Bristol Preview: The Series heads to Bristol Motor Speedway for Sunday’s 500-lap event on the high-banked, half-mile bullring. Hamlin has one-career win at Bristol, coming in the August night race at the track in 2012. He has recorded five top-five finishes and nine top-10 results in 20 career Bristol races. He has captured the pole in three of the last five qualifying sessions at Bristol, including the spring 2014 event. One year ago, Hamlin started fifth, but was replaced by Erik Jones following a lengthy rain delay due to neck spasms. He finished third in the Series’ return trip to Bristol last August.
Hamlin Statistics:
Track: Bristol Motor Speedway
Races: 20
Wins: 1
Top-5: 5
Top-10: 9
Average Start: 15.6
Average Finish: 16.6
Laps Led: 578
Hamlin Conversation — BRISTOL:
Bristol has been a strong track for you in your career. Do you expect to contend for another victory this weekend?
“Obviously, anytime we go to Bristol, it’s a race that our FedEx team sees as an opportunity to win. We’ve had some really strong runs there over the years, run up front quite a bit and contended for some wins. I love short track racing, and Bristol is such a unique place to race. I think it’ll be important to keep our nose clean throughout the 500 laps and try to position ourselves near the front at the end for a shot at the checkered flag.”
Birmingham Service Center Along for the Ride at Bristol: The FedEx Freight service center in Birmingham, Ala., will be recognized with its “BHM” code letters on the b-post of the #11 FedEx Freight Toyota this weekend at Bristol.
#11 FedEx Racing – 2016 Crew Roster
Crew Chief – Mike “Wheels” Wheeler
Car Chief – Leo Thorsen
Engineers – Matt Beckman, Sam McAuley
Shock Specialist – Drew Bible
Tire Specialist – Kerry Ferris
Mechanics – Troy Welty, John Furino, Sean Kerlin
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 – Frank Hodel, David Ott
