FedEx Racing Express Facts – Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway

FedEx Racing Express Facts – Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway

Denny Hamlin
#11 FedEx Freight Toyota
Joe Gibbs Racing

Race Info:
Race: Coca-Cola 600
Date/Time: May 29/6:00 p.m. ET
Distance: 400 laps/600 miles
Track Length: 1.5 mile
Track Shape: Oval
Banking: 24 degrees
2015 Winner: Carl Edwards

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.

Coca-Cola 600 Preview: The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the year’s longest race, the Coca-Cola 600, on Sunday, May 29, part of a packed Memorial Day Weekend motorsports calendar around the world. Denny Hamlin has five top-five finishes and 13 top-10 results in 21 career races at Charlotte, including a best finish of second in both races at the track in 2012. He finished eighth in the Coke 600 one year ago, and has led a total of 240 laps around the 1.5-mile oval. He will also compete in Saturday night’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race for Joe Gibbs Racing.

NASCAR Salutes: Hamlin’s #11 FedEx Freight Toyota Camry will feature a special name on the windshield for this weekend’s Coca-Cola 600. As part of the NASCAR Salutes: 600 Miles of Remembrance program, each Sprint Cup Series car will feature a fallen soldier. The #11 Camry will honor Marine Corps Sergeant John Davis Harvey, of Roanoke, Va., who was killed during an Iranian hostage rescue mission on April 25, 1980. Members of Harvey’s family will be in attendance for Sunday’s race. Additionally, Hamlin will visit Ft. Bragg, the U.S. Army post near Fayetteville, N.C., on Wednesday, May 25.

Hamlin Statistics:

Track: Charlotte Motor Speedway

Races: 21

Wins: 0

Top-5: 5

Top-10: 13

Average Start: 11.9

Average Finish: 12.8

Laps Led: 240

Hamlin Conversation — CHARLOTTE:

How difficult is the Coke 600 from a physical standpoint and keeping up with changing track conditions?

“The Coke 600 is obviously very tough on both the drivers and the cars. It’s a long race, so it’ll be important to maintain hydration throughout the week in preparation for the four or five hours in the car. It looks like the weather will be pretty warm, which will make it hot inside the car. The race certainly will test the drivers’ physical fitness. From a handling standpoint, you have to build a lot of adjustability in the car. The race starts during the afternoon and goes into the night, so the track will see big changes in terms of grip and handling. The first half of the race, you just try to keep enough speed to stay on the lead lap during the long green flag runs, knowing that you want your car to be at its best when the sun goes down for those last 100 or 150 laps.”

North Harrisburg, Pa., Along for the Ride at Charlotte: For the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, FedEx Freight recognizes the company’s North Harrisburg, Pa., service center by featuring the call letters “NHS” on the #11 FedEx Freight Toyota. The North Harrisburg service center opened in 1995 and has approximately 500 team members.