Denny Hamlin
#11 FedEx Office Toyota
Joe Gibbs Racing
Race Info:
Race: AAA 400 Drive for Autism
Date/Time: Sunday, May 61/2 p.m. ET
Distance: 400 Laps/400 Miles
Track Length: 1 mile
Track Shape: Oval
Banking: 24 degrees
2017 Winner: Jimmie Johnson
Express Notes:
Press Kit: Download the 2018 FedEx Racing press materials at www.fedexracing.com/presskit, including bios for Denny Hamlin, Mike Wheeler and Joe Gibbs Racing leadership, program highlights and statistics.
Talladega Recap: Denny Hamlin finished 14th in Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway, unable to overcome speeding penalties on pit road in the race’s final Stage. After starting fourth, Hamlin proved to be one of the best cars throughout the day in the #11 FedEx Express Toyota, but a strong top-five pack had everyone fighting just to stay near the lead throughout the 188-lap race. Hamlin managed to lead 11 laps, but while running second in the third and final segment, the leaders dove for pit road trying to hang the #11 out to dry. Hamlin made a split-second decision to get to pit road in an effort to stay with the pack, but he was penalized for speeding entering the pits. The penalty would prove to be too much for the team to overcome with just 37 laps remaining in the race, and Hamlin went on to finish 14th overall.
Dover Preview: The Series heads to Dover International Speedway for Sunday’s 400-lap race around the 24-degree banked ‘Monster Mile’. In 24 visits to the concrete oval, Hamlin has started from the pole position three times (tied for a career-best) and has qualified within the top-10 in his last eight consecutive starts. He finished eighth at Dover this time last year, even after sustaining major damage in a last-lap multi-car wreck.
Delivering Laps for FedEx Cares: This season, FedEx is tying the performance of the #11 FedEx Toyota on the track to its efforts to improve road safety through a new program, Delivering Laps for FedEx Cares, by donating $111 for each lap Hamlin leads and $11,000 for each race victory to Safe Kids Worldwide, a nonprofit working to protect kids on the road, at home and at play. FedEx will also contribute $111,000 to Safe Kids if the #11 team wins the 2018 NASCAR championship. New for the 2018 season, the Denny Hamlin Foundation will also match the total donation to Safe Kids Worldwide.
Hamlin led 11 laps at Talladega Superspeedway on Saturday, generating a $1,221 donation to Safe Kids on behalf of FedEx. After 10 regular season races, Hamlin has led 226 laps resulting in an $25,086 donation to Safe Kids Worldwide which will ultimately be matched by the Denny Hamlin Foundation. Fans can track the total amount donated to date from the Delivering Laps for FedEx Cares program on the homepage of FedExRacing.com.
Hamlin Statistics:
Track: Dover International Speedway
Races: 24
Wins: 0
Poles: 3 (Tied for Career-Best)
Top-5: 3
Top-10: 9
Laps Led: 276
Avg. Start: 10.6
Avg. Finish: 18.5
Hamlin Conversation:
You’ve led laps in all but one race so far this season. What do you think it will take to hold onto that top spot and get the FedEx team in Victory Lane?
“Our FedEx team has done a great job preparing our car to be in a spot to win, but I’ve made some mistakes and we’ve had some other issues that have unfortunately taken us out of contention. Last weekend (at Talladega) was a perfect example of trying too hard and it ultimately costing our team. Obviously we’ll continue to do everything we can to position ourselves for a win, and we’re remaining optimistic heading into Dover.”
