Denny Hamlin
#11 FedEx Freight Toyota
Joe Gibbs Racing
Race Info:
Race: FireKeepers Casino 400
Date/Time: Sunday, June 10/2 p.m. ET
Distance: 200 Laps/400 Miles
Track Length: 2 miles
Track Shape: Oval
2017 Winner: Kyle Larson
Express Notes:
Pocono Recap: Denny Hamlin spun in Turn 1 late in the final stage of Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway, incurring heavy damage after contact with the inside retaining wall and ending the #11 FedEx Racing Team’s day in 35th place. Hamlin had battled his way to fourth in the race’s final Stage when a caution appeared with 20 laps to go. Denny followed his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch down pit road for four tires and fuel in preparation for the remaining circuits in the 160-lap event, ultimately falling in line 10th for the restart on lap 143 after varying pit strategies took place. Following the restart, Hamlin made his way to the bottom of the race track to continue fighting for his spot within the top 10, however his plan was halted when the #11 FedEx Office Toyota tangled with the #88 of Alex Bowman, sending Hamlin towards the inside wall. The contact could not be prevented, and the crew assessed the resulting damage to be irreparable, ending Hamlin’s day at the “Tricky Triangle.”
Michigan Preview: The Series heads to Michigan International Speedway for Sunday’s race around the two-mile oval with Hamlin looking to capture his third win in the Irish Hills. Hamlin finished fourth in this event last year collecting his seventh top-five finish at the Michigan fast track.
Driving in Memphis: Hamlin is scheduled to participate in the FedEx St. Jude Classic Pro-Am this Wednesday at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tenn., where he will join other amateur and professional golfers on the links for a good cause. FedEx has sponsored the FedEx St. Jude Classic since 1986 that has raised more than $38 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
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.
After 14 regular season races, Hamlin has led 235 laps resulting in an $26,085 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.
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.
Hamlin Statistics:
Track: Michigan International Speedway
Races: 24
Wins: 2
Poles: 0
Top-5: 7
Top-10: 11
Laps Led: 174
Avg. Start: 12.9
Avg. Finish: 14.8
Hamlin Conversation:
Following last weekend’s run at Pocono, how do you and the #11 FedEx team plan to tackle Michigan and the remainder of the regular season?
“It’s obviously disappointing that our results from last weekend don’t show the performance that I know our team was capable of. We’ve consistently been a top contender, we just have t to fine-tune a couple things for it to all come together. We still have time to get that win we want though and lock ourselves into the Playoffs, and we’re eager to get it done.”
Indianapolis FedEx Freight Service Center Along for the Ride at Michigan: FedEx Freight recognizes the company’s Indianapolis, Ind., service center by featuring the call letters “IND” on the b-post of the #11 FedEx Freight Toyota at Michigan. The Indianapolis service center has approximately 650 team members who are committed to making every FedEx experience outstanding.
FedEx Office – Closest to Michigan International Speedway: 2800 S State St A, Ann Arbor, MI 48104, (734)-665-2400
