Denny Hamlin
#11 FedEx Cares Toyota
Joe Gibbs Racing
Race Info:
Race: GoBowling at The Glen
Date/Time: August 4/3:00 p.m. ET
Distance: 90 laps/220.5 miles
Track Length: 2.45 miles
Track Shape: 11-Turn Road Course
2018 Winner: Chase Elliott
Express Notes:
Pocono Recap: Denny Hamlin notched his third win of the 2019 season Sunday in a nail-biting, overtime finish at Pocono Raceway. The #11 FedEx Ground Toyota was low on fuel in the closing laps but had enough juice to get Hamlin across the finish line and into Victory Lane – with two teammates behind him for a 1-2-3 Joe Gibbs Racing finish. The FedEx Ground Camry was fast all weekend, and crew chief Chris Gabehart called a race strategy that allowed the team to pick up points at each stage end and be out front when the final laps ticked down. After running in the top five for most of the race, Hamlin took over the lead at the start of the third and final stage. He led for 12 laps before coming to pit road under a caution to take right-sides tires and fuel. He later passed two teammates – Martin Truex Jr. and Erik Jones – to regain the lead with 16 scheduled laps remaining. Despite being low on fuel, he held onto the lead for the remaining regulation laps, plus three overtime laps. Jones and Truex Jr. followed Hamlin across the finish for a 1-2-3 team sweep. This victory has now placed Hamlin as fourth in the championship standings and fourth in playoff points.
Watkins Glen Paint Scheme Reveal: On Friday, July 26, Denny Hamlin unveiled a special FedEx Cares paint scheme in conjunction with FedEx announcing its FedEx Cares 50 by 50 initiative, which has the goal of positively impacting 50 million people by the company’s 50th anniversary in 2023. The new FedEx Cares paint scheme will showcase the successful and longstanding relationship between FedEx and Safe Kids Worldwide, a nonprofit organization working to help families and communities keep kids safe from injuries. Denny and Safe Kids will conduct a special event on Sunday, August 4, with kids from the Watkins Glen Kids Club to speak about the importance of pedestrian safety as kids get set to return to school in the coming weeks. Safe Kids Worldwide will also be featured as the “Along for the Ride” organization on the #11 car’s B-posts.
Watkins Glen Preview: The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series will head next to Watkins Glen International for another weekend of road course racing, with the event scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 4. With one win to his name at The Glen, Hamlin and team will be looking for another strong showing as they seek the team’s fourth win of the 2019 Cup Series season.
Hamlin Watkins Glen Statistics:
Track: Watkins Glen International
Races: 13
Wins: 1 (2016)
Poles: 1 (2018)
Top-5: 3
Top-10: 6
Laps Led: 12
Avg. Start: 13.2
Avg. Finish 17.3
Hamlin Conversation:
Your team has been displaying some great performances these past few weeks. What has been the difference maker?
“We did everything right to win the race in Pocono. We made the right calls, had good restarts when we needed them and overall had a really smooth race. I was doing everything I could to save fuel at the end, and we had a fast FedEx Toyota. We displayed that when we are connecting on all levels, we are a very competitive team.”
Are you excited about going back to road course racing at Watkins Glen?
“Road course racing is a different challenge, and our team is preparing hard to put us in the best position to win. With a strong effort at Sonoma, we are confident in our abilities and are looking forward to the challenge that awaits us at The Glen.”
