Denny Hamlin
#11 FedEx Ground Toyota
Joe Gibbs Racing
Race Info:
Race: South Point 400
Date/Time: September 15/7:00 p.m. ET
Distance: 267 laps/400.5 miles
Track Length: 1.5 miles
Track Shape: Tri-Oval
Banking: 20 degrees
2018 Winner: Brad Keselowski
Express Notes:
Indianapolis Recap: Denny Hamlin drove a back-up car from the rear of the field to a sixth-place finish in NASCAR’s regular-season finale Sunday at Indianapolis (Ind.) Motor Speedway. A Saturday practice crash forced the team to qualify a back-up car, which lined up 33rd for Sunday’s Brickyard 400. Hamlin then had to drop to the rear during the pace laps, per NASCAR rules. Despite a tight-handling condition in his FedEx Express Toyota, and some damage from multiple on-track and pit-road contact incidents, Hamlin was able to make up a lot of ground from the rear of the field. He climbed into the top 10 by the end of Stage 1 and was 15th at the end of Stage 2. The car was the tightest it had been all day in Stage 3, preventing him from making a charge all the way to the front, but he maintained a spot in the top 10 until the checkered flag to cross the line in sixth. Hamlin finished the regular season fourth in championship points and second in the Playoff ranks.
Las Vegas (South Point 400) Preview: The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs kick off Sunday, Sept. 15, at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway. With four wins in the 2019 regular season, Hamlin and team will look for a strong start to Playoff racing.
Hamlin Las Vegas Statistics:
Track: Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Races: 15
Wins: 0
Poles: 0
Top-5: 2
Top-10: 7
Laps Led: 15
Avg. Start: 17.0
Avg. Finish 13.7
Hamlin Conversation:
What does your team’s performance at Indianapolis tell you about what your team is capable of?
“Passing isn’t very easy at Indy. We did make a lot of progress from the back, but not enough to get all the way to the front. I’m proud of this FedEx team for all we’ve accomplished so far this season, and we’re excited to get the Playoffs started and keep working our way towards a championship.”
Do you feel any different this year heading into the playoffs, or think you have a better chance of winning your first championship?
“I’m really proud of what my team has shown this year, but now our focus is all on Playoff racing and aiming to win that championship. We have come a long way, but there are still areas of improvement that we are working hard to correct to put us in the best position to win in the playoffs.”
FedEx Ground Gulf Coast District Along for the Ride at Las Vegas Motor Speedway: The FedEx Ground Gulf Coast district will be recognized for outstanding service and quality with its district code GCST on the B-post of the #11 FedEx Ground Toyota this weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
