Denny Hamlin
#11 FedEx Office Toyota
Joe Gibbs Racing
Race Info:
Race: Federated Auto Parts 400
Date/Time: September 21/7:30 p.m. ET
Distance: 400 laps/300 miles
Track Length: .75 miles
Track Shape: Oval
Banking: 14 degrees
2018 Winner: Kyle Busch
Express Notes:
Las Vegas Recap: A top-10 finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway slipped from Denny Hamlin’s grasp in the last stage of the race Sunday night, as a change in the FedEx Toyota’s handling led to the No. 11 team finishing 15th. Hamlin started 13th but got the FedEx Ground Camry running in the top 10 by Lap 25. Despite his car not handling as well as he wanted, he was able to keep it in the top 10 for the first two stages. He even took the lead for a Lap 185 restart during Stage 3 after rolling the dice on a two-tire pit stop. The car’s handling took a turn for the worse from there, sending Hamlin on a backward slide that saw him as low as 25th on the leaderboard. He climbed back in the final 40 laps to cross the finish line in 15th.
Richmond (Federated Auto Parts 400) Preview: The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs heads next to Hamlin’s hometown track of Richmond Raceway for a Saturday night race on Sept. 21. With three career wins at Richmond, Hamlin and team will be seeking another strong performance in front of his hometown fans to earn a playoff victory, as they continue chasing Hamlin’s first championship.
Hamlin Richmond Statistics:
Track: Richmond Raceway
Races: 26
Wins: 3 (2009, 2010, 2016)
Poles: 3 (2006, 2008, 2016)
Top-5: 12
Top-10: 16
Laps Led: 1,659
Avg. Start: 10.2
Avg. Finish 9.4
Hamlin Conversation:
How does your team bounce back from a disappointing finish at Las Vegas?
“We had a pretty decent FedEx Camry for the early part of the race, and then something happened with the handling where we went dead backwards. We’ll take it back to the shop and figure it out, and we won’t let it affect us. There’s still a long way to go in the playoffs and our team looks forward to getting back to work at Richmond.”
Does competing at your hometown track of Richmond make you a little more nervous, or excited?
“I always love competing at my hometown track. I really appreciate the hometown support, and our team is working hard preparing to put us in the best position to get a W.”
FedEx Virginia Beach Team Along for the Ride at Richmond Raceway: The FedEx Office Virginia Beach team will be recognized for their achievement of top Customer Experience Index score in Q1, and will have the letters D130 on the B-post of the #11 FedEx Office Toyota this weekend at Richmond Raceway. This score encompasses direct customer feedback from We Listen surveys and represents a holistic measure of customer loyalty and store experience.
