Denny Hamlin
#11 “Thank you FedEx team members” Toyota
Joe Gibbs Racing
Virtual Race Info:
Race: Toyota Owners Pro Invitational
Date/Time: Sunday, April 19/1 p.m. ET
Race Distance: 150 Laps
Track Length: 0.75 miles
Track Shape: Oval
Banking: 14 degrees
Express Notes:
eNASCAR Bristol Recap: Denny Hamlin clawed his way from the back of the pack to a fourth-place finish in the April 5 eNASCAR Pro Invitational Series event at virtual Bristol Motor Speedway, earning a top-five in the “Thank you FedEx team members” Toyota. The event was the third in the iRacing video simulation series and the first featuring heat races before the main event. Hamlin spun and incurred damage during his 50-lap heat race, relegating him to the back of the starting grid. Rolling off 26th for the 150-lap main event, he raced with the damage for much of the day, gradually making his way toward the front. Once he reached the top 10, Hamlin used a fast repair – one of two “resets” allowed – to fix his FedEx Camry and give him a chance to race the leaders. He gained six more positions in the remaining laps but never caught up with the dominant car of William Byron, who led most of the day and won the race.
eNASCAR Richmond Preview: After a top-five finish at virtual Bristol, Hamlin will climb back into his iRacing rig on Sunday at his simulated hometown track of Richmond Raceway. Hamlin will look to add another win to his Pro Invitational Series run, in which he has one win and two top-five finishes through three races.
Hamlin and FedEx Provide Food Bank Donation: Ahead of this weekend’s eNASCAR event in Richmond, Hamlin and FedEx will donate more than 60,000 meals to the Chesterfield, Va., Food Bank. The Chesterfield Food Bank has seen an increase in demand since the start of the COVID-19 crisis, and the donation to the community in Hamlin’s hometown will provide much needed support. The 60,000 meals donated will provide food to more than 4,400 Chesterfield families for a week.
FedEx “Thank You” Paint Scheme: For Sunday’s eNASCAR event at virtual Richmond, the #11 car will pay tribute to the 475,000 FedEx team members who are working to deliver shipments around the world safely and securely during the COVID-19 pandemic. A special “Thank You” FedEx paint scheme will recognize all the FedEx team members who are working hard to deliver critical medical supplies and equipment to the healthcare community as well as basic goods to people at home.
Hamlin Conversation – Virtual Richmond:
What led you to making the donation to the Richmond Food Bank?
“Chesterfield will always be my home, so during these unprecedented and difficult times, we wanted to provide assistance to people in the community. I am grateful to FedEx for supporting a community that is so close to my heart. The people of Chesterfield are in my thoughts, and I know we will come through this stronger than before.”
You’ve been to Victory Lane at the real Richmond Raceway. Do you think you can do it virtually?
“Obviously, iRacing isn’t exactly the same as being behind the wheel of our real FedEx Camry, but it’s about as close as you can get using simulations. We’ve got one win already in this iRacing series, so I definitely think we can do it again.”
