Denny Hamlin
#11 FedEx Freight Toyota
Joe Gibbs Racing
Race Info:
Race: Bass Pro Shops Night Race
Date/Time: Saturday, Sept. 19/7:30 p.m. ET
Distance: 500 laps/266.5 miles
Track Length: .533 mile
Track Shape: Oval
2019 Winner: Denny Hamlin
Express Notes:
Press Kit: Download the 2020 FedEx Racing press materials at www.fedexracing.com/presskit, including bios for Denny Hamlin, Chris Gabehart and Joe Gibbs Racing leadership, program highlights and statistics.
Richmond Recap: Denny Hamlin secured his advancement to the next round of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs with a 12th-place finish at Richmond Raceway Saturday night. After leading 45 laps and winning Stage 1, he never fully recovered from a Stage 2 speeding penalty, but still earned enough points to punch his ticket to the Round of 12. Hamlin showed speed early in the race after rolling off seventh in the FedEx Cares Toyota, grabbing the lead by Lap 39. After claiming the green-and-white checkered flag for the first stage win, he was nabbed for speeding on pit road, sending him to the rear of the field for the Stage 2 start. Dealing with a difficult-handling car for the rest of the race, Hamlin was unable to claw his way back to the front and crossed the finish line in 12th.
Bristol Preview: The Playoffs head to Bristol Motor Speedway for the final race of the Round of 16 this Saturday night. Even with Hamlin securing his position in the Round of 12, he and the FedEx #11 team will look to capture some momentum with a win at the “World’s Fastest Half-Mile” throughout the 500 laps of action. Hamlin has two wins, nine top-five finishes and 14 top-10 finishes in his career at Bristol, and he is the returning winner of the annual Bristol Night Race.
Hamlin Statistics:
Track: Bristol Motor Speedway
Races: 29
Wins: 2
Poles: 4
Top-5: 9
Top-10: 14
Laps Led: 828
Avg. Start: 13.4
Avg. Finish: 14.5
Hamlin Conversation – Bristol:
How is your team making adjustments for Bristol this weekend?
“We need to make sure we don’t make any mistakes on pit road or elsewhere. We had some pit road issues the last two races, and both kept us from contending even though we had a fast car. Our team will work this week to get the best and fastest car out on the track and will hope to end up in Victory Lane.”
As the returning Bristol Night Race winner, do you take extra confidence into this race?
“You always have confidence returning to a place where you’ve had success, and Bristol is no different. We can definitely win there again.”
