Denny Hamlin
11 FedEx Freight Toyota
Joe Gibbs Racing
Race Info:
Race: Buschy McBusch Race 400
Date/Time: Sunday, May 2/3 p.m. ET
Distance: 267 laps/400 miles
Track Length: 1.5 miles
Track Shape: Tri-oval
Banking: Turns: 17-20°; Straights: 5-11°
2020 Winner: Denny Hamlin
Express Notes:
Press Kit: Download the 2021 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.
Talladega Recap: Speeding penalties and crash damage put an end to Denny Hamlin’s streak of six top-five finishes Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway. Hamlin lined up on the pole for the 500-mile event but dropped to the rear for the race start due to unapproved adjustments. He found his way back up to the front by Lap 28 in Stage 1, where he stayed for 21 laps. He then led 23 laps in Stage 2 before being dealt a pass-through penalty for speeding onto pit road – and then penalized again for speeding on his pass-through. The penalties left the FedEx Ground Toyota one lap down and in 36th, but plenty of laps remained to make up the lost ground. But on Lap 118, contact from behind forced Hamlin into the wall, causing damage that required lengthy repairs on pit road. The team was never able to recover and finished the race 32nd.
Kansas Preview: The NASCAR Cup Series will head next to Kansas Speedway, where Hamlin has three career victories, eight top-five and nine top-ten finishes. Hamlin and team seek their first win of the 2021 season as they look to build on their lead in the Cup Series standings. The #11 Toyota will again honor the memories of the FedEx Ground Indianapolis shooting victims with black-ribbon and #fedexstrong decals and will promote a fundraising site for those affected by this tragedy: gofundme.com/FedExSurvivors.
Hamlin Statistics:
Track: Kansas Speedway
Races: 25
Wins: 3
Poles: 0
Top-5: 8
Top-10: 9
Laps Led: 342
Avg. Start: 12.2
Avg. Finish: 14.5
Hamlin Conversation – Kansas:
What is your FedEx Racing team’s focus as you get ready for Kansas after the way Talladega turned out?
“Talladega is behind us already. We’re going back to a mile-and-a-half, where we have a little more control over our own destiny than at a superspeedway. We’ll be ready to get things back on track and perform the way we have been all year.”
You won here at Kansas last year. What can you and your team do to replicate that again in 2021?
“We have to just keep doing what we’ve done all season. The wins haven’t happened yet, but we’ve run good races and will continue to do that. Even without a win, I still like where we’re at.”
FedEx Freight Along for the Ride at Kansas Speedway: For the race at Kansas Speedway, FedEx Freight recognizes the company’s Omaha, Iowa, service center by featuring the call letters OMA on the #11 FedEx Freight race car. The Omaha service center, opened in 2000, has approximately 100 team members who are committed to making every FedEx experience outstanding.
