Denny Hamlin
11 FedEx Freight Toyota
Joe Gibbs Racing
Race Info:
Race: Coca-Cola 600
Date/Time: Sunday, May 30/6:00 p.m. ET
Distance: 400 laps/600 miles
Track Length: 1.5 miles
Track Shape: Quad-oval
2020 Winner: Brad Keselowski
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.
COTA Recap: Sunday’s event at the Circuit of the Americas road course was soaked with rain for most of the afternoon, creating treacherous conditions and poor visibility, resulting in multiple serious wrecks. Hamlin and the #11 FedEx Ground Toyota avoided any damage-causing incidents but did go off course once after a spin in Stage 1. With teams on various pit strategies balancing fuel mileage and worsening weather, Stage 3 saw numerous lead changes. Hamlin was running fifth when he hit pit road on Lap 49 for his final green-flag fuel stop. He rejoined the field in 19th and gained five positions before NASCAR called the cars to pit road and finalized the race on Lap 54, giving Chase Elliott the win and Hamlin a 14th-place result.
Charlotte Preview: The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Charlotte Motor Speedway as Hamlin and team gear up for 600 miles of racing, the longest race this season. The FedEx Racing team will honor SSgt T.J. Dudley during NASCAR’s “600 Miles of Remembrance” this Memorial Day weekend. Dudley was a United States Marine Corps V-22 Osprey crew chief when he was killed in action on July 7, 2011, in Afghanistan. In his 11 years in the Marines, Dudley was honored with the Air Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, Outstanding Service Medal, Campaign Medals for Iraq and Afghanistan, Humanitarian Service Medal, Navy Achievement Medal and the Purple Heart. Members of his family will attend the Coca-Cola 600, where Hamlin’s name on the FedEx Toyota’s windshield will be replaced with “SSgt. Dudley.”
Hamlin Statistics:
Track: Charlotte Motor Speedway
Races: 29
Wins: 0
Top-5: 10
Top-10: 18
Laps Led: 377
Avg. Start: 11.6
Avg. Finish: 12.5
Hamlin Conversation – Charlotte:
Charlotte is one of a few tracks where you’ve yet to win in your career. How bad do you want to capture that elusive first win?
“It’s probably the No. 1 race on my list of races to win. I’ve been a Coke driver for 16 years, so it would be big to win the Coca-Cola 600. It’s just an elite event that you want on your resume. I’ve finished everywhere in the top five but, for various reasons, have never been able to get the win.”
What does it mean to have SSgt. T.J. Dudley’s name on your windshield this race?
“It’s an absolute honor to have Sgt. Dudley’s name on our FedEx Toyota for the Memorial Day race weekend. Reading about his years of service, the medals he earned and all the sacrifices he made for our country, we can truly call him a hero. We’ll work hard to get our car out front Sunday night so all eyes will be on his name.”
FedEx Freight Along for the Ride at Charlotte: For the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, FedEx Freight recognizes the company’s Baltimore, Md., service center by featuring the call letters BMM on the #11 FedEx Freight race car. The Baltimore service center, opened in 1995, has approximately 200 team members who are committed to making every FedEx experience outstanding.
FedEx Office – Closest to Charlotte Motor Speedway: 7741 Gateway Lane NW, Suite 110, Concord, NC, (704) 979-1971
