Denny Hamlin
#11 FedEx Express Toyota
Joe Gibbs Racing
Race Info:
Race: Coke Zero 400
Date/Time: July 1/7:30 PM ET
Distance: 160 Laps/400 Miles
Track Length: 2.5 miles
Track Shape: Tri-Oval
Banking: 31 degrees
2016 Winner: Kurt Busch
Express Notes:
Sonoma Recap: Denny Hamlin finished fourth in Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Sonoma Raceway, charging his way through the field in the #11 FedEx Ground Toyota on two separate occasions to ultimately capture his second career-best finish at the 1.99-mile California road course. Following a fourth-place finish during Stage 2 of Sunday’s 110-lap race, the #11 team elected not to pit during the Stage break, so Hamlin led the field to green to begin the event’s final 60-lap segment. Shortly after on lap 70, the #11 FedEx crew decided to cycle through for their green-flag pit stop, and Hamlin returned to the field in 11th, quick to resume his charge to the front of the field. He picked off one competitor at a time as the laps ticked without a single caution, making his way to second with only 17 laps remaining. Hamlin fought to hold onto his second-place position and narrow the gap between him and the ultimate race leader Kevin Harvick, but he lost a couple of positions to competitors on fresher tires in the closing laps. Hamlin started Sunday’s 218.9-mile race from the 14th position, navigating swiftly through the field – and narrowly missing multiple wrecks – to finish fifth at the end of Stage 1. His performance during Stage 2 produced similar success to earn himself a total of 13 extra Championship points during the race’s first two Stages.
Daytona Preview: The Series returns to Daytona International Speedway for Saturday’s 160-lap Coke Zero 400. In 23 starts at the 2.5-mile track, Hamlin has earned himself the prestigious title of 2016 Daytona 500 Champion, as well as six top-five and seven top-10 finishes. During his most recent visit to the “World Center of Racing” earlier this season, Hamlin finished 17th after suffering significant right-side damage in a mid-race, multi-car incident.
Daytona Sweep: If Hamlin wins this Saturday’s Coke Zero 400, he will become only the 10th driver to capture a win in every key NASCAR Cup Series event at Daytona (Daytona 500, Can-Am Duel, Advanced Auto Parts Clash and Coke Zero 400) and the 20th driver to win both the Daytona 500 and Coke Zero 400.
Delivering Laps for FedEx Cares: This season, FedEx is tying the performance of the #11 FedEx Toyota on the track to its efforts to improve road safety through a new program, Delivering Laps for FedEx Cares, by donating $111 for each lap Hamlin leads and $11,000 for each race victory to Safe Kids Worldwide, a nonprofit working to protect kids on the road, at home and at play. FedEx will also contribute $111,000 to Safe Kids if the #11 team wins the 2017 NASCAR championship.
Hamlin led 11 laps during Sunday’s race at Sonoma, adding $1,221 to the total donation amount to Safe Kids. To date, FedEx has donated $17,982 to Safe Kids through the Delivering Laps for FedEx Cares program. Fans can track the total amount donated to date from the Delivering Laps for FedEx Cares program on the homepage of FedExRacing.com.
Press Kit: Download the 2017 FedEx Racing press materials at www.fedexracing.com/presskit, including bios for Denny Hamlin, Mike Wheeler and Joe Gibbs Racing leadership, program highlights, statistics and 2017 crew roster.
Hamlin Statistics:
Track: Daytona International Speedway
Races: 23
Wins: 1
Top-5: 6
Top-10: 7
Poles: 0
Average Start: 17.7
Average Finish: 17.1
Laps Led: 369
Hamlin Conversation – DAYTONA:
After a strong weekend in Sonoma, what are the expectations for this weekend in Daytona?
“I always look forward to Daytona because I know we always have a shot to win there. Obviously, anything can happen there (at Daytona), but our #11 FedEx team really knows how to put the complete package together for restrictor-plate races. It’d be cool to get to Daytona this weekend and score that first win our team is ready for this season.”
FedEx Express DPAA Station (Aurora, IL) Along for the Ride at Daytona: The FedEx Express DPAA Station in Aurora, IL, that services the far southwestern suburbs of the Chicago market will be recognized for their outstanding customer service and involvement in the local community by having its “DPAA” code letters on the b-post of the #11 FedEx Express Toyota this weekend at Daytona.
