Denny Hamlin
#11 FedEx at Walgreens Toyota
Joe Gibbs Racing
Race Info:
Race: First Data 500
Date/Time: October 29/3PM ET
Distance: 500 Laps/263 Miles
Track Length: .526-mile
Track Shape: Oval
Banking: 12 degrees
2016 Winner: Jimmie Johnson
Express Notes:
Kansas Recap: Denny Hamlin finished fifth in the #11 FedEx Express Toyota in Sunday’s race at Kansas Speedway, securing a spot for the FedEx team in the NASCAR Playoffs Round of 8. Hamlin started fourth, quickly racking up eight bonus championship points for a third-place finish in Stage 1. In Stage 2, the FedEx crew gambled with pit strategy at the end of the segment, and Hamlin stayed out on track to lead the field for a one-lap shootout to the Stage end. The risk was worth the reward, and Hamlin scored his third Stage win of the season, collecting 10 championship point and 1 Playoff point in the process. In the race’s final Stage, Hamlin methodically worked his way through the carnage of a multi-car wreck to position himself in the top 10 with less than 40 laps remaining. He made his way to third with 25 laps to go, but a hard-charging Ryan Blaney and Chase Elliott passed him in the closing laps, dropping him to fifth as the checkered flag flew. Hamlin’s fifth-place finish marked his 14th top-five of the season, and he now sits sixth in the 2017 NASCAR Playoff standings, only three points behind Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick (tied).
OnSite On Track – FedEx at Walgreens: Denny Hamlin will drive a special #11 FedEx at Walgreens Toyota this Sunday at Martinsville Speedway. The new look celebrates FedEx and Walgreens joining together to provide the FedEx OnSite solution that will allow customers to drop off and pick up packages at nearly every Walgreens location by the end of October. More information on the FedEx OnSite initiative can be found at fedex.com/onsite.
Martinsville Preview: The third Round of the 2017 NASCAR Playoffs – the Round of 8 – begins this Sunday at Martinsville Speedway with 500 laps around Virginia half-mile. Denny has visited Victory Lane five times in 23 starts at the ‘Paperclip’, leading 1,387 laps along the way. He’s also finished within the top-three in his last five visits to the flat track, including a third-place finish at Martinsville during last year’s Playoffs run.
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 5 laps during Sunday’s race at Talladega, adding $555 to the total donation amount to Safe Kids. To date, Denny has led 445 laps and captured two Cup Series wins, and FedEx has donated $71,395 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.
Hamlin Statistics:
Track: Martinsville Speedway
Races: 23
Wins: 5
Top-5: 12
Top-10: 17
Poles: 3
Average Start: 9.7
Average Finish: 10.1
Laps Led: 1,387
Hamlin Conversation – Martinsville:
You’ve got a new look for the #11 FedEx Toyota this weekend. Tell us about it.
“This paint scheme is definitely one of my favorites, and I’m excited to see what FedEx and Walgreens are doing with FedEx OnSite. It’s (FedEx OnSite) all about making things easier for FedEx customers, so now you’ll have the option to drop off and pick up packages at your local Walgreens. Martinsville is one of my favorite race tracks, too, so I’m hopeful we can put the #11 FedEx at Walgreens Toyota in Victory Lane on Sunday.”
#11 FedEx Racing – 2017 Crew Roster
Crew Chief – Mike “Wheels” Wheeler
Car Chief – Leo Thorsen
Engineers –Sam McAulay, Ryan Bowers
Shock Specialist – Drew Bible
Tire Specialist – Kerry Ferris
Mechanics – Tony Hamm, Scott Eldridge, Sean Kerlin
Spotter – Chris Lambert
Front Tire Changer: Dustin Necaise
Front Tire Carrier: Brandon Pegram
Rear Tire Changer: Mike Hicks
Rear Tire Carrier: Ben Fischbeck
Jack Man: Nate Bolling
Gas Man: Caleb Hurd
Transportation – Frank Hodel, Josh Collins
