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[/media-credit]RACE INFO:
Event: Coca-Cola 600 Date/Time: May 27/6 p.m. ET 2011 winner: Kevin Harvick
2011 polesitter: Brad Keselowski
Distance: 400 laps/600 miles Track Length: 1.5 miles Banking: 24 degrees
Track Shape: Quad-Oval
EXPRESS NOTES: All-Star Recap: Denny Hamlin finished 20th in Saturday night’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway after the handling of the #11 FedEx Office Toyota went away for the final 10-lap segment in the event won by Jimmie Johnson. Hamlin started third in the 90-lap exhibition, comprised of four 20-lap segments followed by a 10-lap dash to the checkered flag. The 31-year-old Virginia native, making his sixth All-Star start, led 16 laps on Saturday night, but an ill-handling machine late in the race dropped him in the running order. Johnson won his third All-Star Race, and was followed to the finish line by Brad Keselowski, Matt Kenseth, Kyle Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr. On Thursday, the FedEx Racing team finished second in the Sprint All-Star Pit Crew Challenge in Charlotte. The two-time defending #11 over-the-wall crew made it to the final round for the third-straight year, but were edged out in the championship round by the #48 team.
Charlotte Preview: The Series returns to Charlotte Motor Speedway for Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600, the season’s longest race. Hamlin is making his 14th-career points race start at Charlotte on Sunday, and seventh start in the Coke 600. He owns six top-10 finishes in 13 starts at the 1.5-mile oval, including three-straight dating back to the fall 2010 Charlotte event — a fourth-place result during his runner-up Chase campaign. The #11 FedEx team finished 10th and ninth at Charlotte one season ago, respectively. In last year’s Coke 600, Hamlin nearly took the checkered flag first after starting third for the final ‘green-white-checkered’ restart, but ran out of fuel at the end of the back straightaway and had to coast to the finish line in the event won by Kevin Harvick. Hamlin finished eighth in his first-career race at Charlotte in the fall 2005 event, and has led a total of 110 laps at the track.
Race Series Date Start Finish Laps Led Bank of America 500 Sprint Cup Oct. 15, 2011 15 9 334/334 Coca-Cola 600 Sprint Cup May 29, 2011 4 10 402/402 24 Bank of America 500 Sprint Cup Oct. 16, 2010 24 4 334/334 1 Coca-Cola 600 Sprint Cup May 30, 2010 7 18 400/400 3 NASCAR Banking 500 Sprint Cup Oct. 17, 2009 17 42 192/334 54 Coca-Cola 600 Sprint Cup May. 25, 2009 13 11 227/227 Bank of America 500 Sprint Cup Oct. 11, 2008 12 16 334/334 Coca-Cola 600 Sprint Cup May 25, 2008 16 24 399/400 1 Bank of America 500 Nextel Cup Oct. 13, 2007 11 20 337/337 Coca-Cola 600 Nextel Cup May 27, 2007 6 9 400/400 1 Bank of America 500 Nextel Cup Oct. 14, 2006 22 28 265/334 Coca-Cola 600 Nextel Cup May 28, 2006 8 9 400/400 25 UAW-GM Quality 500 Nextel Cup Oct. 15, 2005 39 8 336/336 1 Averages/Totals 15.0 16.0 95.4% 110
FedEx Office – Closest to Charlotte Motor Speedway: 7741 Gateway Lane NW, Ste 110, Concord, NC 28027, (704) 979-1971
Carolina District Along for the Ride at Charlotte: The FedEx Ground Carolina district will be recognized for its safety performance with its district code “CARO” on the b-post of the #11 FedEx Ground Toyota this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
2012 FedEx Racing Press Kit – Available for Download: Please visit www.fedexracing.com/presskit for the 2012 FedEx Racing press materials, including bios for Denny Hamlin, Darian Grubb and Joe Gibbs Racing leadership, program highlights, program statistics and 2012 crew roster.
HAMLIN CONVERSATION — Charlotte Motor Speedway Is your approach to the Coke 600 different than a regular race weekend? I don’t notice it being that much different, but just it gives everyone more time to work on their car and get it better. The last 100 miles physically you’re splitting hairs — the difference between 400 to 500 and then 500 to 600. For us, it’s more patience than anything. I don’t think it’s a whole lot more physically demanding. Of course attrition is always a part of it, whether it be engine or car or driver or things like that. I don’t think there’s any more difficulty, it’s just tough to keep your focus and keep you patience for a 600-mile race.
