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Pocono: Denny Hamlin NASCAR Sprint Cup Race Preview
Hamlin, FedEx Down in Dover: For the second consecutive year, trouble at Dover quickly turned an otherwise promising day into a day to forget for Denny Hamlin and the #11 FedEx Racing team. A very quick stop on lap 165 had Hamlin running a strong second before a cut right tire sent Hamlin hard into the turn three wall and into the garage.
After inspection it was determined the damage was too severe to fix and the car was loaded onto the truck. It’s the first DNF for Hamlin since he suffered a similar right-front tire failure while leading at Talladega in Oct. of 2008. The 35th-place finish drops Hamlin to seventh in the Sprint Cup standings heading to Pocono this weekend.
Hamlin at Pocono: This week will mark Hamlin’s seventh start at Pocono, 129th career Cup start, and a return to the site of Hamlin’s first Cup win three years ago. Hamlin's record at the three-turned Pocono Raceway speaks for itself, having won both 2006 races at the track from the pole as a rookie and doing so in dominating fashion. His most recent outing at Pocono, a 23rd-place finish in August of 2008, marks his lowest career finish and an anomaly when compared to Hamlin’s prior average finish of 2.8. In June of 2008, the #11 team posted a third-place result at Pocono, marking a second consecutive third-place finish and the fifth time Hamlin has finished in the top-ten through six total starts. Hamlin’s first Pocono experience was marked by a memorable recovery from a lap-50 cut tire that forced Hamlin to spin the car on purpose before entering the tunnel turn. Facing substantial damage, the #11 FedEx crew took advantage of the long caution laps to make major repairs on pit road before sending Hamlin to work his way from 40th place all the way to the front to take the checkered flag. 2007 offered some drama also as a rain shortened June race forced the teams to gamble and guess on fuel and, though he might have had the best car, Hamlin wasn't able to race for the lead and finished sixth. In the July 2007 edition Hamlin suffered through some early brake trouble but still managed a very good third-place finish.
Pocono Chassis – FedEx Ground Toyota/JGR 232 & 225: The #11 team will unload chassis #232 this weekend at Pocono for a first-ever Cup start. 225 will serve as the backup this weekend and has two starts – 16th-place at Lowe’s Motor Speedway and 17th-place at Texas Motor Speedway in the fall of 2008.
FedEx Express Fact: The trip from Dover (26th ) to Pocono (6th ) is also a trip between tracks with one of Hamlin’s lowest finishing averages to the track with his highest average-finishing position.
FedEx Home Delivery – West Coast Region "Along for the Ride" at Pocono: FedEx Home Delivery – West Coast Region will ride along with Denny for the second time this season when the car takes to the track at Pocono Raceway this weekend. The #11 FedEx Ground Toyota will feature "QWST" on the wing caps to recognize the team for leading all FedEx Home Delivery regions in customer service scores.
HAMLIN CONVERSATION – Pocono:
A frustrating run at Dover behind you, does Pocono offer you a chance to get back on track?: "I really hope that’s the case. I keep thinking our luck just has to change, but then something like a cut tire at Dover happens and I am not so sure. We had a really good car and good race going at Dover – it always seems to work out that things go bad when we seem to be running well and near the front. Pocono has been a very good track for us since I started in the #11 car. To get the two wins in my rookie season was an incredible start and this track will always mean something special to me and this team because of that. At the time, because the car was so good and I felt really comfortable here, I probably took those wins for granted a little. I was still new and didn’t have a good sense of how hard it is to win in the Cup series so as more and more time passes, just how cool it was to win both those races, and do it from the pole both times, has really sunk in. We’ve been good ever since and could really have added another win or two here since then, but we’ve yet to win here again. I know we have a good package here and there is no shortage of motivation on this FedEx team so we’ll see if we can’t turn our luck around and break through this weekend. We’re all working hard – there’s no let up so hopefully we have a good weekend at Pocono and get some momentum on our side."
Hamlin on the Prelude: "It’s an event that I really look forward to every year now. Tony (Stewart) has made this event more and more enjoyable for the drivers and fans alike over the years and I think that’s why you see such a good reaction from the crowd, and certainly the great level of participation from the drivers. It’s fun to come out here and race, to work with the teams and meet the fans. To know it’s all going to charity makes me really proud to be involved and to support the event. There is definitely a sense of camaraderie with the other drivers here. It’s a different atmosphere than we have at the race track on a Cup weekend and we take that opportunity to enjoy being out here – then we’ll all get back to the serious work on Friday in Pocono."
After inspection it was determined the damage was too severe to fix and the car was loaded onto the truck. It’s the first DNF for Hamlin since he suffered a similar right-front tire failure while leading at Talladega in Oct. of 2008. The 35th-place finish drops Hamlin to seventh in the Sprint Cup standings heading to Pocono this weekend.
Hamlin at Pocono: This week will mark Hamlin’s seventh start at Pocono, 129th career Cup start, and a return to the site of Hamlin’s first Cup win three years ago. Hamlin's record at the three-turned Pocono Raceway speaks for itself, having won both 2006 races at the track from the pole as a rookie and doing so in dominating fashion. His most recent outing at Pocono, a 23rd-place finish in August of 2008, marks his lowest career finish and an anomaly when compared to Hamlin’s prior average finish of 2.8. In June of 2008, the #11 team posted a third-place result at Pocono, marking a second consecutive third-place finish and the fifth time Hamlin has finished in the top-ten through six total starts. Hamlin’s first Pocono experience was marked by a memorable recovery from a lap-50 cut tire that forced Hamlin to spin the car on purpose before entering the tunnel turn. Facing substantial damage, the #11 FedEx crew took advantage of the long caution laps to make major repairs on pit road before sending Hamlin to work his way from 40th place all the way to the front to take the checkered flag. 2007 offered some drama also as a rain shortened June race forced the teams to gamble and guess on fuel and, though he might have had the best car, Hamlin wasn't able to race for the lead and finished sixth. In the July 2007 edition Hamlin suffered through some early brake trouble but still managed a very good third-place finish.
Pocono Chassis – FedEx Ground Toyota/JGR 232 & 225: The #11 team will unload chassis #232 this weekend at Pocono for a first-ever Cup start. 225 will serve as the backup this weekend and has two starts – 16th-place at Lowe’s Motor Speedway and 17th-place at Texas Motor Speedway in the fall of 2008.
FedEx Express Fact: The trip from Dover (26th ) to Pocono (6th ) is also a trip between tracks with one of Hamlin’s lowest finishing averages to the track with his highest average-finishing position.
FedEx Home Delivery – West Coast Region "Along for the Ride" at Pocono: FedEx Home Delivery – West Coast Region will ride along with Denny for the second time this season when the car takes to the track at Pocono Raceway this weekend. The #11 FedEx Ground Toyota will feature "QWST" on the wing caps to recognize the team for leading all FedEx Home Delivery regions in customer service scores.
HAMLIN CONVERSATION – Pocono:
A frustrating run at Dover behind you, does Pocono offer you a chance to get back on track?: "I really hope that’s the case. I keep thinking our luck just has to change, but then something like a cut tire at Dover happens and I am not so sure. We had a really good car and good race going at Dover – it always seems to work out that things go bad when we seem to be running well and near the front. Pocono has been a very good track for us since I started in the #11 car. To get the two wins in my rookie season was an incredible start and this track will always mean something special to me and this team because of that. At the time, because the car was so good and I felt really comfortable here, I probably took those wins for granted a little. I was still new and didn’t have a good sense of how hard it is to win in the Cup series so as more and more time passes, just how cool it was to win both those races, and do it from the pole both times, has really sunk in. We’ve been good ever since and could really have added another win or two here since then, but we’ve yet to win here again. I know we have a good package here and there is no shortage of motivation on this FedEx team so we’ll see if we can’t turn our luck around and break through this weekend. We’re all working hard – there’s no let up so hopefully we have a good weekend at Pocono and get some momentum on our side."
Hamlin on the Prelude: "It’s an event that I really look forward to every year now. Tony (Stewart) has made this event more and more enjoyable for the drivers and fans alike over the years and I think that’s why you see such a good reaction from the crowd, and certainly the great level of participation from the drivers. It’s fun to come out here and race, to work with the teams and meet the fans. To know it’s all going to charity makes me really proud to be involved and to support the event. There is definitely a sense of camaraderie with the other drivers here. It’s a different atmosphere than we have at the race track on a Cup weekend and we take that opportunity to enjoy being out here – then we’ll all get back to the serious work on Friday in Pocono."
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