Las Vegas Post Race Report
Hamlin Drives through the Field for Impressive Seventh-Place Showing in Las Vegas
Denny Hamlin started shotgun on the field Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway after a pre-race engine change in the #11 FedEx Ground Toyota, but sliced through traffic during the 267-lap event to finish seventh to race-winner Carl Edwards and climb six spots in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point standings heading into the season's first off-weekend.
"Our finish is commendable because passing was so tough today," said Hamlin. "I think it just has a lot to do with the speeds that we're running and as hard as the tires are. We're just so dependent on the air. But, it was good to go up through the field and get a good result."
Crew chief Mike Ford and the FedEx team noticed a potential problem in the motor following final practice a day earlier, and elected to switch engines as a precautionary measure. As a result, the team relinquished its 17th-place qualifying position and had to start at the rear of the 43-car field.
Hamlin moved up quickly in the early going, picking off spots to move into the top-30 less than 20 laps into the race. A few early cautions allowed the #11 pit crew to adjust on the tight race car, and the fast work on pit road yielded more track position, as Hamlin moved into the top-15.
The final caution flew as the race approached the 200-lap mark, giving teams one last opportunity to make their cars right, and the #11 team hit its target.
Hamlin restarted in the top-10 and passed a few more cars in the stretch run, needing only one more pit stop for a splash of fuel and right-side tires under green with less than 20 laps to go to record his best finish of the 2011 season.
Edwards recorded his second career Las Vegas victory, while Tony Stewart, Juan Pablo Montoya, Marcos Ambrose and Ryan Newman rounded out the top-five. Martin Truex Jr. finished sixth.
The #11 team jumped from 14th to eighth in the Cup standings following Las Vegas, 18 points behind leader Stewart.
NASCAR will enjoy its first off-weekend of the season before returning to the track at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, March 20.
