All Star Post Race Report
FedEx Team Finishes Seventh in All-Star Race at Charlotte
Denny Hamlin and the FedEx Racing team finished seventh in Saturday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, won by Carl Edwards.
Hamlin started 15th in the #11 FedEx Express Toyota, and moved up two spots to 13th by the end of the opening 50-lap segment. Fighting a tight race car in the early going, Hamlin and crew chief Mike Ford discussed ways to improve the handling.
Steadily working towards the front in the second and third segments (both 20 laps), Hamlin found himself in position to challenge for the win after ending the third segment in fifth place.
A mandatory four-tire pit stop prior to the final 10-lap dash to the checkered flag put the #11 Toyota in sixth for the start of the final segment. A slower car in front of Hamlin stopped his momentum on that final restart, and he fell to seventh by the end of the non-points event.
"We were just too tight in traffic," said Hamlin, following the race. "Once we got closer to the front, the car seemed to work a little bit better, but starting 15th, we were never able to get the track position we needed. Those first few cars were fast tonight."
Saturday marked Hamlin's fifth All-Star Race appearance and third top-10 finish.
The Sprint Cup Series returns to Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 29, for the Coca-Cola 600.
