Denny Hamlin drove the #11 FedEx Express Toyota to a very smart, tactical third-place finish in Sunday’s LifeLock 400 at historic Michigan International Speedway.  Mark Martin conserved enough fuel to outrun Jimmie Johnson and Greg Biffle – both who ran out on the final lap – to win his third race of the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup season.   Jeff Gordon passed Hamlin late in the race to claim the second spot in an event that was dictated by the final 44 green-flag laps and the ability to be patient, conserve fuel, and race smart.


Hamlin was happy with the finish after suffering through consecutive frustrating weeks at Dover and Pocono.


“We were strong all day,” said Hamlin.  “We had a top-five car all day.  So, it's good to finally finish where we belong.  I'm proud of this whole FedEx Express team.  We were definitely a car that could contend for a top-two or three spot all day.  It feels good to finally come out of here with a finish we deserve."


By virtue of his third-place finish Hamlin moved from 12th to tenth in NASCAR Sprint Cup points standings heading to Sonoma next weekend.  Tony Stewart remains the points leader followed by Gordon and Johnson.  Hamlin’s Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Kyle Busch and Joey Logano finished 13th and 25th, respectively, on the afternoon and will hold the ninth and 25th spots in the points leaving Michigan.


Following the race, Hamlin looked back at the event and the scenario that played out over the closing laps.


"I hate running like that but that's what you have to do to get to the end.  I'm just proud of our whole FedEx Express team.  We worked on fuel mileage a little bit during testing at other race tracks and it paid off here at Michigan.  For the most part, it was a solid day.  We had a top-four or top-five car all day, and it paid off at the end."


"I kicked myself for not running harder because I was reeling the five (Martin) in pretty big at the end.  But, I think it was just a bait thing.  I think the 16 (Biffle) baited the 48 (Johnson) to come get him, and they ended up both running out of fuel.  We were all in the same boat there, it's just who wanted to risk winning the race versus finishing.  I think that's what happened.  I was just thinking how much I thought I saved during the course of the run.  I definitely feel like I probably could've pushed harder.  I'm really curious to see how much we have left in the tank to see next time in that situation if I could run a little bit harder."


"It's tough as a driver to go out there and not run as hard as what you want to. These races just seem to come down to fuel mileage a lot.  We worked on it a little bit with our race team and I think I worked on it as a driver and got better.  But, I let the 24 (Gordon) go and it turns out the front two (Biffle and Johnson) baited each other into running out of gas."


Hamlin’s day began from the 14th spot on the starting grid as he tackled the 2.0 mile D-shaped oval.  Almost immediately he radioed Mike Ford and the crew that the car was “loose” but Ford informed him he was running a quicker pace than most of the drivers in front of him. By the time the field hit the start/finish line for the seventh time Hamlin had worked his way into 11th and continued to forge his way to the front of the field. 


On lap 39, the entire field made their way to pit road under the green flag.  Hamlin, then scored in 11th-place, took four new Goodyear tires, fuel, made a track-bar adjustment and added tape to the nose of the FedEx Camry to tighten the car up.  A fast stop and smart driving saw Hamlin claim the sixth spot by the 50-lap mark, trailing only Johnson, Kasey Kahne, Biffle, Kyle Busch and Kurt Busch.  


The first yellow of the day flew for debris on lap 72 and Hamlin and all of the leaders pitted for the second time on lap 74.  A slow stop dropped Hamlin back to the 15th position for the restart on lap 77 – but it would not be a position he would hold for long.  Only nine laps later he charged into the top-ten once again.


At the halfway point – 100 laps in – Hamlin was running in eighth place, 13.3 seconds behind three-time NASCAR Champion Johnson.  Hamlin continued to pick his way through the field in front of him and was running seventh by pit stop number three on lap 117.  The FedEx Express crew made air pressure and wedge adjustments to the car in addition to filling the car with fuel and changing four tires.


When the field restarted on lap 125 Hamlin was in seventh but he again wasted no time moving forward – passing both Kurt Busch and Tony Stewart to gain the fifth position on lap 127.  On lap 141 Hamlin moved the FedEx Express Toyota past former Indianapolis 500 winner Juan Pablo Montoya to assume the fourth spot. 


With 50 laps remaining Johnson led, followed by Biffle, Martin and Hamlin.  A lap later the yellow flag was brought out by David Stremme who had an accident in Turn four and the field went into conservation mode – as saving fuel was the number one issue for every lead lap car in the field.  When Hamlin hit pit road on lap 153 he was running fourth.  By virtue of a great stop by the FedEx crew he came out of the pits second only to Biffle. 


When the final green of the day flew on lap 156 Hamlin had trouble finding grip and slid the tires, dropping him back to fourth place by the time the field reached turn one.


Despite the initial frustration at sacrificing the position, the drop might have actually worked in his favor as Hamlin then immediately went into fuel conservation mode while running behind Biffle, Johnson and Martin.  Hamlin slowed just .1 second per lap for the next 20-25 laps to save fuel, and assure himself that he would see the checkered flag – a strategy that worked. 


On lap 195 Gordon passed Hamlin to put Denny in fifth place.  Then the fuel calamity began.  Taking the while flag, first Johnson then Biffle ran out of fuel giving Martin the win.  Gordon claimed second place while Hamlin crossed the line in third spot.