The combination of a great strategy and great drive added up  to a fifth-place finish at Infineon Raceway on Sunday, and a second consecutive top-five finish for Denny Hamlin and the #11 FedEx Racing team.  Hamlin led twice for 33 laps and looked to have the fuel game won until the last stop when eventual winner Kasey Kahne, and runner-up Tony Stewart, exited pit road before him.  On slightly older tires, Hamlin found himself unable to catch the leaders and in a fight with Jimmie Johnson and Juan Pablo Montoya for a spot in the top-five.  The fifth-place finish sees Hamlin climb to seventh place in the Sprint Cup Series points heading to New Hampshire.


Hamlin at New Hampshire

This weekend will mark Hamlin's seventh career Cup start at New Hampshire and 132nd career Cup start.  New Hampshire has been a good track for the #11 team as they have only finished outside of the top ten once in six previous tries.  In the fall of 2008, Hamlin showed he had a car capable of winning on the one-mile track but, as is often the case at New Hampshire, fuel mileage dictated the team's strategy and they were forced to sacrifice track position for fuel.  Hamlin fought his way back into the top-ten and scored a well-deserved ninth-place finish.   Hamlin settled for an eighth-place finish when rain shortened the June 2008 race to 284 laps, and he finished 15th in September of 2007 when he fought handling issues throughout the 2007 Chase kick-off. In the July race at Loudon in 2007 Hamlin led 46 total laps but needed a late-race, two-tire call by crew chief Mike Ford to give him the track position needed to restart out front.  He then held off a late challenge from Jeff Gordon to take the win by the slim margin of .0068 seconds.  Two starts at New Hampshire in 2006 saw him post impressive finishes of fourth and sixth, respectively.  The #11 team looked to have a chance at the win in the July 2006 race before a bizarre caution-lap wreck forced the race into extra laps and forced Hamlin to stop for fuel instead of challenge eventual winner Kyle Busch. 


New Hampshire Chassis – JGR 238 & 204

The #11 team will unload chassis #238 this weekend at New Hampshire for a second start in 2009.  This car recorded a second place finish at Martinsville in March.  204 will serve in backup duty – this car has yet to make a start this season.


FedEx Home Delivery – Pacific Northwest Region (QPNW) “Along for the Ride” at New Hampshire Motor Speedway

FedEx Home Delivery – Pacific Northwest Region will ride along with Denny when the he takes to the track at New Hampshire Motor Speedway this weekend.  The #11 FedEx Ground Toyota will feature “QPNW” on the wing caps to recognize the team for leading all FedEx Home Delivery regions in customer service scores.


HAMLIN CONVERSATION - NEW HAMPSHIRE


You’ve had a nice two-race run with top-five finishes at Michigan and Sonoma – Can you carry that forward?

“That’s definitely the plan.  We needed those finishes because we had a rough stretch with tough results at both Dover and Pocono that put us right on the edge of the top-12 and that’s where we do not want to be.   At this point of the season, we just want to make sure we are in position to make the Chase so we can fight for a championship and that means making sure our equipment is good and we are running smart races.  It definitely doesn’t mean letting up at all, we’re still going for race wins but we aren’t going to risk a really bad finish if it’s in our hands. This team is looking at the big picture – you have to at this point in the season.”


What are your feelings on New Hampshire Motor Speedway?

“This is a great track and a place that has been good for this team in the past.  We seem to run a little better here in the summer than we do in the fall and we’d like to change that.   Like I said at Dover, we know how important those first two Chase races are in terms of running for a championship so if we are in the Chase this season we want to be sure we come back to Dover and New Hampshire at our strongest.  This track is faster than you would think so you need horsepower to take advantage of the long straights, but getting through, and off, the corner is where you win or lose at New Hampshire. It's definitely a little bit different than any other track we go to because it almost seems like it's banked in the other direction on the bottom. But you can go way up high or run on the bottom so there are some options for you to find a fast line.  I like the tracks that demand you to feel your way through the corner and New Hampshire is one of those tracks.  You need to find that rhythm, hit your marks getting into the corner so you can roll through the center and get back on the gas as soon as possible for the next straight.  I think the double-file restarts will be a good change to this race at New Hampshire.  This will be the first time we’ll line up like that on a shorter track and it should make for even closer racing.  It’s been a really good change for the Cup series so far from both the fans and drivers perspective - and this weekend will be a really good test for everyone.”