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Hamlin, FedEx Racing Caught Up at Daytona – Finish 26th Denny Hamlin and the #11 FedEx Racing team endured a painful night at Daytona International Speedway, suffering major damage during a lap 125 incident before rain prematurely ended the Daytona 500 with the team sitting in 26th place. It was a bitter end to race that had started extremely positive for Hamlin and the #11 team. Charging forward from a starting position of tenth, Hamlin ran most of the afternoon in the top-three, showing time and time again that the #11 was as good as any car in the field and there was no doubt he was planning ahead for his shot at winning the famous race. Unfortunately, the FedEx team fell victim to the decisions of others as Dale Earnhardt Jr. spun Brian Vickers on lap 125 and started a chain reaction that collected Hamlin, his JGR teammate Kyle Busch and a handful of other contenders. By the time the cars skidded to a halt along the superstretch, it was clear that the damage was significant and crew chief Mike Ford called Hamlin to pit road. Faced with extensive front and rear-end damage, the FedEx team worked tirelessly to get the #11 back on track - but in the end it was all for naught. The rain that threatened to postpone or cancel the race from the onset finally reared its head with 48 laps remaining and the field wouldn't turn another green flag lap on the night. As the cars were pushed back to the garage, Hamlin was left to reflect on the night that could have been: “It’s really too bad because this FedEx team worked so hard getting ready for this race and it was all paying off out there – we had a really good car and we were running up front. We lost a couple of spots on pit road and then one person decided to do something that ended the race early for a lot of good cars. The guys got me back on track but the rain was here by then and that was it. It’s tough to take because we were really competitive but we’ll move on to California and start again.” Matt Kenseth took the lead on lap 146 and held the point until NASCAR called the race on account of weather to claim his first Daytona 500 win. 2008 winner Kevin Harvick finished second while AJ Allmendinger, Clint Bowyer and Elliot Sadler rounded out the top five. Hamlin's Joe Gibbs Racing teammates, Kyle Busch and Joey Logano suffered fates similar to the driver of the #11 and recorded finishes of 41st and 43rd, respectively. Logano was forced into the interior wall on lap 82, while Busch was collected in the same incident as Hamlin and was forced into the garage. By virtue of his finish, Hamlin heads to California and the Auto Club Speedway next week in 28th place in the NASCAR Sprint Cup standings. Hamlin has a career best finish of third at Auto Club, posting that result in the fall race of the 2008 season. Hamlin and the FedEx team had laid a solid foundation during Speedweeks and they showed from the drop of the green flag that they would be a contender. By the time the first caution flew on lap ten, Hamlin had worked the FedEx Camry into fifth. Ford called him in for four tires and after restarting 22nd on lap 10, he used the ensuing 15 laps to claim seventh place as the scheduled competition caution came on lap 25. Back on pit road for fuel, tires and an air pressure adjustment, a dropped lug nut saw Hamlin lose a handful of spots and he lined up tenth for the restart on lap 29. Immediately following the restart, Hamlin linked up with Busch and the JGR machines consistently ran in the top-five - consistently fending off the challenges that were building behind them. On lap 45, Hamlin lost the push from behind and dropped back to ninth before the caution came out on lap 54. Informing Ford that the car was growing tight late in runs, Hamlin pulled onto pit road and the crew worked quick to gain a spot and send him out to restart eighth on lap 62. Again Hamlin wasted little time in moving the #11 back to the front, claiming third place on lap 63, and then hooking up with former teammate Tony Stewart to hold the position. When the fourth caution of the day flew on lap 80, Hamlin again hit pit road for tires, fuel and to have tape removed from his front grille. The team worked fast to get him out third and he lined up for the restart on lap 85. Despite continuing to run among the top cars, it was Hamlin’s JGR teammate Kyle Busch who was racking up the laps led. Hamlin never did cross the stripe in the lead and earn the five bonus points for leading a lap. The first extended green flag brought the first green flag stops of the night. On lap 114 the first cars started their trips down pit road and the #11 team was ready to follow suit shortly after but the caution came out on lap 118. A slow stop saw Hamlin lose two spots and he lined up sixth for the restart on lap 123. Unfortunately, the next restart set up what would be the defining moment of the night for the #11 team and the wreck that would cause serious damage to the car unfolded on lap 124. Great work by the team on pit road to repair the damage allowed Hamlin to remain on the lead lap and he had every intention of running out the remaing laps , but any hopes of gaining sigficant positions ended when rain inevitably ended the race early. |
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