Brickyard Post Race Report
Fuel Strategy Creates Disappointing 27th-Place Finish for FedEx Team at Indy
Denny Hamlin and the FedEx Racing team endured a trying weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, culminating with a disappointing 27th-place finish in Sunday's Brickyard 400. The #11 FedEx Express Toyota spent the last half of the race in the top-10 only to end up on the wrong side of the fuel strategy game by the time the checkered flag flew.
Hamlin restarted seventh on Lap 126 (of 160), knowing they needed one more stop to make it the full distance on fuel. Crew chief Mike Ford called Hamlin to pit road five laps later, dropping the #11 FedEx Express Toyota to 30th in the running order. Unfortunately, the majority of lead lap cars were able to stretch their gas to the distance, and Hamlin was only able to make up three spots by the finish line.
"It was a disappointing finish, for sure," said Hamlin, following the race. "We worked the entire first half of the race fighting and clawing to get track position, and we thought our strategy was the same as the rest of the guys. We were going to be two or three laps short if we didn't pit, but obviously, those guys were able to make it."
Battling a tight race car throughout the 400-mile event on the 2.5-mile oval, Hamlin worked from the rear of the field into the top-25 early in the race. The #11 moved into the top-15 by Lap 35 after staying out under caution, and continued to improve spots as the laps clicked off.
Ford and the FedEx crew adjusted on the #11 machine every chance they could, but nothing seemed to bring it to life. With track position at a premium, Hamlin battled to hang around the top-10 on long green flag runs.
A multi-car incident on Lap 121 brought out the race's final caution, and by the restart, the team was just outside its fuel window. Paul Menard stretched his fuel to the distance to record his first-career Sprint Cup Series victory.
The finish drops Hamlin one spot to 11th in the NASCAR point standings following Indianapolis, now 95 points behind leader Carl Edwards.
