Atlanta Pre Race Report
Bristol Recap
The night race at Bristol Motor Speedway is always met with great anticipation with the famed short track often providing a challenging setting that often tests every member of the world's elite race teams. Last Saturday night was no exception and Denny Hamlin and the FedEx team displayed the perseverance needed in the demanding setting of "Thunder Valley". Hamlin started the race in 20th and was able to race his way into the top 15 despite battling handling conditions on his #11 FedEx Express Toyota. He was seeking to break into the top ten when he was forced to slow on the track on lap 297 to avoid an accident in front of him. Unfortunately for Hamlin, the #27 car didn't respond in the same manner and ran hard into the right rear of the #Camry. The contact sent the car spinning and although Hamlin managed to keep the car off the wall there was damage. The FedEx team responded to the challenge however, repairing the car and keeping Hamlin on the lead lap. The tremendous work by his crew paid off as Hamlin began to work his way back toward the front of the field. He would restart 10th for a final time with 80 laps remaining and managed to gain three more positions for a strong seventh-place effort.
Atlanta Preview
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads south to Atlanta Motor Speedway this week for a special Sunday night race under the lights on the challenging 1.5-mile track. With only two races remaining before the field is set for the Chase to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship, Hamlin is currently in the second of two wild card positions for the opportunity to run for a title. Last year the FedEx team brought the dominate car to the track as Hamlin qualified on the pole and held the top spot for the majority of the first half of the race. Unfortunately Hamlin wouldn't get the opportunity race for the win as his engine expired while out in front of the field just 143 laps into the 325 lap race. Despite the setback last year, Hamlin has shown the ability to race at the front of the pack the past several years, having finished in sixth and third while leading 23 and 56 laps respectively in the 2009 and 2008 fall races on the 1.5 mile track.
Hamlin Conversation – Bristol Motor Speedway
Were you satisfied with the results at Bristol?
"We needed a solid finish and we were able to do that. It was a big step forward for our FedEx team. Our pit crew was awesome and was able to get me spots on the track every time and (crew chief) Mike Ford did a great job making adjustments to get us better. Even though we got spun we were able to battle through it and get a good finish."
What are your expectations for Atlanta?
"We need to build off of our finish last week in Bristol. We showed we can handle adversity coming back from that spin and with two races left before the Chase we just need to make sure we have a solid weekend."
