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Martinsville Post Race Report Hamlin, FedEx Racing Storm to Martinsville Win

If Denny Hamlin and the #11 FedEx Racing team had scripted Sunday's race, they would have started from the pole, led every one of the 500 laps and recorded a resounding win for the program in the middle of a very tight Chase for the Sprint Cup battle. As it happened, they didn't lead every lap, but they led the laps that mattered most as Hamlin passed Kevin Harvick for the lead with 29 laps to go, and then brought the FedEx Toyota home in first.

The win marked Hamlin's seventh of the season, fourth at Martinsville and it closed the gap to current points leader Jimmie Johnson to six points heading to Talladega Superspeedway next weekend.

"It was an awesome race for this FedEx team," said Hamlin. "I don't think I've ever closed that well – ever. We kept working. We did not have a race-winning car all day until the very end. Mike and those guys just adjusted and adjusted. The pit crew got me from sixth to third on that last restart and that was the key – bottom line that was the key. I was just waiting and hoping that the 31 (Jeff Burton) and 29 (Kevin Harvick) would use their stuff up racing each other. I was just sitting there and sitting there trying to be patient with those rear tires and saved it for the end. It was just a great run by this FedEx team. It's a great feeling and especially being here in front of all these Martinsville fans. I love everyone here and they've always been great to me. I can't believe we're back in victory lane."

Mark Martin charged back late in the race to finish second on the day while Harvick, Kyle Busch and Johnson rounded out the top five. Hamlin and Busch's Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Joey Logano scored a sixth-place finish.

After claiming his second pole of the season on Friday, and earning the first pit stall by virtue of the quick lap, Hamlin knew leading the first lap, and as many as he could after, would be critical in the ever-tightening points battle at the top of the standings. Unfortunately, after leading the field to the green flag and controlling the opening ten laps of the race, Hamlin found himself at the mercy of an ill-handling car. A precipitous early-race slide saw him drop back as far 16th place before the race was stopped mercifully by a lap 48 caution. With a car too loose to drive, Hamlin pulled on to pit road for fuel, four tires, and significant wedge and track bar adjustments.

The crew would later determine that a potential culprit was a bad left rear tire but more importantly, after restarting 15th on lap 52, Hamlin began a methodical march forward.

By lap 66 he had the FedEx Toyota back in the top ten and 52 laps after being passed by Johnson, he passed him back to claim the sixth spot on lap 94. Hamlin then surged into the top-five when he slid inside the #29 Chevrolet of Harvick on lap 103.

The second of 15 total cautions on the day brought Hamlin to pit road on lap 114 and the team worked quickly to change four tires and fill the car with fuel. Hamlin lined up fourth for the restart and held the position through a lap 132 caution before hitting pit road for a second time on lap 173 for four tires, fuel and small wedge adjustment. Once again the team worked fast and Hamlin lined the #11 Toyota up in second place for the restart on lap 176.

As cautions continued to stall the race, Hamlin and team continued to not only work on the car, but set their strategy for the end of the race. Hamlin ran in third place before a lap 226 caution presented the team with a decision to pit and sacrifice track position, or stay out on old tires and in need of further adjustment. In the end, Mike Ford decided to pit for tires and a track bar adjustment, all while sacrificing 15 places in the field. Hamlin restarted in 17th place, 20 laps short of the halfway point.

The caution flag came out again on lap 288 and Ford called Hamlin in for four tires, fuel and a wedge adjustment. More good work on pit road had Hamlin out quickly and he lined up 12th for the restart on lap 294.

With the race reaching the final stages, Hamlin quietly picked up positions, passing Johnson for eighth on lap 332, then Juan Pablo Montoya for seventh on lap 338.

A trip to pit road on lap 348 for tires, fuel and a wedge adjustment gave the FedEx team another shot to pick up position and once again they delivered, picking up two spots and sending Hamlin out to restart fourth on lap 356. After briefly slipping back, the crew picked up position again during a lap 386 caution and Hamlin took advantage of a long green flag run to position himself for the end.

The final caution of the day flew on lap 398 and, with the race on the line, the FedEx team came through again, getting Hamlin out to restart second with 100 laps remaining.

After Burton passed Hamlin for third on lap 401, Hamlin took a full fifty laps to repay the favor – finally catching and passing the #31 Chevrolet on lap 453. He then set his sights on Harvick, working the FedEx Express Toyota to his bumper, then cleanly past on lap 471 on his way to the win.

The Chase for the Sprint Cup heads to Talladega Superspeedway next weekend – the 33rd race of the 36-race season.