Hamlin, FedEx Racing Strong Early but Settle for 13th in Atlanta

Denny Hamlin and the #11 FedEx Racing Team’s up and then down weekend continued on race day, as a they charged to the front early in the race, but succumbed to handling issues late that saw Hamlin cross the line in 13th-place in Sunday’s Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Going into Sunday, Hamlin and the team had improved the #11 FedEx Ground Toyota in every practice session. He was 29th in Friday practice, placed sixth in qualifying and then rose to third on the chart in final practice on Saturday. On Sunday he worked his way up to second place 20 laps into the event but could do no better as he would ultimately finish 13th after battling a very, very loose car throughout the remainder of the race.

Sunday’s race was dominated by Kurt Busch, who led 234 of 330 laps and held off Jeff Gordon in a green-white-checkered finish to claim the win. Gordon remained the NASCAR Sprint Cup point leader through four races and Hamlin, who entered the race 14th in points, holds that position as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads into a rare off weekend.


“Only one time all day was the car tight – about ten laps into the race,” shrugged Hamlin. “When an event is 500 miles there is plenty of time to try to fix the car. We are struggling to find the handle on the car at intermediate size tracks. We were loose, loose, loose today and Mike Ford and the FedEx Ground team did just about everything they could to try to fix the car. We adjusted the shocks, added a spring rubber, wedge, track-bar messed with the air pressure in the tires. We’d get it right and then after 15-17 laps the car would go loose again. There were times I thought we were going to wreck. The right rear tire would just slide out from under me.”

“It is kinda an off week next week – we are testing for two days at Darlington then I want to go sit by the lake and relax. We were good at Bristol last year in both races and almost put the FedEx Toyota in victory lane – it would be nice to be there in two weeks.”

Hamlin’s Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Kyle Busch and rookie Joey Logano came home in 18th and 30th, respectively. The schedule picks up again in two weeks time when the Cup Series moves to the high banked half-mile of Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, TN.

Under sunny skies in Hampton, Georgia, Hamlin started in sixth on the grid and, after a quick first pit stop on lap ten, came out in third place then grabbed second place on lap 19 – his highest running position of the day. Busch preferred the high line all afternoon while Hamlin was content with the #11 Camry glued to the yellow line. During an extended green-flag run and prior to his stop on lap 65, Hamlin reported, “I’ve got my hands full and I am about to wreck,” and “I am just trying to keep off the wall.”

Two laps after Hamlin left the pits the caution flew as a crew member from Marcos Ambrose’s team ran across the pit road to retrieve a loose tire dangerously close to the race track. This temporarily put Denny a lap down. But once the field cycled through the stops Hamlin and the #11 FedEx Ground team were awarded the “Lucky Dog” and once again placed on the lead lap. At this point in the race, because of the extended green flag and the yellow flying just as the leaders were about to pit, only Denny and five other drivers were scored on the lead lap.

When the green flag flew on lap 72, Jimmie Johnson led followed by Clint Boyer, Martin Truex Jr., Carl Edwards, Kurt Busch and Hamlin. Over the course of the next 116 laps and four more pit stops, Hamlin suffered the same problem he’d fight all afternoon – a very loose car – however he lost only two positions on the track. Each time he came in the pits the team made major adjustments in lightening fast time to keep Denny on the lead lap and in contention, never going a lap down because of the problems. On his sixth pit stop on lap 188 the team made the most dramatic changes – adding a spring rubber to the left rear, adjusting both rear shocks and making air pressure adjustments to keep Hamlin in eighth place.

As the race continued Hamlin held strong through his troubles of fighting a loose car and the crew helped him gain track position in the pits. On lap 221 Hamlin was up to fourth and, then with 100 laps remaining in the event, Hamlin was scored in third position behind Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson, with eventual race winner Kurt Busch right behind him in fourth.

On lap 228 Denny reported the car was “tight” but just a few laps later the term “loose” was back and remained a constant descriptor through the end of the race. Hamlin started to drop in the running order almost immediately and really struggled to keep pace. After a yellow and more attempts to tighten the car up Hamlin restarted 10th on lap 264 and Mike Ford and the team decided to take a chance when the yellow flew again on lap 271 and stay out and attempt to make it on fuel for the remainder of the race. Because some cars in front of him pitted, Denny was sixth when the green flew with 51 laps remaining in the race – but that didn’t last long as the car grew more and more loose and he was ultimately passed by seven cars before coming across the line in 13th place.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Point Standings ~ As of Kobalt Tools 500

The Official Points Standings - As of Kobalt Tools 500 ~ Atlanta
~Race 4 of 36~

1. (--) Jeff Gordon 634 Leader
2. (--) Clint Bowyer 591 -43
3. (+4) Kurt Busch 588 -46
4. (+5) Carl Edwards 547 -87
5. (-2) Matt Kenseth 546 -88
6. (+2) Tony Stewart 521 -113
7. (-1) Kyle Busch 514 -120
8. (+3) Kevin Harvick 511 -123
9. (+4) Kasey Kahne 484 -150
10. (-6) Greg Biffle 480 -154
11. (+6) Brian Vickers 77 -157
12. (-7) David Reutimann 475 -159
13. (+6) Jimmie Johnson 457 -177
14. (--) Denny Hamlin 456 -178
15. (+3) Jeff Burton 437 -197
16. (-4) Michael Waltrip 434 -200
17. (-1) Elliott Sadler 427 -207
18. (+4) Jamie McMurray 423 -211
19. (+7) Martin Truex Jr 423 -211
20. (+1) AJ Allmendinger 417 -217
21. (-6) Juan Montoya 408 -226
22. (+2) David Ragan 405 -229
23. (-13) Bobby Labonte 403 -231
24. (+5) Dale Earnhardt Jr 397 -237
25. (+2) Casey Mears 397 -237
26. (-3) David Stremme 396 -238
27. (-2) Reed Sorenson 363 -271
28. (-8) Marcos Ambrose 361 -273
29. (+2) Robby Gordon 342 -292
30. (--) John Andretti 336 -298
31. (-3) Sam Hornish Jr 328 -306
32. (+1) Ryan Newman 324 -310
33. (-1) Joey Logano 321 -313
34. (--) Mark Martin 286 -348
35. (+3) Aric Almirola 277 -357
36. (+1) David Gilliland 276 -358
37. (-1) Scott Speed 256 -378
38. (+1) Paul Menard 238 -396
39. (-4) Regan Smith 206 -428
40. (--) Travis Kvapil 183 -451
41. (+2) Bill Elliott 149 -485
42. (-1) Scott Riggs 143 -491
43. (+2) Joe Nemechek 125 -509
44. (-2) Jeremy Mayfield 104 -530
45. (-1) Terry Labonte 91 -543
46. (+3) Dave Blaney 77 -557
47. (-1) Max Papis 55 -579
48. (-1) Todd Bodine 52 -582
49. (-1) Brad Keselowski 49 -585
50. (--) Mike Bliss 34 -600

Kobalt Tools 500 ~ Atlanta ~ Results

Offical Results of the Kobalt Tools 500 ~ Atlanta
~Race 4 of 36~

1. 2 Kurt Busch
2. 24 Jeff Gordon
3. 99 Carl Edwards
4. 29 Kevin Harvick
5. 83 Brian Vickers
6. 33 Clint Bowyer
7. 9 Kasey Kahne
8. 14 Tony Stewart
9. 48 Jimmie Johnson
10. 1 Martin Truex Jr
11. 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr
12. 17 Matt Kenseth
13. 11 Denny Hamlin - 1
14. 31 Jeff Burton -1
15. 26 Jamie McMurray -2
16. 07 Casey Mears -2
17. 44 AJ Allmendinger -2
18. 18 Kyle Busch -3
19. 6 David Ragan -3
20. 19 Elliott Sadler -3
21. 8 Aric Almirola -3
22. 39 Ryan Newman -3
23. 12 David Stremme -4
24. 71 David Gilliland -4
25. 55 Michael Waltrip -4
26. 7 Robby Gordon -4
27. 42 Juan Montoya -5
28. 98 Paul Menard -5
29. 34 John Andretti -5
30. 20 Joey Logano -6
31. 5 Mark Martin -13
32. 00 David Reutimann -25
33. 43 Reed Sorenson -66
34. 16 Greg Biffle Accident
35. 82 Scott Speed Accident
36. 21 Bill Elliott Accident
37. 77 Sam Hornish Jr Accident
38. 47 Marcos Ambrose Engine
39. 87 Joe Nemechek Wheel Bearing
40. 96 Bobby Labonte Engine
41. 66 Dave Blaney Electrical
42. 28 Travis Kvapil Engine
43. 09 Mike Bliss Overheating

The Joe Gibbs Racing Qualifying Report

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series – Atlanta 500

Date: March 6, 2009
Event: Kobalt 500 (Race 4 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Location: Atlanta Motor Speedway (1.54 Mile quad-oval)
Pole Winner: Mark Martin of Hendrick Motorsports (29.64 seconds at 187.045)

JGR Lineup:
Denny Hamlin, No. 11 FedEx Ground Toyota (Starts 6th – 29.78 seconds at 186.165 mph)
Kyle Busch, No. 18 M&Ms Toyota (Starts 9th - 29.82 seconds at 185.891 mph)
Joey Logano, No. 20 Home Depot Toyota (Starts 42nd – 30.47 seconds at 181.938 mph)

Denny Hamlin, driver of the No. 11 FedEx Ground Toyota will lead Joe Gibbs Racing’s three-car contingent to the green flag in Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Atlanta Motor Speedway after posting the sixth-best qualifying effort tonight of 29.78 seconds.

"It was a little better,” said Hamlin. “We don't typically qualify very well, so it's a good change for us."

Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 M&Ms Toyota was first onto the track tonight and took one lap at 29.82 seconds which held up as the ninth best effort.

"We've struggled since we unloaded and we just didn't hit it right,” said Busch. “It was loose over the bumps and tight off of (turn) four - just not a great lap really."

Joey Logano, driver of the No. 20 Home Depot Toyota qualified 42nd with a lap of 30.47 seconds. This is Logano’s first start at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

“I’m just really upset with myself,” said Logano. “The car bottomed out real bad. It’s frustrating, but we’ll work on the car in practice tomorrow and try to make it better.”

Mark Martin earned the pole with a lap of 29.64 seconds. Kurt Busch, Jamie McMurray, Juan Pablo Montoya, and Greg Biffle round out the top-five qualifiers.

The Kobalt 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Atlanta, GA begins Sunday, March 8 at 2 PM ET with live, high-definition coverage provided by FOX beginning with its pre-race show at 1:30 PM. The race will also be broadcast live on SIRIUS Satellite Radio Channel 128.
JoeGibbsRacing.com

Kobalt Tools 500 ~ Atlanta ~ Starting Lineup

The starting lineup for the Kobalt Tools 500 ~ Atlanta Motorspeedway
~Race 4 of 36~

1. 5 Mark Martin
2. 2 Kurt Busch
3. 26 Jamie McMurray
4. 42 Juan Montoya
5. 16 Greg Biffle
6. 11 Denny Hamlin
7. 48 Jimmie Johnson
8. 87 Joe Nemechek
9. 18 Kyle Busch
10. 29 Kevin Harvick
11. 14 Tony Stewart
12. 39 Ryan Newman
13. 9 Kasey Kahne
14. 19 Elliott Sadler
15. 31 Jeff Burton
16. 24 Jeff Gordon
17. 83 Brian Vickers
18. 00 David Reutimann
19. 7 Robby Gordon
20. 88 Dale Earnhardt jr
21. 33 Clint Bowyer
22. 28 Travis Kvapil
23. 1 Martin Truex Jr
24. 55 Michael Waltrip
25. 07 Casey Mears
26. 82 Scott Speed
27. 66 Dave Blaney
28. 12 David Stremme
29. 99 Carl Edwards
30. 17 Matt Kenseth
31. 71 David Gilliland
32. 43 Reed Sorenson
33. 98 Paul Menard
34. 47 Marcus Ambrose
35. 21 Bill Elliott
36. 77 Sam Hornish Jr
37. 8 Aric Almirola
38. 44 AJ Allmendinger
39. 6 David Ragan
40. 96 Bobby Labonte
41. 34 John Andretti
42. 20 Joey Logano
43. 09 Mike Bliss

Missing the show:

35 Todd Bodine

36 Scott Riggs

41 Jeremy Mayfield

64 Geoff Bodine

Kobalt Tools 500 ~ Atlanta ~ Qualifying Order

The qualifying order for the Kobalt Tools 500 - Atlanta Motorspeedway

~Race 4 of 36~

1. 18 Kyle Busch
2. 48 Jimmie Johnson
3. 29 Kevin Harvick
4. 17 Matt Kenseth
5. 16 Greg Biffle
6. 99 Carl Edwards
7. 96 Bobby Labonte
8. 9 Kasey Kahne
9. 77 Sam Hornish Jr
10. 19 Elliott Sadler
11. 24 Jeff Gordon
12. 5 Mark Martin
13. 31 Jeff Burton
14. 07 Casey Mears
15. 55 Michael Waltrip
16. 47 Marcos Ambrose
17. 98 Paul Menard
18. 26 Jamie McMurray
19. 82 Scott Speed
20. 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr
21. 12 David Stremme
22. 42 Juan Montoya
23. 34 John Andretti
24. 39 Ryan Newman
25. 33 Clint Bowyer
26. 8 Aric Almirola
27. 83 Brian Vickers
28. 1 Martin Truex Jr
29. 43 Reed Sorenson
30. 00 David Reutimann
31. 7 Matt Kenseth
32. 20 Joey Logano
33. 6 David Ragan
34. 2 Kurt Busch
35. 11 Denny Hamlin
36. 36 Scott Riggs
37. 21 Bill Elliott
38. 66 Dave Blaney
39. 87 Joe Nemechek
40. 71 David Gilliland
41. 35 Todd Bodine
42. 14 Tony Stewart
43. 41 Jeremy Mayfield
44. 44 AJ Allmendinger
45. 64 Geoff Bodine
46. 09 Mike Bliss
47. 28 Travis Kvapil

FedEx Racing Express Facts - Atlanta

RACE INFO:
Event: Kobalt Tools 500
Date/Time: March 8, 2009/2 p.m.
2008 winner: Kyle Busch
2008 pole winner: Jeff Gordon
Distance: 325 laps/500.5 miles
Track Length: 1.54 miles
Banking: 24 degrees
Track Shape: Quad Oval

EXPRESS NOTES:
Vegas in the Rear View: Denny Hamlin and the #11 FedEx Racing team scored a frustrating 22nd-place finish at Las Vegas last weekend. Despite suffering a lap-three incident that caused damage to the right front of the car, Hamlin had a very competitive car and ran in the top-ten for parts of the afternoon. Unfortunately, a lap 172 spin further damaged the car and ultimately forced Hamlin a lap down before the end. Hamlin gains one spot in the standings heading to Atlanta and currently sits in 14th place – 127 points behind Jeff Gordon in first.

Hamlin at Atlanta Motor Speedway: This weekend will mark Hamlin's eighth career Cup start at Atlanta Motor Speedway and 119th career Sprint Cup start. Last fall, Hamlin led 56 laps leading into the ninth caution of the day, but couldn’t hold off the charge of Carl Edwards as the #99 passed on the restart. Hamlin broke loose under pressure from Jimmie Johnson on the final lap but held on to finish third. In the spring of 2008, Hamlin turned in a 15th-place finish after losing his power steering with more than 100 laps to run. Despite the loss of the mechanical aid, Hamlin gained five spots over the closing laps. During the fall race of 2007, Hamlin and the FedEx team fell victim to water that had collected in the fuel tank over the course of the event and it ultimately stalled the #11 while Hamlin brought the field to the green flag during a late race restart. The water, found in the tanks providing fuel to all of the competitors during the race, had displaced fuel in the tank of the #11 car and skewed the team's fuel calculations and left Hamlin to finish 24th. Perhaps Hamlin's best outing at AMS came in the spring of 2006 when the #11 was the fastest car on the track early in the race, leading four times for a total of 16 laps, before a loose wheel forced him off the lead lap and caused him to finish 31st. Hamlin's posted an impressive eighth-place finish as rookie in the fall of 2006.

FedEx Home Delivery – New England Region “Along for the Ride” in Atlanta: The #11 FedEx Ground Camry will feature “QNEG” on the wing caps this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway. QNEG is the code for the FedEx Home Delivery - New England Region and the group is being recognized for leading all FedEx Ground regions in customer service scores.

ATLANTA CHASSIS – JGR 196 & 222: The team will unload car 196 this weekend in Atlanta. This is the first race of the 2009 campaign for this car, though it had four starts in 2009 – posting top-ten finishes at Darlington and Pocono. JGR 222 will serve in backup at Atlanta. This car posted third-place finishes at both Auto Club and Indy during the 2008 season.

HAMLIN CONVERSATION – ATLANTA:

Atlanta has been a mixed bag for the #11 FedEx team – what is it about this track?: “We’ve had some good races at Atlanta but don’t have a win to show for it. Two years ago we made the decision to stay out and restart in the lead but that was when we had the water in the fuel tank and the car stalled Last season I led a bunch of laps and had the chance to win it at the end but just couldn’t hold off the #99 on the restart. It’s taken some time to really figure this place out but we have good cars and I think it’s just a matter of time before we put all of the pieces together. Handling seems to be the biggest issue at Atlanta. It’s such a fast track, it has a lot of grip and the track changes a lot over the course of the race. It seems you end up battling your car and trying to find a place where your car works well. We’ll have to respond the best we can to the changing conditions, and hopefully we can make the right adjustments to make sure we have the car at it’s best for the end.”

Three races into the season – where does the #11 FedEx team stand?: “That first month of the season is a grind so I think we are all happy to have Daytona and the trip out west for two races behind us. It’s good for everyone to get home, get back on a normal race schedule and that really starts now as we head to Atlanta. As far as on track I think we were unlucky not to finish better at Daytona - we had a great car and we would have been a factor at the end if not for the wreck. We ran really good at California and then had a good car at Vegas but had some damage early and then couldn’t get track position. We’d like to have some better finishes for sure but the season is just getting starting. We’re focused - the results will start coming.”

Kobalt Tools 500 ~ Atlanta ~ TV Schedule

Sprint Cup Practice - Friday March 6 ~ 3 PM SPEED


Sprint Cup Qualifying - Friday March 6 ~ 6:30 PM SPEED


Sprint Cup Practice - Saturday March 7 ~ 11 AM SPEED


Sprint Cup Practice - Saturday March 7 ~ 12:20 PM SPEED


Kobalt Tools 500 ~ Atlanta, Georgia (Race 4 of 36)
Sunday March 8 ~ 1:30 PM FOX

Kobalt Tools 500 ~ Atlanta ~ Entry List

The entry list for the Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Sunday March 8, 2009
~Race 4 of 36~

1. 00 David Reutimann -- Aaron's Dream Machine ~ Toyota
2. 1 Martin Truex Jr -- Bass Pro Shops ~ Chevrolet
3. 2 Kurt Busch -- Miller Lite ~ Dodge
4. 5 Mark Martin -- Kelloggs/Carquest ~ Chevrolet
5. 6 David Ragan -- UPS ~ Ford
6. 07 Casey Mears -- DirecTV ~ Chevrolet
7. 7 Robby Gordon -- Jim Beam ~ Toyota
8. 8 Aric Almirola -- Cub Cadet ~ Chevrolet
9. 09 Sterling Marlin -- Miccosukee Resort & Gaming ~ Dodge
10. 9 Kasey Kahne -- Budweiser ~ Dodge
11. 11 Denny Hamlin -- Fed Ex Ground ~ Toyota
12. 12 David Stremme -- Penske Racing ~ Dodge
13. 14 Tony Stewart -- Office Depot/Old Spice ~ Chevrolet
14. 16 Greg Biffle -- 3M ~ Ford
15. 17 Matt Kenseth -- DeWalt ~ Ford
16. 18 Kyle Busch -- M&M's ~ Toyota
17. 19 Elliott Sadler -- Best Buy ~ Dodge
18. 20 Joey Logano -- Home Depot ~ Toyota
19. 21 Bill Elliott -- Motorcraft ~ Ford
20. 24 Jeff Gordon -- National Guard/DuPont ~ Chevrolet
21. 26 Jamie McMurray -- Irwin Tools ~ Ford
22. 28 Travis Kvapil -- Golden Corral ~ Ford
23. 29 Kevin Harvick -- Reese's ~ Chevrolet
24. 31 Jeff Burton -- Caterpillar ~ Chevrolet
25. 33 Clint Bowyer -- BB&T ~ Chevrolet
26. 34 John Andretti -- Window World ~ Chevrolet
27. 35 Todd Bodine -- TBA ~ Toyota
28. 36 Scott Riggs -- Red Bank Outfitters ~ Toyota
29. 37 Tony Raines -- Long John Silver's ~ Dodge
30. 39 Ryan Newman -- Haas Automation ~ Chevrolet
31. 41 Jeremy Mayfield -- All Sport ~ Toyota
32. 42 Juan Montoya -- Target ~ Chevrolet
33. 43 Reed Sorenson -- Super 8 ~ Dodge
34. 44 AJ Allmendinger -- Lifelock ~ Dodge
35. 47 Marcos Ambrose -- Little Debbie/Kingsford/Clorox ~ Toyota
36. 48 Jimmie Johnson -- Lowe's/Kobalt Tools ~ Chevrolet
37. 55 Michael Waltrip -- NAPA Auto Parts ~ Toyota
38. 64 Geoff Bodine -- TBA ~ Toyota
39. 66 Dave Blaney -- TBA ~ Toyota
40. 71 David Gilliland -- TRG Motorsports ~ Chevrolet
41. 77 Sam Hornish Jr -- Mobil 1 ~ Dodge
42. 82 Scott Speed -- Red Bull ~ Toyota
43. 83 Brian Vickers -- Red Bull ~ Toyota
44. 87 Joe Nemechek -- TBA ~ Toyota
45. 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr -- Amp Energy/National Guard ~ Chevrolet
46. 96 Bobby Labonte -- Ask.com ~ Ford
47. 98 Paul Menard -- Menards/Pittsburgh Paints ~ Ford
48. 99 Carl Edwards -- Aflac ~ Ford

From the ATL to TX

Denny Hamlin started 20th by virute of owners points in the EZ Go 200 NCTS Race on Saturday at Atlanta Motorspeedway. By time the the checkered flag waved, Hamlin finished third and had the best seat in the house for an exciting finish that saw first-time truck series winner Ryan Newman over take teammate Ron Hornaday to give team owner Kevin Harvick a one-two finish.


After qualifying was rained out on Friday afternoon - for the tenth time during this 2008 season - the starting grid was set by points and Denny Hamlin lined up the #11 FedEx Express Camry in the eleventh spot. At a track where he has admittedly struggled on occasion, Hamlin was careful in his approach from the start. As he worked to find the groove that suited the #11 car, the first caution flew and Hamlin was scored in the tenth spot.


He restarted tenth on lap six and then pushed the #11 car forward, grabbing seventh place by lap 25. The caution flag flew again on lap 34 and having been informed by Hamlin that the car was tight through the center of the turn, crew chief Mike Ford called his driver onto pit road for four tires, fuel and both air and wedge adjustments. The crew worked quick and sent Hamlin out to restart eighth on lap 37.


Through a quick green-flag stop Hamlin worked his way into seventh place but also was on the radio letting the #11 crew know that the handling on the car was going away quickly. The crew was up to the challenge and under caution on lap 109 the team made only a slight track bar adjustment and sent Hamlin out to restart seventh on lap 114. Another caution meant another spot for the team and as the race neared the halfway point, Hamlin informed the team that he was "as loose I have been all day." An extended green flag run brought the team to green flag stops on lap 178 and Hamlin catapulted into the fourth spot before turning onto pit road on lap 184.


Once again the team worked very quickly and sent Hamlin out to claim the fourth position and he wasted little time pulling up to the bumper of Kurt Busch in third place. Back on pit road on lap 209, the crew changed four tires and made another wedge adjustment while gaining a spot and sending Hamlin out to restart third behind Busch and Kenseth. The trio pulled away from the field and caught lapped traffic by lap 239 and, as the crew worked on fuel strategy for the final one hundred laps, Ford asked Hamlin to conserve fuel wherever possible. He did just that and held down the third spot until the caution flew on lap 253.


In what was the key moment of the race, the #11 crew went to work on pit road, flying through a four-tire stop and making a wedge adjustment before sending Hamlin out in the lead. Hamlin, now enjoying the clean air out front, checked out from the field and opened up a two second lead over Kenseth by lap 275. A caution on lap 288 brought Hamlin to pit road for tires and the team once again worked quick to hold onto the top spot for the restart on lap 294. Hamlin managed the restart well and again pulled out to a substantial lead, with the #11 as solid as it had been all race but while he would have liked to run to the end, the caution flag was inevitable and flew again on lap 299. Hamlin would hold onto the lead until the second to last restart on lap 310 when Edwards claimed the lead and ultimately the win.


When the ninth caution of Sunday's Pep Boys Auto 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway flew, Denny Hamlin knew he had an enormous challenge ahead of him. Despite leading the previous 56 laps, and having arguably the strongest car on the long run throughout the afternoon, Hamlin had struggled with the car on restarts throughout the race.

From that point, and with 20 laps to run before the end, Hamlin would be forced to restart the field with Carl Edwards tight on his rear bumper. As the green flag waved, a slight tire spin on the #11 FedEx Express Camry gave Edwards the opening he was looking for to make the pass and there was little Hamlin could do to catch the #99 once he was enjoying the clean air out front. Through one last caution, Hamlin tried to catch Edwards but found himself under pressure from a streaking Jimmie Johnson. Though Johnson's move broke Hamlin loose in turn three, Hamlin collected the car and brought home an impressive third-place finish.

"This FedEx team gave me the best car they’ve ever given me here," said Hamlin. "They gave me an opportunity to win at Atlanta and this is a place where we've had our struggles. My pit crew did awesome. We definitely had a car that could’ve won the race. We just didn’t like those cautions because we couldn’t get going on the restarts. Our car was a long-run car and that hurt us on restarts so when we had that debris caution with about 30 to go, it just killed us. We could not just get going on the restarts. We could not take off. We got beat today.”

Following the race, Hamlin talked through the final thirty laps;
"We struggled to get going on the restarts but we were still okay. The #99 (Carl Edwards) was coming. I think I was in the middle of the track versus going high or low and he hit us. When he did, it knocked us down the race track. He chose what lane he wanted to be in when he hit us. Once you get the guy on the outside on the restart, it's over. That second groove is really, really good for a few laps. Once he knocked us down to the bottom right there, it was over with. We knew -- we conceded that. The only way to do it was to do it back to him. But, our car would not take off. It would not take off at all."

For Hamlin, the result marks his best ever finish at Atlanta and a much needed top-three finish to follow up a fifth-place run at Martinsville last weekend. Leaving Atlanta and heading to Texas for the start of the three-race run up to the end of the season, Hamlin remains in 11th place and now trails Dale Earnhardt Jr. in tenth by only six points in the Chase for the Sprint Cup standings.

Carl Edwards held on the for the win Sunday but the late-race charge up to second by Jimmie Johnson sees the driver of the #48 maintain a healthy points lead going to Texas. Matt Kenseth and Kyle Busch joined Hamlin in filling out the top-five. Hamlin and Busch's Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Tony Stewart finished 17th.

The Chase continues this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway, site of Hamlin's Cup debut in Nov. of 2005. This weekend will mark Hamlin's seventh start at Texas Motor Speedway and 113th career Cup start. Texas is a track that has been very good to Hamlin and the #11 FedEx team since the Chesterfield Va. native was presented as the full-time driver of the #11 car in Nov. of 2005. In only his fifth career Cup start, he piloted the #11 FedEx Chevy to a seventh-place finish. Hamlin has continued to perform well since, recording a fourth-place finish in the spring race last season, and posting a tenth-place finish in the 2006 edition of the Chase for the Nextel Cup. Despite going a lap down in the spring 2007 event at TMS, Hamlin and team rallied back for a ninth-place finish.


Last fall, Hamlin led 45 laps and battled for the lead with Matt Kenseth late in the race before making contact with the outside wall. Damage to the #11 forced Hamlin to the garage for repair and he would ultimately finish 29th - a result that didn't do justice to the strength of the car or the effort by the team that day. This spring Hamlin posted a fifth-place finish at Texas, scoring his fourth top-ten finish at the 1.5-mile track to date.


Texas Motor Speedway Chassis – JGR 204 & 196: The FedEx team will unload Chassis JGR 204 this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway, one week after it ran so well in Atlanta. This car had one previous Cup start before Atlanta, qualifying 29th and finishing ninth at Las Vegas in March. It also has served as the backup on six occasions this season. JGR 196 is the backup and has made four starts this season - posting top-ten finishes at Darlington and Pocono



HAMLIN CONVERSATION - TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

In as much as Atlanta was an Achilles heel for this team before last weekend, Texas has been a very good track for you and the FedEx team - can you explain why? "They are similar in that they are both banked, fast intermediates but the difference really comes in the surface and setting up your car to handle all that it throws at you. Atlanta has more grip and a little more room to move. Texas is tighter but if you can get your car working you can always pass at Texas so you see some good racing. It seems that just when you get comfortable at Texas is can bite you a little so you really need to be patient more than anything. I found some trouble there last season and it was just a case of trying to race a little too hard at the wrong time and we suffered for it. I feel I have a good sense of what it takes to be competitive at Texas and I have had some awesome cars there."


Top-five runs at Martinsville and Atlanta has you on a little roll - can you keep up this momentum?: "We're going to try for sure. Coming to Texas is a good thing for this team and then it's on to Phoenix where we've been pretty good in the past so we'd like to close out this season not only with some good results, but really consistent runs. If we leave Homestead knowing that despite the way the Chase played out for us, we pulled together and rattled off a string of good races before the end it will make the off season that much better - and certainly give us something to look forward to."


Rain forced Joey Logano to miss another qualifying opportunity last weekend in Atlanta so he'll try again in Texas - any advice for your teammate?: "Man I feel terrible for Joey because I know how much he wants to race and how I would feel if I was in his shoes. There is nothing worse than having to sit one out when all you want to do is race. He's doing a great job of keeping his head up and I know he he'll be ready to go when the chance to race that #02 comes - hopefully it's this weekend."

D Ham in the ATL

Martinsville is a distant memory and D Ham is heading for the bright lights of the ATL and Atlanta Motorspeedway. He came away with a solid Top 5 finish that helped boost his confidence and proved that once again you can't keep the Virginia boy down at his home track.

When I talked to Denny on Monday, he had some pretty interesting questions to answer for me and I want to share those with you. I have to keep the wheel man on his toes and this week I certainly did just that!

Becca: What happened with the car? I heard mention that the car was really loose in practice and that perhaps the team tightened it up just a bit too much. Please tell me about that.
Denny: Well yes the car was loose during practice and it was just to free for us. The crew tightened it up for us but it was just to tight and hard for us to turn the corners. We finally got it adjusted the way that we needed it during a pit stop.

Becca: Rain once again cancelled qualifying and cost valuable practice time. What are your thoughts on that?
Denny: We were pretty disappointed that it rained out most of practice and qualifying. We felt we could have gotten a better starting position and we just feel like we were robbed of that because of weather.

Becca: What is your favorite TV Show?
Denny: I don't really get much time to watch tv but when I do I like to watch CSI and Family Guy.

Becca: What is your biggest pet peeve? For me it's people who are late...what's yours?
Denny: I would have to say people that are rude.

Becca: What is your favorite number? (Mine is 11..hmmm....wonder why? HA HA)
Denny: haha I don't really have a favorite number but I guess I would have to say 11 too. It is the best number ever made right? haha

Becca: Atlanta is next in the Chase, what is your track record at Atlanta? How do you feel about your chances there?
Denny: I feel that we are pretty good there. Depending on how the weather treats us this weekend and how the car handles I say we will get a decent finish.

Becca: If you could ask ME 2 questions what would you like to ask me?
Denny: Why you think I'm so special and How did you end up knowing so much about NASCAR?

~Alright D Ham...here's the answer to those two questions....

1. Why do I think you're so special? Because as a rookie in 2006, you won the Bud Shootout against NASCAR's fastest and finest. You came back from being laps down at Pocono to win your first race, you don't wreck race cars or crash people to win and you're a gentleman. You have talent that impresses me and you drive for the best owners in the sport. On the personal side, there isn't a kinder, more thoughtful, genuine man on this planet let alone in the sport of NASCAR. I don't need to tell you my reasons lately because you already know them, but when I look at you I see your heart and the man behind the race car driver. I really like that... it's rare and quite valuable.

2. How did I end up knowing so much about NASCAR? Well, I've watched racing since I was 7 years old. Cars are my passion and I thirst for knowledge about them. I read books, watch TV shows, listen to Tim Brewer who has become my new best friend, I can't listen to him enough, and I just pay attention. I ask a lot of questions, when I don't understand something I search it on the internet or ask someone who would know. I eat, sleep and breathe racing. I can't drive a race car but that doesn't mean I can't know about them. It's my love.

Becca: Who was the driver I followed just before your Rookie season when I became your biggest fan?
Denny: There you go testing my memory! You know my memory is horrible haha. Umm.....lets see..I gotta think about this.....Elliot Sadler. haha

Now my D Ham is in the ATL and he's running a Craftsman Truck Series race in the # 15 Toyota. Billy Ballew Motorsports officials said Monday that Sprint Cup driver Denny Hamlin will drive the team’s No. 15 Toyota in this weekend’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Hamlin has driven in two Truck series races for Ballew, including one earlier this year at Martinsville, where he started second and finished 21st.

“I consider Billy a good friend, and this is a home race for him,” Hamlin said. “I’ve watched the trucks at Atlanta, and it’s a wild race. I’ve actually watched it from Billy’s suite at the track, and it just looks like fun, so when he asked if I was interested, I jumped at the chance. “I’ve been in the trucks before, not many times, but enough to get a feel for them and to know this will be a totally different race from what I’ve done before. I raced trucks at Texas, but that was four years ago, so I am sure it will take a couple of laps to get back in the swing of it. After that, it’s just trying to find the comfort level and be competitive."Hamlin, who drives Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 11 Toyota in the Cup series, has made eight Truck starts, with a best finish of eighth at Martinsville two years ago.

Rain set into Atlanta and once again forced NASCAR to cancel qualifying and set the field according to points. Hamlin will roll out 11th and should have a really good shot at a good finish. I just finished watching NCTS practice and Denny was way too tight and the team will need some adjustments before race time. Regardless, I am excited to see Denny in a Truck at Atlanta. He will start 20th next to Donny Lia after their qualifying was also rained out. NASCAR elected to make the qualifying session a much needed practice time which was in my opinion, one of the wisest choices they have made in quite a while.

I'm growing ever so tired of rain and truly believe NASCAR needs to make a change to their qualifying rules. But then again, since the pole position no longer matters, there really isn't much of a point to the whole thing. When NASCAR changed the Bud Shootout rules it made winning a pole position pointless, literally and figuratively. As a die-hard race fan, I want to see the cars on the track as often as possible. And with the amount of money race teams are putting into simply attempting to make a race, something has to change. But I've lost my focus and I need to rope this back in and talk about Denny Hamlin.

Atlanta is very special to me and I am excited about seeing my hero race there this weekend. But it is also kinda sad because the season is rapidly winding down and then I will have the long, cold winter without my favorite driver every weekend. But I guess even Superman needs a rest. Made of steel or not, Denny Hamlin deserves some time off. But not quite yet.... Boogity Boogity Boogity....Let's Go Racing Boys!!!!