Quite the Return

The look of relief and sheer exhaustion on Denny Hamlin's face at the end of 501 miles at The Track Too Tough to Tame said it all!  It was a grueling battle that left the #11 wounded warrior totally spent.  My favorite track on the circuit proved to be quite the arena to show the NASCAR world that rusty or not, Denny Hamlin was back and ready to rumble.  He fought all night against a gritty track and competitors that were looking to see if there were any cracks in the foundation of the FedEx team and its driver. They found none.  A solid second place finish helped move Hamlin up four spots in the point standings, which is definitely an improvement.  But the battle isn't over yet.

Next weekend, the All Star event gives Hamlin a chance to have some fun, race with his friends and not worry about points.  Always an exciting event, it will be wonderful to be at home for two weeks and relax a little.  The most exciting part of the entire race season, All Star weekend is always a lot of fun for the drivers and the fans.  And it is a much needed reprieve before the Coca Cola 600. 

All in all, last night's Southern 500 at Darlington was a great race with amazing results.  Watching Denny stretch before he climbed behind the wheel made me a little nervous, but I'm thankful he made it out of the race in one piece and gave Joe Gibbs Racing a 1-2 finish.  If there was ever any doubt that Hamlin is fighting hard for wins and to secure a spot in the chase, that is all but erased from even the biggest skeptics mind.  Hamlin is ready and his fans are elated.  Welcome back, Denny.  You have made us proud!

Long Wait Over - Daytona

Since the checkered flag waved at Homestead-Miami and Brad Keselowski was crowned 2012 Champion, fans have been anxiously awaiting the start of the 2013 season.  The cold winter months have left NASCAR die-hards chomping at the bit for the sun and fun of Daytona and the beginning of the new season. 

A lot happened in the off-season, especially for new Dad, Denny Hamlin.  There is a new focus to his life as of late and for good reason. His beautiful daughter, Taylor James, was born on January 20th.  Her full head of dark hair, full lips and precious smile have melted Daddy's heart and caused him to fall head-over-heels in love with his tiny angel.  But this latest, tiny edition to the Hamlin family hasn't dampened the fire in the #11 Toyota's belly to win races and get that Championship.  He is still a racer at heart, who just so happens to have added the title of Dad to his impressive resume.

The first race at Daytona was the Sprint Unlimited. The new format for the season-opener that awards 2012 pole sitters and previous Unlimited winners with a non-points event, was unique and Hamlin started 5th.    Things didn't go as planned for the #11 FedEx Toyota, as Hamlin was involved in a crash and finished 15th.  Not exactly the way the team wanted to start the season, but lesson learned.

Or was it?  Denny went out to qualify for the Great American Race 24th and logged the 7th fastest time, behind pole-sitter Danica Patrick.  His time gave him a 4th place starting spot for the first Budweiser Duel.  And the inevitable happened when yet again he was caught up in someone else's mess and finished 20th in his Duel.  Not exactly where the Virginia native wanted to finish.  It put the FedEx Toyota 33rd in the lineup for the Daytona 500.  This race fan was hopeful that the old adage "it doesn't matter where you start, it only matters where you finish" would hold true.

There was plenty of sheet metal getting tangled up during the Daytona 500 but luckily Denny avoided the catastrophes.  His teammates Matt Kenseth and Kyle Busch, as well as fellow Toyota driver, Martin Truex Jr, suffered engine failures, leaving doubts in the minds of the Joe Gibbs Racing crewmembers about the powerhouse under the hood of Hamlin's ride. 

It was an impressive race for Denny, leading 33 laps and finishing 14th with all the fenders on his machine.  He lead the second-most laps and is 13th after the first race is complete.  Given the difficulties of his fellow Toyota teammates and a field that was unable to make a move seemingly throughout the entire race, it's a pretty good start to the season.

The Joe Gibbs Racing #11 team heads to Phoenix for race #2 of the season with plenty to be proud of.  Any time you finish at Daytona on the lead lap without cosmetic damage it's a good day. 

Wheels up....Phoenix, AZ here we come!

SPEED Ready for Start of 2013 Season

SPEED is prepared to broadcast 11 days of programming, nearly 100 hours of coverage, live from Daytona International Speedway, in preparation for the 55th running of the Daytona 500.

It all kicks off February 14th at 6 PM with a special 2 hour edition of NASCAR Race Hub from Media Day.

The fan voted-upon format for the Sprint Unlimited at Daytona (formerly the Budweiser Shootout) will be revealed on Feb. 14th on Hub.

A total of 25 SPEED on-air personalities present 2 weeks of on-track action to viewers beginning when Cup Series cars fire up Feb. 15 for the first The Sprint Ultimate practice session, carried live on SPEED at 5PM/et.

NASCAR Race Hub returns to deliver all the days' happenings Feb. 18-20 at 6 PM/et, with Danielle Trotta hosting from the SPEED studios and Steve Byrnes and Ray Dunlap on-site at Daytona.

SPEED is live from the Budweiser Duel at Daytona on Thursday Feb. 21 at 2PM/et as drivers battle for the final spots on the Daytona 500 starting grid.

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series opens its season under the lights Feb. 22 at 7 PM/et with NCWTS Setup with Krista Voda setting the stage for the green flag at 7:30 PM/et.

Rick Allen hosts with Michael Waltrip and Phil Parsons providing analysis and Ray Dunlap, Hermie Sadler, and Bob Dillner reporting from the pits.

NASCAR Race Day Fueled by Sunoco returns for 3 pre-race editions from Daytona with John Roberts hosting.  Kyle Petty, Kenny Wallace, Larry McReynolds and Matt Clark provide analysis and Wendy Venturini and Rutledge Wood will be reporting from the garage.

NASCAR Race Day offers pre-race coverage of the Sprint Unlimited, Budweiser Duel at Daytona and an expanded 3 hour show Feb 24 (9am- Noon/et) leading into FOX Sports live coverage of the 55th running of the Daytona 500.

TRACKSIDE, the network's longest running NASCAR program returns Feb 22 at 5:30 PM/et for a live 30 minute edition hosted by Krista Voda, Kyle Petty, Rutledge Wood and Kaitlyn Vincie.  The gang hangs around the next day for another 1 hour edition at 4:30 PM/et.

Live coverage of Cup and Truck series practice and qualifying sessions, as well as up-to-the-minute updates from NASCAR Live! round out the schedule.

Wind Tunnel has Dave Despain hopping back in his chair for an 11th season Feb 24 at 8 PM/et live.

NASCAR Victory Lane, SPEED's Cup Series post-race show, rolls into the famed Victory Lane at Daytona Feb 21 and Feb 24 at 5:30 PM/et live with hosts John Roberts, Kyle Petty and Kenny Wallace and garage reporting by Bob Dillner.

2012 NASCAR Media Week - Quotes Denny Hamlin

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 FedEx Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing:
 How different will your team look this year? “I think our team is going to look totally different even though there’s just a few changes here and there. It’s going to be a total different race team I feel like. I’ve got two different people speaking in my ear and you’ve got a lot of energy within the shop. I know you hear that a lot, but we’ve really gone through some big changes with our team and it’s obviously got a lot of people excited.”

How good of a hire was it for your race team to get Darian Grubb? “It was big for us because he (Darian Grubb, crew chief) had so many good options and he had an offer from every race team in the garage area. For him to pick me as his driver and continuing to want to be a crew chief, that’s a big deal. So, at least it gives you the faith that the guy has got a lot of faith in your talents and that you can bring him another championship.”

How much different will it be for you to have a new crew chief? “I think there’s a lot of things that are going to be different. I’ve got to be a little bit more aware of what’s going on with my feedback. I think at times I kind of took for granted that Mike (Ford) just always knew what I needed at certain times even though I might not say it. With him (Darian Grubb, crew chief) I’ve got to make sure I continue to voice those things and tell him the specifics because he’s not worked with me before. Working with other drivers, he’s got different ideas and stuff that he can bring up to me. I think it’s going to be key for me the first six months to really communicate a lot with him.”

How much information can you use from Darian Grubb? “You’ve got to listen to a guy that’s won five of 10 Chase races in one year. He’s (Darian Grubb, crew chief) obviously got that experience. He’s got a lot of Hendrick (Motorsports) information that’s coming over to (Joe) Gibbs (Racing). That part of it is always good. New blood sometimes is just what you need to kind of get your team fired up.”

What does it say about Darian Grubb to know he won five of 10 Chase races when he knew he was being let go? “It tells me in those situations that the guy is mentally tough. When he knows his job is on the line and might not know what he’s doing next year, he’s still got the focus to bring what he brought to the race track. For me, I think he’s one of the most well-respected guys within our garage and that’s going to be a key asset to have.”

How long did it take you to get reenergized after last season? “I just had to get away from Charlotte for a little while. That’s all it took. Get away from racing and you know when you have such a bad year like we had last year, you’re waiting for the season to be over with. You always kind of get that second breath of life where you’re like, ‘Okay, the Chase is starting so it’s a fresh start.’ And, then when we come out of the gates and had the issues that we had in the very first race, it’s like that year is just not meant to be for us. It doesn’t take long before you’re starting to count down how many weeks are left in the season to just get it over with. Let’s go through the motions, get to the track, do our job and get out of there. And, obviously it’s going to be hard to win races with that attitude. Now, we’ve got a lot of reasons to be optimistic.”

What have you done during the off-season to get your mind away from the race track? “I’ve been racing since I was eight years old — 23 straight years of living and breathing this sport every single day and every single week. Our schedule is not driver friendly with all of the obligations that we have on and off the race track, we’re doing so much during the week. We just don’t have that much time at home. For me, I had to get away from Charlotte, get away from the same people that I see all of the time, just to kind of relax and do my own grocery shopping, do my own laundry, cook my own food and just feel like I was on an island by myself. So, I feel like that has all been really good for me personally and it’s just gotten me super energized for a new season because I really do feel like I’ve had a break now.”

Why are you so confident going into this season? “I think we’re going to be going to the race track with completely different race cars. I can’t get a heck of a lot in depth with it, but just some of the things that we’re building in our race cars and things like that are just, gosh, things that I’ve wanted for a long time but it’s been hard to get past the departments here and there. We feel like we’re heading in a good direction, there’s no doubt about it. I feel like Toyota is getting stronger than what they were last year, all three teams are on the same engine program, we’ve got an alliance with Michael Waltrip Racing – there’s a lot of things that are stronger this time around. And, on top of that my confidence is way higher right now than it was to start 2011.”

Can you use the adversity that you’ve faced during your career will help you to the next level? “I think the adversity that I’ve had in my career and the ups and the downs is going to make it sweeter when I finally do win that championship.”

Do you need to improve on speed in your race cars for the 2012 season? “It’s just things weren’t as easy as what they were in 2010. In 2011, for us, I was sweating like a dog in practice to be 20th fastest. It’s just having to work too hard to get the speed out of the car and that tells us that we’ve got to improve on a couple of different areas. I think we’ve shifted our focus this year to those areas and I think that there’s no doubt that when we get to the race track that we’re going to be much more competitive.”

Do you think having Darian Grubb as a crew chief is what you need to win a championship? “I just think that he (Darian Grubb, crew chief) brings so much good information over to our race team. Just the way that he was doing things over at Stewart-Haas and Hendrick and the way we were doing things at Gibbs, there’s a lot of good things that both teams were doing that we’re going to mesh together and make for hopefully a team that performs. Really, for me, it’s just hearing the different voice of reason. That gets you fired up sometimes and obviously when you know a guy has been as successful as him, it’s hard not to have confidence when you’re behind the wheel. All of this stuff has worked out it seems like perfectly for my career. There’s a lot of things that’s been put into place for me to be successful and I feel like this year is my best opportunity to do that.”

Will adding fuel injection to the race cars level all of the teams out? “No, I don’t think that will change much. I think that what’s driving the back tires is still that engine, it’s not the fuel injection. Us having Toyota on our side as far as that’s concerned on all three teams this year will be a big benefit because we’ve obviously got a lot of technology that they’re going to bring from their street program to our race program — whether it be fuel mapping or things like that to try to help us with fuel mileage. Look how many races have been fuel mileage races here lately. It’s just you’ve got to have every aspect of your race team as good as possible.”

Do you think NASCAR’s current points system is the right formula? “I do and I think that the emphasis on winning is more than it’s ever been. That’s the mentality that you have to have. If you’re going to have to wreck a few race cars in the process to do it, then so be it because if you’re winning, you’re going to be in the Chase and that gets you a shot at the championship. I’m probably going to take a little bit more risk here and there to try and get those wins because we see how valuable it was last year.”

What did you do when you heard Darian Grubb was available? “When we heard about Darian (Grubb, crew chief) becoming available of course we were one of many teams that were after him pretty heavy. We knew he was going to have a tough decision. He’d had a relationship with Hendrick (Motorsports) for many, many years and when he got offered that position we thought we could possibly lose him to that because we know he is a loyal guy. But, it’s through sitting there and talking to him and I asked him about his motivation to win another championship. He says he feels like he wanted to crew chief until he was 40 years old and his son got to a certain age. His job now, he says, is to win another championship and show everyone that he can win with multiple drivers.”

How much does it increase your confidence to have Darian Grubb as your crew chief? “A lot. Everyone knows that the driver and crew chief relationship is very, very important. It’s as important as anything as far as being successful so we know it’s going to work. It’s going to take some time for him (Darian Grubb, crew chief) to understand what I need in my car and for me to tell him what he needs to hear. That part is going to be a little bit of a transition, but I think right now we have enough motivation and confidence that should carry us until that point happens.”

Will you use last year as motivation for this season? “I can’t even remember more than about five races last year in the sense of that we were really competitive, had a shot to win and those are the races that get me motivated. The rest of them, I feel like I was just there. I was one of those cars in the middle of the pack and that’s not me. I’m too competitive for that, I won’t stand for it and I’m not going to have the rest of my career go that way. We’re going to go back to the front where we belong.”

Hamlin Grubb Have A Lot To Improve Upon for 2012

by Ed Hinton ESPN.com
CONCORD, N.C. -- Here you have a driver who feels he got his "ass kicked" last season, and a crew chief who says "It's weird to me to this day" that he got booted after leading the most remarkable onslaught to a championship in NASCAR history.

Add a resurgence in spirit at Joe Gibbs Racing, and "There's no doubt we'll have a successful year," Hamlin said Monday during the NASCAR preseason media tour.

From what Grubb has seen since he arrived at JGR on the rebound, "With the technology they have, I'm sitting there thinking, 'How did we beat these guys?'" he said.

Good point. Grubb walloped 'em through the Chase, atop the pit box for Tony Stewart, who won five of the 10 playoff races last season.

But it was already in the plan at Stewart-Haas Racing that Grubb would not return in 2012. Stewart stuck by the plan.

At JGR, "I think you need a season of getting your ass kicked," Hamlin said, "for people to wake up and realize that you know what? We're not as good as we maybe thought we were.

"At JGR we got our tails kicked. Kyle [Busch] won four races in a period [of the regular season, and Hamlin won one], but when the Chase started, we were off from the start. We were all terrible."

Stewart's No. 14 operation was just the opposite, sputtering through the regular season and deciding to replace Grubb as crew chief in '12 before the juggernaut broke loose in the Chase.

"It's still weird to me to this day to not know exactly what was going on and why the decision was made," Grubb said. "It wasn't any kind of mutual decision or anything like that. I was told I wasn't going to be back for the 2012 season, so at that point I just started going out there doing the best we could to try to move forward and win the championship."

Stewart said he still doesn't question himself for bringing in Steve Addington to replace the crew chief who batted .500 in the fall.

"We made that decision before the Chase even started and I think it took a lot of the pressure off," Stewart said Monday. "I think that was part of what led to the success at the end of the season."

In fact, Hamlin said, it was Stewart himself, a former teammate of Hamlin's at JGR, who encouraged this new pairing.

Neither Stewart nor Hamlin is the type to jet away on tropical vacations, and so in the immediate aftermath of Stewart's fourth title, "I saw him quite a few times out and around Charlotte," Hamlin said.

"I told him I was interested in working with Darian -- what did he think?

"He said, 'I was going to get in contract with you because I feel like the guy is perfect for you.'


“It's still weird to me to this day to not know exactly what was going on and why the decision was made. It wasn't any kind of mutual decision or anything like that. I was told I wasn't going to be back for the 2012 season, so at that point I just started going out there doing the best we could to try to move forward and win the championship.”-- Darian Grubb on his release from Stewart-Haas Racing

"He said, 'Y'all have the same personality, and if there's anything I can do to make it happen' -- he would.

"Tony knows me pretty well and obviously Tony and Darian had a lot of success. So for Tony to say, 'I think this is something that's gonna be really good,' that's great motivation for me."

With Grubb as a free agent after he and Stewart staged a multiple-comeback victory in the season finale at Homestead-Miami, "There's no doubt we had a full-court press on him [recruiting]," Hamlin said. "With his loyalty to Mr. [Rick] Hendrick [owner of Hendrick Motorsports] and everything they'd built over there over Darian's entire career, we were kind of worried we were going to lose him to Mr. Hendrick."

Grubb had been an engineer at HMS and, pressed into crew chief duty while Chad Knaus was serving a suspension for rules infractions, directed Jimmie Johnson's Daytona 500 victory in 2006.

Hendrick wanted him back on the engineering staff there.

"But he said he wanted to be a crew chief, he wanted to win more championships, and that he felt like I was the guy who could do it for him," Hamlin said.

"I'm glad to see that he landed in the position that he wanted at Gibbs, and it's going to be hard to race against him for sure," Stewart said, "because we started this whole thing [SHR] together three years ago."

But now, "I think they'll be a good pair," Stewart said. "Denny's a very technical guy. I'm the opposite of that. I just get in the thing and drive it. Denny will analyze everything that's going on with the car, and Darian's very good at that, so I think they'll be a better pair than I was with Darian.

"I think we were good together, but I think there's a lot of potential in Darian and Denny for sure.

"I think they'll hit it off right away, and I think they'll run really well together."

2012 NASCAR Media Week - Quotes # 11 Fed Ex Toyota

DARIAN GRUBB, crew chief, No. 11 FedEx Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing:

 How do you feel starting 2012 with a new team? “It feels really good to be a part of Joe Gibbs Racing. The professionalism that they have is pretty impressive. It’s good to be a part of that. Yeah, we had a lot of turmoil at the end of the year last year — still came out all positive. Won the championship and won five races. Came out of there with my head held high and then went on to my next endeavors. I’m really looking forward to getting a new chapter started at Joe Gibbs Racing.”

Do you look at this as a new challenge? “I definitely do. I feel like I’ve checked a lot of things off the bucket list and now it’s time to go out there and just race for fun and try to win races and win championships. It’s a whole new endeavor and a lot of new people and a lot of new faces to learn and learn how to deal with and how to talk to them. I’m really looking forward to that.”

How different are Joe Gibbs Racing and Stewart-Hass Racing in their operations? “It’s very similar. The work that everybody does in the Cup Series is very even across the field. The competition level is so high. It’s hard for anybody to really be that far behind and these guys are definitely on top of their game when it comes to the technology side of things, the engineering, support they have from Toyota. I’m really looking forward to learning all those different people and the different aspects of the sport and try to make the 11 FedEx team stronger.”

How much confidence do you bring to the team coming off your 2011 championship? “It’s really exciting for me just because coming in talking to the guys in the shop you can tell there’s just the attitude there that they just felt like they were beat down because they had such a bad year in 2011 and now there’s just a breath of fresh air. They know that I was lucky enough to go out there and win that championship. They all want a piece of that. They know how close they were and everybody just realizes now it’s all about just having fun, working in one direction so we’re all going out there trying to win races and put ourselves in the Chase with a chance to go for that championship.”

What have you learned about Denny Hamlin? “He’s (Denny Hamlin) a really good character. He’s a fun guy. He likes to joke with the guys and carry on and that’s a big part of it. We want to have Denny included in the team and make sure he’s one of the guys that’s leading the team. He has to be a leader and make sure all those guys are following him. He’s the guy that everybody shows up to work for every morning and as long as he’s connected to us we’ll be working our hardest for him.”

Is your experience an advantage for you and your new team? “I definitely think so. Working with Chad Knaus (crew chief, No. 48) and the Hendrick Motorsports group was a great learning experience for me. I’ve been lucky enough to work with some of the greats all the way through even back to my first days in Cup with Dale Inman at Petty Enterprises — just went into the Hall of Fame — so there’s guys like that that I have learned a lot of lessons from. I hope to take all those things and put them to my best use.”

What are your thoughts on moving from Chevrolet to a Toyota team? “It’s definitely different. It’s a different mentality about the way they approach the race cars and the race track, the data and what they do with it. But then again, everything this year is different because of the EFI (Electronic Fuel Injection) introduction for NASCAR. There’s a lot of new things. There’s a lot of new technology and we’re all kind of growing with that as well. I haven’t seen anything that’s a weak link. We’re looking forward to going out there and hitting the race track.”

How is the communication among your team and with Toyota? “They work together really well there at Joe Gibbs Racing with the Toyota development program and TRD (Toyota Racing Development) engines and all those things. The communication level probably needs to be picked up a little bit because there was a lot of things new. I think most of that just comes from the fact that fuel injection (EFI) and all those things are being introduced this year and we’ve got a lot of new people, new faces that we’re trying to get introduced and make sure everybody is doing the right thing at the race track, so we’re looking forward to that and getting those relationships built.”

Is it an advantage to have one full-time Toyota team to work with in Michael Waltrip Racing? “I think it’s a little easier because now we have the one team that we can go out there and lean on as far as technology. We know as long as we’re both going in one direction with TRD (Toyota Racing Development) that support is going to follow.”

Offical Press Release - NASCAR Media

2012 NASCAR Media Week - Joe Gibbs Racing

Coach Joe Gibbs addresses the media while son, JD Gibbs, looks on

Denny Hamlin takes questions from the media

NASCAR Media Week at JGR

New Crew Chief for the #11 Fed Ex Toyota and Denny Hamlin, Darian Grubb, takes questions from the Media

2012 NASCAR Media Week at JGR

Denny Hamlin

JGR's stable Joey Logano, Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin

JD Gibbs fields media questions while Dad, Joe Gibbs, looks on

New Season New Faces New Outlook?

After what felt like an eternity away from the track, NASCAR has returned to Daytona for Pre-Season testing.  There were lots of new faces in the JGR #11 Fed Ex garage.  Gone are former Crew Chief Mike Ford and former Spotter Curis Markham, all in an effort to elevate Denny Hamlin to the next level of his career.  A move that has been a long time in the making, and is one that I truly believe will make not only the driver, but the entire team better.

So who are the new faces of the Fed Ex team? Well the Crew Chief will definitely look familiar to you.  He's none other than Darian Grubb, former Sprint Cup winning Crew Chief for 2011 NASCAR Champion Tony Stewart.  Stewart's loss is definitely our gain.  He's a racing master mind and will be a fabulous asset to the team and to Denny Hamlin.

Hamlin's new spotter is Chris Lambert, former spotter for Brian Vickers.  I'm not as familiar with Chris Lambert, but definitely feel the change in eyes and communication for Denny will be the most positive modification the team has made. The constant bickering and yelling on the radio had gotten old long ago and I'm ready for some good things for my driver.

Judging by the smiles on Denny's face during testing and Pre-Season Thunder fan meet and greet, things are definitely going in the right direction.  I like Hamlin's positive outlook, his focus seems to be on racing and getting back to basics.  I don't think moving to Scottsdale, AZ for a few months to clear his head and get away from the business of life has hurt him any.  I for one really like the changes I'm seeing all over JGR and especially with Denny Hamlin. 2012 has so much potential.  It has a clean slate with multiple possibilities.  All that's waiting is for the Fed Ex team to write their history.  And I can't wait to read the headlines.

NASCAR Notebook: Hamlin welcomes Busch back

By JENNA FRYER, AP Auto Racing Writer       

Even though they’ve quarreled as teammates at Joe Gibbs Racing, Denny Hamlin wants Kyle Busch on his race team and at the track.

Busch was suspended from all racing last week at Texas as punishment from NASCAR for wrecking Ron Hornaday Jr under caution in the Trucks Series race. His participation at Phoenix this weekend was in doubt until late Thursday because of sponsor wrangling, but Busch is present and will run Sunday in the Sprint Cup Series race.

Hamlin said Busch provides information that is “vital” to how Hamlin and third teammate Joey Logano run.
<“He’s vital to our race team and the feedback that he has is vital to the way I drive my car every single week. He’s one of the key elements that we need,” Hamlin said.
When Tony Stewart left JGR following the 2008 season, Hamlin joked he’s now the senior leader of the organization. With Busch now reeling because of another misstep, Hamlin has an opportunity to provide some guidance.

But Hamlin said he’ll leave it to team owner Joe Gibbs.

“I think he is going to have to rely a lot on Joe Gibbs, who has been in that situation with a lot of pro athletes that he’s been associated with during his career,” Hamlin said. “I don’t know that I’m that person. I feel like I haven’t been around that long and I’ve made enough mistakes myself.

“I just don’t know me being around for six years, it’s my place to really say what he should or shouldn’t do. I think that he should definitely rely on Joe Gibbs for that because we’ve got one of the best sports guys in the history of pro sports as our owner. He’s seen it all and been through it all.”

Drama and Disrespect

As I sit here writing, I'm still shaking my head in disbelief.  I've seen a lot of things in my years as a NASCAR fan.  I was at Bristol when Dale Earnhardt dumped Terry Labonte on purpose.  It happened right in front of me and I flipped the bird til my fingers hurt.  I was in Martinsville when Tony Stewart threw down his gloves and heat shields and reached through the window at Kenny Irwin.  Retaliation and flat out wrecking people on purpose is nothing new in this sport. And the sheer stupidity of it isn't either.


So you're driving along at 200 mph, in a car made of sheet metal mere inches off the bumper of 42 other cars.  Someone decided making wise decision was out of their reach of copability and you get mad.  They cut you off, didn't lift, bumped your fender, rode you to the wall, their spotter was caught sleeping at the wheel.  And you are seeing red.  Typical day at the races. Sometimes it's from the waving of the green flag, others it's a few more laps in and if you're into wishful thinking they save it for the last 10 laps or so.  Not always the case however. 

After about the third bump, you realize it's that guy that's been bumping you for the past 4 weeks, expecting you to just pull over when you see them in your rear view mirror and you have had it.  The temperature in the car has hit a boiling point and it's because of your rising blood pressure.  That's it! You've had enough. They are gonna get it.  So what do you decide to do? You guessed it! RETALIATE!!! Best time to do it? UNDER CAUTION!!!!

WRONG!  First of all the yellow flag has waved and the field has slowed because more often than not there are safety workers on the track to aid a driver who has crashedor collect debris and those safety workers are vulnerable to a race car and it's idiot driver.  But you don't care, you're not thinking of anything but that guy in that car that's in your sights for pay backs and you're hell bent on taking them out.  What were you thinking?

NASCAR said "Boys have at it" and I think it was a great idea.  But NOT under caution. NEVER when others are at risk of being hurt. NOT on pit road, NOT when cars are on the track and NOT when an ambulance is waiting to take a possibly injured driver to the Infield Care Center for treatment.

So what did taking out Ron Hornaday under caution actually accomplish Kyle? Your truck was destroyed in the process, you were parked for not one, but three races.  You face fines and points penalties and your sponsors are yet again disappointed in you and your behavior.  If you really wanted to fix it why didn't you wait til you saw the guy in his yard trimming the hedges, jump out of your car and proceed to pound the crap out of him while screaming at him all his wrong doings???  Oh wait! That's how a MAN would handle it and you've proven you're a little boy in a man's world.  You have no respect for yourself with your smug faces, your careless attitude and your blatant disregard for anyone and everyone else around you.  You did the crime now do the time.

Does that mean Ron Hornaday and Kevin Harvick are blameless? Does that mean they have the right to gloat over someone else's punishment? NO! It means Harvick and Kyle Busch are EXACTLY alike which is why they butt heads so much.  Ron Hornaday shouldn't have made threats, Harvick shouldn't have made threats and DeLana Harvick's nasty comments on Twitter were out of line. They took a situation where they could've risen above and come out smelling like a rose and blew it. They stooped to the same level as Kyle Busch and rolled around in the same crap he was playing in and came out looking worse than the guilty one.

To take to Twitter and call someone a P O S and threaten to kick their @$$, call names and harrass Kyle, his wife Samantha, Denny Hamlin, who wasn't even involved and has no responsibility for his teammate in the Cup series, or fans of JGR is classless.  It shows the mentatlity of the people involved and does give some claim to Kyle's frustatrations but it's no excuse for his behavior.

Was it worth it? Is the time at home what you wanted out of the situation? Are you happy now? Is it all better? When you speak to your sponsors and assure them that it won't happen again, do you realize you've lost face with them and have proven you aren't a man of your word because you made that same promise the last time this happened with you. You went back on that word and did the one thing you assured the people who sign your paycheck you wouldn't do.  On top of all that, your wallet is lighter, your Championship run is wasted, all the good things you did all season long have been marred by one foolish decision.  If you don't respect your fellow competitors, could you atleast have respect for yourself?

Kyle issued this apology to the media:

“I've had a lot of time today to sit and reflect and try to put my thoughts into words as best I can.

“I want to sincerely apologize for my actions during Friday night's Truck Series race at Texas.

“I apologize to my fans, all my sponsors, everyone at Joe Gibbs Racing and Kyle Busch Motorsports.
“After talking with my team, it's great to have their support and encouragement to assure me that there are better days ahead. Even though this took place while driving for Kyle Busch Motorsports, I am sorry for how difficult this has been for everyone associated with Joe Gibbs Racing's Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series teams.

“I'd also like to apologize to Ron Hornaday Jr., and everyone associated with the No. 33 team in the Truck Series.

“I understand why I was taken out of the car for the rest of the weekend. NASCAR officials had to act, and I accept their punishment and take full responsibility for my actions.

“As a race-car driver, the hardest thing to do is to sit on the sidelines listening to cars on the track when you know you should be out there competing. For this, I have no one to blame but myself.
“Through a lot of support from the people around me, I feel like I've made a lot of strides this year, but this was certainly a step backward. Moving forward, I will do everything I possibly can to represent everyone involved in a positive manner. However, I know my long-term actions will have more of a bearing than anything I say right now.”

And his wife penned this to the fans via her website, www.samanthabusch.com:

To all the Fans

November 5, 2011

I wanted to write a quick note to all of you addressing the incident that happened during the truck race on Friday night. No, I was not going to comment on the situation Friday night in the midst of all the angry and harsh tweets, there was really no point. I understand that Kyle’s actions were wrong and NASCAR has dealt with the issue appropriately. I love my husband very much and will always be by his side through the good and the bad. Life is not always easy but you deal with each day as it comes and we will move on from this the best that we can.

I also want to thank all of the nice people out there, and let you all know that we really appreciate your support and love through this difficult time. I appreciate everything that you guys do as fans in this sport by coming out to the races, watching on TV and interacting with us via Facebook and Twitter. Along with our family and friends, it has been your kind words and support that make a difficult time better and I sincerely Thank You.
Samantha

Team owner Joe Gibbs has accepted full responsibility for Kyle and his actions and is showing the class act that he is.  I have long admired Coach Joe, his son JD and the entire JGR organization.  They have shown the racing world what true sportsmanship and class are.  That doesn't mean their drivers aren't human and they don't make mistakes, it simply means they hold themselves to a higher standard, correct a problem as soon as it arises and don't make excuses for bad behavior. They admit their failures, apologize and do their best going forward to ensure it doesn't happen again. And if it does, then they go back to the drawing board for a different solution.  That is why I will always be a fan of Joe Gibbs Racing.

I am a Denny Hamlin fan, plain and simple. I have taken a neutral stance about Kyle Busch because he's a teammate to my driver.  He has some good points that I like about him and then there's this situation. This is the man who went out on a public road with his wife and drove a car at 120 mph without considering anyone but himself. His excuse was he's a professional driver and he had it under control. I'm sorry Kyle, but you can't control cars backing out of their driveway, kids riding bikes or farm equipment or tractors that may happen to enter the roadway. You don't have those obstacles on the racetrack.  He didn't take responsibility for his actions then and it really ticked me off.  He put his wife at risk and that goes against his vows to love, honor and cherish her.

He said in his apology that his future actions will speak louder than words. EXACTLY! I'm waiting and I'm watching.  More of his attitude and facial expressions than anything.  But regardless of what Kyle did or didn't do, fans have no right to attack him, his lovely wife Samantha, who is innocent and is far too sweet and kind to fans to deserve such disgusting behavior and especially to Denny Hamlin who wasn't involved in any way and by filling in for him on Saturday was simply following orders from his boss.

In a sport where the world is watching and following every move, word, action and deed...these men are held to a higher standard.  The fans are merciless and if a driver gets a reputation for being wreckless, it's nearly impossible to overcome.  I don't want Kyle to change his driving style, I just want him to consider the consequences for his actions before he does them.  He's racing in all 3 series, two of which he isn't even points eligible for, and the things that happen in those races aren't important.

That brings up my argument for NASCAR not allowing drivers who have made it full time into the Cup series in the lesser series.  Especially the trucks.  If it's money they're after, then limit the number of NNS races. Those guys can't get a win and the series champion will be an also ran, winless, average 15th finish driver who is worth more than he's been able to show.  But that's a whole different discussion.

Time for a change?

 Since the first time I heard the name Denny Hamlin, I knew there was something special about this guy.  I've had the utmost respect for Joe Gibbs since the day he came into NASCAR.  He produces champions, he's of NFL greatness, so of course he knows how to mold young men into the finest gold ever produced.  Bobby Labonte exudes class and character and he will forever be the face of JGR to me.  Then there's Tony Stewart.  The firecracker who brought spark and charisma to the world of Motorsports.  My personal feelings for Smoke aside, you can't deny his greatness after winning two championships and going out on his own to start a team that will sustain him after retirement, basing his organization on the model of none other than his boss and mentor, Joe Gibbs.

In my opinion, Joe Gibbs and his son JD know how to pick the best of the best and Denny Hamlin is no exception.  His first win came after adversity that would've sidelined lesser competitors. But this rookie proved he had what it takes to be a champion.  So this season's struggles don't concern me in the least, and I don't feel like any changes are necessary for his crew chief or his pitcrew.

Denny says Mike Ford's his guy and if Ford goes, he goes.  He's stood up for his shot caller numerous times and the loyalty runs deep.  Rumors of a crew chief swap have run rampant and Hamlin insists there will be no changes if the boss plans to keep him onboard.  This is yet another quality that endears me to the FedEx driver.  Last weekend's race at Pocono looked promising for the much needed, highly coveted win the entire # 11 team so desperately wants to get under their belt for the 2011 season and yet again the unthinkable happened.  Only this time, the laps wound down quicker than Denny could rebound and he wound up 19th and dropped to 12th in point standings. 

Denny Hamlin has said all along that 2011 is his season. He is determined to be the man to dethrone Five Time and as a staunch hater of Jimmie Johnson and all of Hendrick Motorsports, I'm all for that plan.  So what's happened? Why does it seem all the wheels are falling off at once and the entire season may explode in Denny's face?  I have but one explanation.  Distractions and high self expectations have taken my heroes focus off of the task of claiming his first in many trophies and making his mark on the sport of auto racing.  Girls, friends and outside interests have become drama with a life of its own that the driver can't quite seem to squash.  The people closest to him try to protect him from the bullshit of life but there will always be people who don't respect him and have his best interest at heart.  Shy of cleaning house and wiping out all the negativity the only hope is to shut out everything and everyone that doesn't lift him up and make him better.

I've said all along that Denny can be his own worst enemy, and unfortunately that is evident this year.  He starts to doubt his own talents and takes his eye off the prize and he has the same result as Peter who took his eyes off of Jesus while he was walking on water to him.  You can't always explain why things are going so well, but the last thing you need to is to start second guessing, questioning and doubting.  Denny knows he's capable of it, he knows his crew chief is the one to get him there and he knows he's a rockstar. Now he just needs to start walking, talking, eating, sleeping...yeah some more of that may help too.... and breathing like a Champion.  Your fans believe in you, I believe in you and now my amazing man, you need to start believing in you. Get back to basics, put the blinders on and focus on filling up your house with race trophies and making room for that coveted Championship trophy. The world is waiting on you to take it by storm...so what are you waiting for?

5-Hour Energy 500 Falls Short

It is no secret that Denny Hamlin is a favorite each time NASCAR comes to Pocono and he wasted no time in establishing that his No. 11 FedEx Ground Toyota was still going to be the car to beat again this afternoon. Hamlin, who has won four times on the tricky 2.5-mile triangular track, quickly ascended from his fourth-place starting position into the top spot after just one lap of racing. He would dominate much of the first half of the race leading a race-high four different times for a total of 76 laps. Hamlin was running third when a caution flag came out with just 45 laps remaining in the race and he brought his FedEx Camry down pit road for fresh tires. Unfortunately as he made his way back on to the track it was discovered that his left rear tire had gone flat and he was forced to come back down pit road for a new tire. The bad left rear would completely blow as he made his way around the track to get back down pit road and the result would also cause damage to his rear brakes. Hamlin would restart the race with 41 laps remaining in the 21st position and amazingly despite all the challenges was able to manage a 19th-place effort.

FedEx Crew Defends Pit Crew Championship

2010 wasn't just a fluke. The pit crew that services the #11 FedEx Toyota on pit road week after week showcased their talents against the best of the best on May 19th at the Time Warner Cable Arena for the 2011 Pit Crew Challenge.  It was up to the defending champions to set the bar high and they did just that!

 The No. 11 crew beat the No. 22 of Kurt Busch to set up a semifinal matchup against the crowd-favorite No. 88 of Dale Earnhardt Jr., which had just beaten the No. 27 of Paul Menard.  Dale Earnhardt Jr. was on hand to support his crew, but it wasn't enough and Hamlin’s team prevailed in one of the closest races of the evening — 22.259 seconds to 23.325.

Setting up the semifinal, the No. 14 team of owner/driver Tony Stewart beat the No. 48 across the finish line, but drew 10 seconds of penalties for fueling issues. As a result, the No. 48 team advanced.  Fueling problems with the new closed system mandated by NASCAR this year cost Stewart dearly in last Sunday’s race at Dover. Though the Pit Crew Challenge featured the fueling system in place last year, it nevertheless proved the downfall of the No. 14 Chevrolet team, which had performed flawlessly in advancing to the semifinals.

Do you think the agony of defeat was on the minds of the FedEx crew as they prepared to show the world just who ruled pit road? You bet your sweet ass it was and the No. 11 completed its stop — jacking the car, fueling and changing front and rear tires — and pushed its Toyota across the finish line in 22.298 seconds to 22.714 for the No. 48 Chevrolet. 

The look of elation on the face of team owner Joe Gibbs says it all.  His team is the first back-to-back champions of the pit crew challenge and truly are the greatest in the sport!  And if you want to know how the driver, Denny Hamlin, feels about his guys...let's just say he knows they're all bigger than him and could totally kick his ass.  Either way, the entire team kicks the competition's asphalt every week and they showcased their bad ass skills and prevailed as the baddest on the planet...in the place where it is a good thing to be bad.

The FedEx Toyota Crew of Champions is:

• Scott Wood - Gas Man
•  Justin White - Second Gas Man
• Nick Krizmanich - Front Tire Changer
• Brandon Pegram - Front Tire Carrier
• Mike Hicks - Rear Tire Changer
• Heath Cherry - Rear Tire Carrier
• Nate Bolling - Jack Man

 
Congratulations to the entire FedEx crew, Joe Gibbs racing and Denny Hamlin. We don't just support the driver every week, we cheer for you and are so thankful for the training, sacrifice and hard work you put into the greatest job and best driver on the planet. This was a well deserved victory...bask in the glory and soak up the elation.  We look forward to seeing you shine at the Coca Cola 600.

Is It Time To Hit The Panic Button?

2010 was the best season Denny Hamlin has ever had. He had more wins in that 36 race period than he'd had total up to that point.  He had his highest point standings of his career and was just 15 points shy of winning a Championship and dethroning Jimmie Johnson.  It was a bitter pill to swallow.

Coming into 2011, revenge was not only on the minds of every fan of the #11 FedEx Toyota and its driver, it was also on the mind of Denny Hamlin and his entire crew.  Hamlin has said repeatedly that this was his year.

Enter Daytona, its expectations and the clean slate that lay ahead of a team ready to redeem itself and show the haters and doubters that they were more than capable of knocking the 48 off its pedastal, but they could also do it in exceptional fashion. 

The Budweiser Shootout was just for fun but starting 4th and finishing 12th was a sneek peak of what was to come.  Hamlin's Gatorade Duel Race saw him starting 22nd and working his way up to an 8th place finish.  Maybe this season was starting off exactly the way he'd hoped.  Then came the Daytona 500.  Trevor Bayne saw his lifelong dream come true and Hamlin finished a lap down in 21st.  He was 19th in the point standings, 18 points behind leader Carl Edwards.  Not exactly the way JGRs eldest driver wanted things to end up.

There have been ups and downs, gains and losses in the points and frustrations have lead to rumors of a crew chief swap.  Denny Hamlin adamantly declares that Mike Ford is his guy and if there's no Ford, there's no Hamlin.  The loyalty and trust between this duo is rock solid even if the performance isn't exactly guaranteeing visits to victory lane.

Is it time to hit the panic button? NO! Is it time to buckle down and focus on whatever it will take to deliver the victories this team is capable of? YES!  If I had just one thing to say to the #11 team it would be "Get off your pity pot Nancy and deliver on your potential!"  No more excuses, no more distractions!  If there's a problem, spend every waking hour finding a way to fix it. If there is something or someone holding you back, eliminate it! 

Those of us who believe in Denny Hamlin, Mike Ford and the #11 FedEx team support ALL of them no matter what.  Is it easier to support them through victories and top 10s? Of course, but win or lose we are sporting our gear, screaming til we're hoarse and weathering the storms.  Floods are devastating...unless they're champagne and Gatorade flowing out of Victory Lane.

Joe Gibbs Racing's Denny Hamlin ends string of setbacks with third-place Michigan run

Coming off two weeks of frustration, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin finally got the finish he felt he deserved in Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup LifeLock 400.

Hamlin, who had seen strong runs the last two races derailed by a cut tire at Dover and a fuel-pump issue at Pocono last weekend, suffered no setbacks Sunday as he finished third at Michigan International Speedway.

“We got a new race car here,” Hamlin said after netting his third top-five and fifth top-10 of the season. “We were strong all day. We had a top-five car all day. So, it's good to finally finish where we belong. I'm proud of this whole team. We were definitely a car that could contend for a top-two or top-three spot all day.”

Hamlin trailed only Roush Fenway Racing’s Greg Biffle off pit road following the day’s final pit stops with 46 laps to go. But after failing to close in on Biffle and getting passed by eventual race winner Mark Martin and the race’s dominant driver, Jimmie Johnson, it appeared Hamlin might have to settle for a fifth-place finish.

Biffle and Johnson both ran out gas in the last two laps, however, and that allowed Hamlin to move up to third in the final running order.

While certainly satisfied with his finish, Hamlin didn’t enjoy having to be mindful of an uncertain fuel-mileage situation with almost all the frontrunners in the closing laps.

“I kicked myself for not running harder because I was rolling the [throttle] pretty big at the end," he said. "But, I think it was just a bait thing. I think [Biffle] baited [Johnson] to come get him, and they ended up both running out of fuel. We were all in the same boat there; it's just who wanted to risk winning the race versus finishing. I think that's what happened."

With his solid performance, Hamlin not only broke out of his recent mini-slump but also moved above the cutoff spot to make NASCAR’s Chase For The Sprint Cup.

After entering the day 12th in points, Hamlin is now 10th and has a little more breathing room with 11 races before the field is set.

"I hate running like that, but that's what you have to do to get to the end,” Hamlin said of the fuel-economy run. “I'm just proud of our whole team. We worked on fuel mileage a little bit during testing at other race tracks and it paid off here at Michigan.

“For the most part, it was a solid day. We had a top-four or top-five car all day, and it paid off at the end."

Press Releases Following Lifelock 400 ~ Michigan

Better luck for Hamlin

Denny Hamlin's third-place finish was his first in the top10 since April.
"We definitely need to get back on track," Hamlin said. "We need to start building. We've got to get back to solid finishes and make sure we solidify our place in the Chase and we don't have to race our way in going into Richmond."

Hamlin climbed two spots to 10th in the points with his performance.

DENNY HAMLIN
No. 11 FedEx Toyota Camry ~ Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 3rd

How was your run today? "I hate running like that, but that's what you have to do to get to the end. I'm just proud of our whole FedEx Express team. We worked on fuel mileage a little bit during testing at other race tracks and it paid off here at Michigan. For the most part, it was a solid day. We had a top-four or top-five car all day, and it paid off at the end."

How did you feel about it ending up a fuel-mileage race? "I don't know. I think we were pretty good. I kicked myself for not running harder because I was rolling the 'five-in' (throttle) pretty big at the end. But, I think it was just a bait thing. I think the 16 (Greg Biffle) baited the 48 (Jimmie Johnson) to come get him, and they ended up both running out of fuel. We were all in the same boat there, it's just who wanted to risk winning the race versus finishing. I think that's what happened."

What were you thinking at the end of the race? "I was just thinking how much I though I saved during the course of the run. I definitely feel like I probably could've pushed harder. I'm really curious to see how much we have left in the tank to see next time in that situation I could have ran a little bit harder."

Is it a good feeling to rebound strong after last week? "It is. We got a new race car here. We were strong all day. We had a top-five car all day. So, it's good to finally finish where we belong. I'm proud of this whole FedEx Express team. We were definitely a car that could contend for a top-two or top-three spot all day. It feels good to finally come out of here with a finish we deserve."

What did you think about the race finish? "It's tough as a driver to go out there and not run as hard as what you want to. When these races just seem to come down to fuel mileage a lot. We worked on it a little bit with our race team and I think I worked on it as a driver and got better. But, I was willing to 'five-in' (throttle) there at the end. I felt like I was running a little bit too hard. So, I let the 24 (Jeff Gordon) go and it turns out the front two (Greg Biffle and Jimmie Johnson) baited each other into running out of gas."

Michigan: 3rd finisher press conference
Racing series -- NASCAR-CUP
Date -- 2009-06-14
LifeLock 400 Post-Race Transcript

An interview with: DENNY HAMLIN - 3rd finisher

KERRY THARP: We'll roll right into our post race press conference at Michigan International Speedway. Our third place finisher in today's race is Denny Hamlin. He drives the No. 11 FedEx Express Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing. Denny is now 10th in championship points standings.

Denny, talk about how you ran out there today and how things unfolded there towards the end.

DENNY HAMLIN: Well, we had a good car all day. We fought a little track position for the most part. But we were a top five car all day. We felt like a third to fourth place car for the most part. We knew the last run, I think we were about two laps shy. I worked on some things, some road course testing, what not, to try to save fuel. I felt pretty confident that we could save those two laps.

I felt like as a driver I was really conservative. I'd be interested to see what we have left in the tank because I know I was really rolling down that 5 there about 10 to go. I just thought, man, it's kind of not worth it. If the 48 and the 16 don't run out, what's the point of trying to catch this 5? Little do you know it's for the race win.

But I think it's just the 16 and 48 kind of baited each other into running hard, and that's what happened.

KERRY THARP: Questions for Denny Hamlin.

Q: Denny, is it kind of disappointing to go back to back fuel mileage races as a driver? Is that tough when you get out there and they come on and say you have to start saving?

DENNY HAMLIN: Yeah, it is. But, I mean, it does put the driver in it, for sure. I mean, when we're all short, and I'm pretty sure that everyone was short, without having to save gas on the racetrack, it puts it in the drivers' hands in the sense of how hard do you want to push it versus how much do you want to save.

You know, it is still a driver's race, even though it is a fuel mileage race.

Q: Can you talk about this finish as far as your season. It's been not remarkable. This is a big boost for you guys.

DENNY HAMLIN: It is. You know, we definitely had a hard couple of weeks, for sure. But we definitely need to get back on track. We need to start building. If we're not 13th, I don't know with Mark winning, but we got to get back to solid finishes and make sure we solidify our place in the Chase and we don't have to race our way in going into Richmond.

You know, we had to finish pretty well at Richmond last year to make sure we got in the Chase. And that's just a gut wrenching feeling you don't want to have to go through.

We feel like our performance is pretty good. We feel like we're a little bit behind the Hendrick cars. Obviously, I mean, if Kyle is not up front, then our stuff is not the best. And it's definitely not the best right now. We're a little bit behind. But, you know, we feel like in due time we got some things that we're working on to try to be better than those guys. Right now it's just catch up mode.

KERRY THARP: Denny, thank you very much.
-credit: nascar

Season In Review

So..it's been WAY too long since I've posted anything about Denny and I thought it was about time I get to work. So I decided to do a little season in review. What a season it has been so far. Seems to have flown by. I swear just yesterday we were in Daytona and now we're headed to Michigan. Time sure flies when you're having fun. Granted, DNF's and blown tires are no fun, but racing 200 mph mere inches from a concrete wall with your best friends and a few guys you hate with a passion sure beats the hell outta anything else you could think to do.

Denny hasn't been smashing guitars at Nashville or winning his first race as a team owner, but he is holding his own and impressing his number one fan. So here goes... Denny Hamlin's 2009 NASCAR Season in Review...as of Pocono.

• Budweiser Shootout -- Daytona ~ Started 5th Finished 13th
• Gatorade Duel Race 2 -- Daytona ~ Started 13th Finished 5th
• Daytona 500 -- Daytona ~ Started 10th Finished 26th
• Auto Club 500 -- Fontana ~ Started 23rd Finished 6th
• Shelby 427 -- Las Vegas ~ Started 34th Finished 22nd - 1 lap
• Kobalt Tools 500 -- Atlanta ~ Stared 6th Finished 13th
• Food City 500 -- Bristol ~ Stared 24th Finished 2nd
• Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500 -- Martinsville ~ Started 8th Finished 2nd
• Samsung 500 -- Texas ~ Started 22nd Finished 12th
• Subway Fresh Fit 500 -- Phoenix ~ Started 12th Finished 6th
• Aaron's 499 -- Talladega ~ Started 18th Finished 22nd
• Russ Friedman 400 -- Richmond ~ Started 3rd Finished 14th
• Southern 500 -- Darlington ~ Started 23rd Finished 13th
• All Star Race -- Lowe's ~ Started 18th Finished 4th
• Coca Cola 600 -- Lowe's ~ Started 18th Finished 11th
• Autism Speaks 400 -- Dover ~ Started 16th Finished 36th Accident
• Pocono 500 -- Pocono ~ Started 7th Finished 38th -22 laps

Subway Fresh Fit 500 - Phoenix - Qualifying Order

The Qualifying Order for the Subway Fresh Fit 500 - Phoenix
~Race 8 of 36~

1. 47 Marcos Ambrose
2. 9 Kasey Kahne
3. 07 Casey Mears
4. 29 Kevin Harvick
5. 26 Jamie McMurray
6. 55 Michael Waltrip
7. 20 Joey Logano
8. 16 Greg Biffle
9. 5 Mark Martin
10. 98 Paul Menard
11. 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr
12. 83 Brian Vickers
13. 17 Matt Kenseth
14. 11 Denny Hamlin
15. 31 Jeff Burton
16. 33 Clint Bowyer
17. 34 John Andretti
18. 19 Elliott Sadler
19. 48 Jimmie Johnson
20. 77 Sam Hornish Jr
21. 99 Carl Edwards
22. 2 Kyle Busch
23. 44 AJ Allmendinger
24. 14 Tony Stewart
25. 12 David Stremme
26. 39 Ryan Newman
27. 43 Reed Sorenson
28. 7 Robby Gordon
29. 24 Jeff Gordon
30. 1 Martin Truex Jr
31. 6 David Ragan
32. 96 Bobby Labonte
33. 00 David Reutimann
34. 42 Juan Montoya
35. 18 Kyle Busch
36. 71 David Gilliland
37. 06 Trevor Boys
38. 82 Scott Speed
39. 78 Regan Smith
40. 02 Brandon Ash
41. 64 Todd Bodine
42. 36 Scott Riggs
43. 73 Tony Raines
44. 87 Joe Nemechek
45. 09 Sterling Marlin
46. 41 Jeremy Mayfield
47. 51 Dexter Bean
48. 66 Dave Blaney

Hamlin Frustrated, But Keeps Focus

This is the perfect example of the new "big picture" Denny Hamlin.

Instead of seething in anger over becoming a victim of Jimmie Johnson's late-race bump-and-run and denied his first Sprint Cup Series of the season in Sunday's race at Martinsville Speedway, Hamlin realized there were other concerns.

"We still got a solid finish. Sure, it's disappointing," Hamlin said after the Goody's 500. "We're not going to win the championship this weekend. We're going to win the championship later this season.

"We know we have a great package. This is a Chase race (in the fall), so I'm happy about that. But we have to make sure we're in position first - in the top 12."

There is good and bad to be found in Hamlin's performance the last two weeks.

He's run good enough to win and come up short, but his consecutive second-place finishes have entrenched him in the top 12. He moved up three spots Sunday and sits fifth in points, 148 behind leader Jeff Gordon.

"To come to two straight short tracks and be in contention to win both races, it's uplifting," Hamlin said. "We didn't win, but you can't help that things don't always fall your way."

Hamlin's day could have been much worse.

His Joe Gibbs Racing teammates, Kyle Busch and Joey Logano, both experienced tire problems brought on by excessive brake heat. Busch finished 24th and Logano 32nd.

And in previous seasons, Hamlin may have become irate after a move like Johnson's late in the race and not remained as focused.

"Today we could have easily ended up 25th. Denny didn't let that happen," said his crew chief, Mike Ford. "In hindsight, that's experience, and that's experience that Denny's gaining and wisdom along with that."

Ford said Hamlin's No. 11 Toyota didn't have any of the brake heating issues his teammates fought through on Sunday.

"It goes back to last year. They both had the same thing and worked really hard to keep the temperature out of the (tire) bead," he said. "But you saw that a lot today.

"Denny is very easy on brakes. This is not even close to our hardest braking track. We were aware of the problem, but it didn't come into play for us."

Hamlin, FedEx Racing Nosed Out in Martinsville, Finish Second

Denny Hamlin and the #11 FedEx Racing team did everything a defending race champion should do in an effort to defend a crown – leading a race-high 296 laps and putting in a near perfect race on Sunday afternoon at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. Hamlin regained the lead on a lap 456 restart, ducking underneath Jimmie Johnson and then holding the point through two field-tightening cautions. With Johnson on his bumper, it came as no surprise to Hamlin when he received a lap-485 nudge from the #48 that sent the #11 FedEx Freight Camry up the slight banking and allowed Johnson to sneak underneath. Despite gathering the car up, the remaining laps didn’t provide Hamlin the opportunity to repay the favor and he brought the #11 FedEx Freight Camry home in second place for the second-consecutive weekend.

For Hamlin, the second-place finish was bittersweet but the Virginia native knew that if the tables had been turned he would have approached his competition in a very similar way.

“I’m honored to be on the race track with guys like Jimmie (Johnson) and Jeff (Gordon) and Tony (Stewart),” said Hamlin. “Those are the guys who are the best in the business. We came up short. That was short-track racing. I would’ve done the same thing to him, and if it comes back around, I will do the same. It’s just the way it is. In Martinsville, you have to battle for every inch, and I was trying to protect a spot, and he was trying to get it at the end of the race. That’s the way it goes.”

Johnson claimed his sixth win at Martinsville while Hamlin, Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon and Clint Bowyer filled out the top five. Hamlin’s Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch and Joey Logano finished 24th and 32nd respectively.

Hamlin’s second place finish sees him jump from eighth to fifth in the Sprint Cup standings on the heels of two strong weeks for the short track expert. Jeff Gordon maintains his lead at the top of the chart.

“We’re not going to win the championship this weekend. We’re going to have to win the championship later on in the season. We know we have a great package now. This is a ‘Chase’ race, so I’m happy about that. We have to make sure we’re in position first. We have to make sure we’re in the top-12 and our whole FedEx team is doing all it can to provide me good cars. To come to our first two short tracks and to be in contention to win both races – it’s uplifting. Things don’t always fall our way, and today, they didn’t. I was in a vulnerable spot. I let him get too close, and when he did get close, he took the first opportunity he could to get to us, and I would’ve done the same exact thing.”

Armed with a good car, but stuck four rows deep for the start after Friday’s qualifying session was lost to rain, Hamlin wasted little time charging forward – knowing it was very important to clear as much traffic as possible. Despite starting on the outside and having to wait patiently for his chance to pull down, Hamlin had gained the seventh spot by the time the first caution flew on lap 19. Immediately following the restart he passed David Ruetimann and then Clint Bowyer to claim a spot in the top five before NASCAR called a competition caution on lap 40.

Crew Chief Mike Ford called for four tires, fuel and a slight air pressure adjustment and the #11 crew obliged, getting Hamlin out quickly to restart sixth on lap 46. As the leaders cleared two lapped cars, Hamlin caught Johnson on lap 48 and held the spot behind Gordon and Kurt Busch until the caution flew again on lap 69.Hamlin held the third spot through a caution on lap 70 and then moved past Kurt Busch for second place on lap 99. He then went about cutting into Gordon’s 1.5-second lead, shaving it to one second by lap 129 and then pulling up to the bumper of the #24 Chevrolet by lap 133.

A caution on lap 139 brought the leaders to pit road and Ford again called for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment in hopes of giving Hamlin more grip on exit. Hamlin restarted second on lap 144 and slid inside of the #24 on 156 to take the lead for the first time. As Hamlin held the point, a handful of cars – including his JGR teammates found the outside wall in turn two – but the race stayed green and Hamlin opened up a nearly two-second lead over Gordon with Edwards, Earnhardt Jr. and Stewart rounding out the top five. Hamlin pitted from the lead under caution and the FedEx crew worked quick to send him out in first on lap 263.

The ensuing green-flag run featured some of the best racing of the afternoon as Gordon caught Hamlin on lap 340 and moved past the #11 to claim the lead on lap 343. The two raced side by side for six laps before Hamlin reclaimed the point just before the caution flew on lap 352.

Ford called Hamlin in for tires, fuel and a track bar adjustment and the team again had Hamlin out to lead the field to the green flag on lap 359. Gordon mounted another charge, catching Hamlin on lap 400 but the reigning race winner again held his own and kept the #11 up front until the caution flew on lap 427. On pit road again, a blazing-fast stop by the #48 team proved to be the difference as Johnson was the first car off of pit road with Hamlin in second. Hamlin would hold that spot through another caution, then provide his home-state fans with the move of the race, diving inside of Johnson on the restart to claim the lead on lap 456.

With the opportunity to pull away and win a second grandfather clock seemingly in his grasp, Hamlin was twice stung by cautions that brought Johnson back within striking distance.

Following the last restart on lap 477, Johnson moved the #48 into position and made just enough contact to grab the lead and the win.

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series continues next weekend when the teams head back to the big tracks and the 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway.