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| Denny Hamlin is 18/1 to win at California. |
Denny Hamlin
#11 FedEx Express Toyota
Joe Gibbs Racing
Race Info:
Race: Auto Club 400
Date/Time: March 18/3:30 p.m. ET
Distance: 200 laps/400 miles
Track Length: 2 miles
Track Shape: D-shaped oval
Banking: 14 degrees
2017 Winner: Kyle Larson
Express Notes:
Press Kit: Download the 2018 FedEx Racing press materials at www.fedexracing.com/presskit, including bios for Denny Hamlin, Mike Wheeler and Joe Gibbs Racing leadership, program highlights and statistics.
Phoenix Recap: Denny Hamlin overcame a mid-race pit stop miscue to lead 33 laps and record a fourth-place finish in Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at ISM Raceway, rallying from the tail end of the field in the event won by Kevin Harvick. Hamlin made his final pit stop from fourth with 55 laps remaining and narrowly maintained that position after fending off a hard-charging Martin Truex Jr. to the checkers. Hamlin started sixth in the #11 FedEx Freight Toyota, and stayed among the top-10 throughout the first two stages on the flat, one-mile oval. However, Hamlin parked too close to pit wall during the team’s fourth pit stop, hindering the jackman’s ability to properly jack up the #11 machine, sending Hamlin back to 29th in the lineup. Hamlin calmly worked his way through traffic, picking off positions on his march back towards the front, eventually taking the lead that lasted 33 laps before Kyle Busch, Harvick and Chase Elliott made their way past the FedEx Toyota. The finish marked Hamlin’s third top-five finish this season and moved him up two spots to sixth in the overall standings.
Fontana Preview: The Series heads to Fontana, Calif., for Sunday’s 400-mile race at Auto Club Speedway that marks the final leg of the ‘West Coast Swing.’ After 16 career starts at the Southern California track, Hamlin has recorded two top-five finishes, five top-10 finishes and three pole starting positions, as well as a career-best finish of third (2008 and 2016).
Delivering Laps for FedEx Cares: This season, FedEx is tying the performance of the #11 FedEx Toyota on the track to its efforts to improve road safety through a new program, Delivering Laps for FedEx Cares, by donating $111 for each lap Hamlin leads and $11,000 for each race victory to Safe Kids Worldwide, a nonprofit working to protect kids on the road, at home and at play. FedEx will also contribute $111,000 to Safe Kids if the #11 team wins the 2018 NASCAR championship. New for the 2018 season, the Denny Hamlin Foundation will also match the total donation to Safe Kids Worldwide.
Hamlin showed the way for 33 laps during Sunday’s race at Phoenix, triggering a $3,663 donation to Safe Kids on behalf of FedEx. After four regular season races, Hamlin has led 81 laps resulting in an $8,991 donation to Safe Kids which will be matched by the Denny Hamlin Foundation. Fans can track the total amount donated to date from the Delivering Laps for FedEx Cares program on the homepage of FedExRacing.com.
Hamlin Statistics:
Track: Auto Club Speedway
Races: 16
Wins: 0
Poles: 3 (2009, 2012, 2013)
Top-5: 2
Top-10: 5
Laps Led: 138
Avg. Start: 10.6
Avg. Finish 18.2
Hamlin Conversation:
You’ve collected three top-five finishes after four starts this season. Are you pleased with the consistency?
“Our #11 FedEx Racing team has been running well which has shown in how we’ve been able to lead laps and rebound after pit miscues. Obviously, I want to be a little faster and more consistent and eliminate some of the mistakes we’re making on pit road.”
FedEx Express Anchorage, Alaska, Hub Along for the Ride at Auto Club Speedway: The Anchorage, Alaska, FedEx Express Hub will be recognized at Auto Club Speedway by having its “ANCH” code letters on the b-post of the #11 FedEx Express Toyota this weekend.
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