Tuesday, May 29, 2018

Denny Hamlin the active leader with four Pocono wins

Denny hamin is 10/1 to win at Pocono on Sunday.
Denny Hamlin
#11 FedEx Office Toyota
Joe Gibbs Racing

Race Info:

Race: Pocono 400
Date/Time: Sunday, June 3/2 p.m. ET
Distance: 160 Laps/400 Miles
Track Length: 2.5 Miles
Track Shape: Triangle
2017 Winner: Ryan Blaney

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.

Charlotte Recap: Denny Hamlin finished third in Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, marking his third top-three finish of the 2018 season. Hamlin maintained his position at the front of the field for the majority of the 400-lap race and finished Stage one in eighth and Stage two in fourth before taking sixth in Stage three. After a swift four-tire stop during the last Stage break, Hamlin lined up fourth in the #11 FedEx Ground Toyota for the fourth and final 100-lap Stage of the event. He maintained that position as the segment ran caution-free, and when it came time for scheduled pit stops, Hamlin and the FedEx Racing crew elected to pit last, giving the #11 a chance to contend with fresh tires. Hamlin worked to chase down the leaders, but he was unable to close the gap between himself and second-place contender Martin Truex Jr. before the checkered flag flew.

Pocono Preview:
The Series heads to Pocono Raceway this Sunday for 400 miles around the 2.5-mile “Tricky Triangle”. Hamlin is looking to add a fifth victory at Pocono to his impressive résumé of 10 top-five and 15 top-10 finishes at the Pennsylvania track. He also averages a 7.2 starting position at Pocono which is a Series best among active drivers.

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 led nine laps at Charlotte Motor Speedway last Sunday, generating a $999 donation to Safe Kids on behalf of FedEx. After 13 regular season races, Hamlin has led 235 laps resulting in an $26,085 donation to Safe Kids Worldwide which will ultimately 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: Pocono Raceway
Races: 24
Wins: 4
Poles: 3
Top-5: 10
Top-10: 15
Laps Led: 688
Avg. Start: 7.2 (Series Best)
Avg. Finish: 11.8

Hamlin Conversation:

You and your #11 FedEx Racing team have been showing solid consistency this season, collecting eight top-10 finishes thus far. Do you see that success continuing at Pocono?

“We’ve been so close to getting that first win of the season, but we’re obviously still looking to find that little bit of speed that will help us get to victory lane. This team has been working hard to get us out front, and we’re going to keep pushing until we get that first-place result we’re working for. We’ve had success at Pocono before, so this weekend could definitely be the time we make that happen.”

Denny Hamlin (No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry) 10/1
· Four wins, ten top fives, 15 top 10s; three poles
· Average finish of 11.792, fifth-best
· Average Running Position of 10.768, third-best
· Driver Rating of 105, second-best
· 455 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 164.058, second-fastest
· 3251 Laps in the Top 15 (78.4), third-most
· 889 Quality Passes, seventh-most

MICAH ROBERTS' TAKE: #11 Denny Hamlin (10/1) - He leads all active drivers with four Pocono wins and he's starving for a win this season. He had another good finish last week with third-place at Charlotte. He's got the Joe Gibbs power, almost as good as Kyle Busch, but his driving skills at Pocono separate him from most others. He attacks the flat Turn 3, the best place to pass as if it were Martinsville where he's elite at as well. He started fourth and finished fourth in the July race last season. His 2009 win was the first at Pocono for Toyota.

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