Hamlin Starts the #11 FedEx Chevrolet From Pole - Fights for 13th-Place Finish at Phoenix International Raceway

Despite fielding an extremely competitive car, a little bad luck on pit road found Hamlin playing catch up at the end of the race and though it wasn’t the result the team and driver expected, the thirteen-place finish for the FedEx Express Chevy affirmed the current status of the team as one to watch heading into 2006.

For Hamlin, the top-twenty finish maintained his impressive rise in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series. In six starts behind the wheel of the #11 car, he has recorded three top-ten finishes, five top-twenty finishes and earned the program’s first Bud Pole Award.

Kyle Busch took the checkered flag Sunday, holding off Greg Biffle who led a race-high 189 laps, down the stretch to record his second Nextel Cup win. Jeff Gordon came in third while Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Tony Stewart and Bobby Labonte finished fourth and fifth, respectively. With Jimmie Johnson coming in seventh, Stewart increases his lead in the Chase for the Nextel Cup standings to 52 points heading to Miami for the season finale next Sunday.

Hamlin wasted no time showing the field and crowd he deserved the pole as he brought the #11 FedEx Express Chevrolet to life with the drop of the green flag. Hamlin pushed the #11 forward over the one-mile track and, followed only by Greg Biffle, opened up a substantial lead over the rest of the field.

Biffle caught and passed Hamlin on lap 16 and the two continued their torrid pace until the first caution flew on lap 27 for debris. With the car a little tight through the center and free off the turn, crew chief Mike Ford called Hamlin on to pit road for air pressure and track bar adjustments. The crew rattled off an impressive 13-second stop and sent Hamlin to the line just ahead of Biffle and back to the front for the restart on lap 30.

Hamlin would lead the field to the green flag and again would find himself running alone out front with the #16 for the ensuing six laps before giving way and dropping in behind the new leader. While chasing the lead car Hamlin showed that #11 had plenty to offer and consistently ran the fastest laps on the track as he worked to reel in Biffle while putting some space between himself and a pack consisting of Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards and Jimmie Johnson.

By lap 73, both the handling and the chase pack caught up with Hamlin and he moved back one position to third behind Kevin Harvick. He would hold that position until the second caution of the day flew on 84 when Hamlin radioed to Ford that the car remained tight through the center and loose off. Though the changes on the previous stop had improved the handling significantly, he needed more grip off the turns.

The crew made a track bar adjustment, changed four tires and filled the #11 with fuel before sending him out to restart fifth on lap 88.

The next green flag accentuated the differences between running out front in fresh air and trying to drive the car in traffic at the one-mile Phoenix oval. With the track growing tighter by the minute and the traffic having a similar effect on the car, Hamlin dropped back to the eight position before the caution flew on lap 115.

Hamlin brought the #11 onto pit road again and echoed his concerns to the crew about the handling. The car simply didn’t want to cut to through the center of the turns and was still free off. After an air pressure and wedge adjustment the crew sent Hamlin out to restart seventh on lap 118.

Shortly after the restart Hamlin found himself engaged in a twenty-lap Battle with Jeff Gordon for seventh place. Gordon made several attempts to pass the #11 but each time Hamlin stood his ground and maintained position before eventually pulling away on lap 139.

When the caution flag flew on lap 168 for debris, Hamlin was running comfortable in seventh place though still concerned about the handling. The car was still tight through the middle of the turns but had grown progressively looser in to the turn and then back to the gas. After another round of wedge, track bar and air pressure adjustments the team sent Hamlin out to restart seventh.

Hamlin would maintain his position though three more pit stops and fifty-seven green flag laps before the eighth caution of the day flew on lap 229. Ford ordered another air pressure adjustments to help the forward grip but a missed lug nut on the change forced Hamlin to make a second visit to pit road and by the time he lined up for the restart, the #11 had dropped sixteen spots.

Hamlin took the green flag on lap 231 and with what both he and the crew knew was a superior car, quickly went to work on taking some of the spots back from the crowd in front of him. Hamlin pushed the #11 Chevrolet past Rusty Wallace for 20th and held that position until contact from Kevin Harvick spun Hamlin around in turn four to bring out the final caution of the day. Ford called Hamlin in for tires, fuel and track bar adjustment before sending him out for he last time to start 22nd on lap 259.

Simply put, Hamlin put on a display over the final 53 laps as he worked his way through traffic in effort to salvage the day for the FedEx team. He methodically worked his way past Kenny Wallace and Jamie McMurray into 20th-place, and then continued past Brian Vickers and Joe Nemechek for 18th-place on lap 273.

With the laps winding down Hamlin continued to push and by the time the checkered flag flew he had moved the #11 back up to 13th place to record another stellar result in only his sixth NASCAR Nextel Cup start.

The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series continues with the Ford 400 at Miami-Homestead Speedway on Sunday, November 20 at 3 p.m. Eastern. The race will air live on NBC and can be heard on MRN.

Hamlin's Quotes:
“It was tough out there today because we really had a car capable of winning or posting a top-five which would have been a great way to cap what has been an unbelievable weekend.

“Things like what happened on pit road today happen all the time in racing and the only thing you can do is persevere, get back on the track and try to get those spots back. We had a good car, and maybe with a little luck we could have stayed toward the front but we ran a good race and we’ll take the result.

“To win the pole on Saturday was unbelievable, and it’s something I will never forget. It all comes down the great work being done by this team and the cars they are giving me to drive. I feel really comfortable in these Cup cars and I know we have a good thing going here with this team. I hate to see the season end but I am looking forward to a full season to show what we can do.”