Headline News

Pain in Pocono - Hamlin, FedEx Racing Finish 23rd

LONG POND, PA (August 4, 2008) - Like the weather around Pocono Raceway, Sunday's Pennsylvania 500 started brightly for Denny Hamlin and the #11 FedEx Racing team. Hamlin wasted little time urging the FedEx Camry forward and even when the #11 team sacrificed track position for the sake of changing four tires, he still found his way into the lead pack. However, as clouds rolled in and brought with them race-delaying rain that stopped the race for almost an hour on lap 128, the fortunes of the team were also dampened. While many teams pitted under the caution, the #11 team stayed out and were scored in second place for the restart. From that point on, however, Hamlin and the team struggled through handling issues and fuel strategy - and a long afternoon at Pocono ended with a 23rd-place finish.

“It's unfortunate. We had a second-place car at times today, but we just adjusted ourselves right out of it," said Hamlin. "With this strategy stuff, it can go either way. We really didn’t run that well the second half of the race. We just have to re-evaluate where we’re at. It’s disappointing, really. Hopefully we will make up for it at a couple of these good race tracks that are coming up for us. It’s not from a lack of effort on the #11 FedEx team -- everyone’s trying as hard as they can."

Carl Edwards claimed the victory Sunday, riding a combination of perfect fuel strategy and a very good #99 car. Joe Gibbs Racing's Tony Stewart finished second while last week's winner, Jimmie Johnson, filled out the top three. Hamlin and Stewart's JGR teammate, Kyle Busch, had to stop for fuel with two laps remaining and ultimately fell to 36th place on the day.

The finish drops Hamlin from eighth to tenth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup standings heading to Watkins Glen next week. He sits 35 points ahead of Clint Bowyer in 12th with five races remaining before the Chase for the Sprint Cup cutoff.

From the drop of the green flag Hamlin pushed the #11 FedEx Camry through the field, picking up four spots before the cars returned to the start/finish line. With the first of seven cautions on the day stalling the race on lap two, Hamlin had little in the way of feedback for the crew before lining up in the tenth position for the restart on lap four.

Through another quick caution Hamlin claimed the ninth spot then picked off positions from Brian Vickers and Matt Kenseth before NASCAR called a competition caution on lap 21. On the radio, Hamlin's feedback to the FedEx team was positive - his only complaints that he was tight back on throttle off of turns one and three of the triangle-shaped track.

Hamlin pulled the #11 onto pit road for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment and the crew sent him out to line up 11th. With several teams taking only right side tires - a trend during the race that the FedEx team never subscribed to - the #11 crew did well to get Hamlin out while only losing three spots on pit road.

Following the restart on lap 24, Hamlin showed just how good the #11 car was, carving his way into the top five by lap 35 and then running as high as fourth when the field reached the fuel window and green flag stops began.

Ford called Hamlin onto pit road on lap 54 for four tires, fuel and both track bar and wedge adjustments and the crew worked quick to get Hamlin out to rejoin the field in fourth. The caution flag flew again on lap 65 and Hamlin again pulled onto pit road for four tires and fuel but the group of cars taking only two tires dropped him to 11th for the restart on lap 70.

A 17-lap green flag run again gave Hamlin the time to push forward and he ran in seventh place when the caution flag came out on lap 87. Ford called him to pit road for tires, fuel and a wedge adjustment and almost immediately after the restart Hamlin radioed the crew that he was extremely loose and that the changes had a negative effect on his handling all the way around the track.

Despite turning competitive lap times, Hamlin wasn't at all comfortable with the handle on his #11 FedEx Camry and he turned the car onto pit road for changes on lap 119. The team worked quickly in attempt to rectify the handling situation and sent Hamlin out to cycle through in seventh place.

The building clouds finally opened on lap 125 and NASCAR quickly showed the yellow flag and then opened pit road. Most of the competitors pitted but Hamlin followed then leader Kasey Kahne in staying out and when the race was red flagged, Hamlin sat comfortably in third but was well aware he was now out of sequence with the field.

After 45 minutes of rain delay the track was deemed ready and the command was given to start the engines. Hamlin followed Kahne to the green flag but was quick to point out that the handling had not improved.

He pulled the FedEx Camry onto pit road for four tires and fuel and the team also pulled a spring rubber from the right rear of the car in hopes of remedying the handling issues that had plagued Hamlin from just before the halfway point of the race.

Unfortunately, the change didn't work and with Hamlin running deep in the field on account of the green-flag stop, he ran less than twenty laps before pulling on to pit road for the final time. The crew went to work on the car, filling it with fuel and making a substantial wedge adjustment in hopes of righting the handling issues before sending him out rejoin the field.

However, with the laps winding down and the bulk of the field able to make the end without stopping for fuel, Hamlin was stuck well back in the field and had to settle for 23rd on the day.