DENNY HAMLIN, DRIVER OF THE NO. 11 FEDEX MONTE CARLO SS TALKED WITH MEDIA ABOUT WORKING WITH TEAMMATES IN THE DRAFT, WINNING LAST YEAR'S BUD SHOOTOUT, AND AVOIDING THE SOPHOMORE SLUMP
WHAT HAS CHANGED IN THE LAST YEAR?
"So far here in Daytona the help that is behind me has changed the most. Last year I was struggling just to find a little bit of help. You had to look to guys with yellow stripes on their bumpers as well to try to get a little bit of help. It's tough to say what has really changed for me in the last year because of a lot of things have stayed the same. That's kind of the way I want to keep it."
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THIS WEEKEND? WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO WORK ON?
"The biggest thing that I've got to work on is just fine tuning our car and not getting overzealous with the conditions that we were in. Ultimately in the race things are just a lot different. When we get a 43-car pack out there, whatever it was handling is going to be worse. We got a decent starting spot and I'm pretty happy with that. It's just really fine tuning it from here on out."
ARE YOU PRETTY CLOSE TO WHERE YOU NEED TO BE WHEN THEY WAVE THE GREEN FLAG ON SUNDAY?
"Yeah, I'm fairly close. I'm definitely in the line that I'd prefer. We're in a good spot.
We're not totally up front. We're right there in the top 10 and that's all that matters. Handling is going to be such a big deal, after 10 laps you're going to be strung out anyway."
HOW MUCH DID YOUR SUCCESS HERE LAST YEAR AT THE SHOOTOUT AND RUNNING THE DAYTONA 500 LAST YEAR HELP YOUR CONFIDENCE?
"I was just talking to Mike (Ford, crew chief) 30 seconds ago about how he thought the 150s were probably the best superspeedway race he'd seen me run just because I'm getting a little more comfortable with how I need to maneuver myself to put myself in position. I told him it's just going to come with time. I'm not going to be Tony Stewart right now. I'm not going to be one of the guys that just go right to the front and stay there all day. I just don't have that kind of experience at superspeedways yet. It's getting better and that's all we can ask for."
HOW HAVE YOU ADAPTED SO QUICKLY?
"It's tough to say. I don't know whether it's the horsepower of the cars or what it is really because obviously I'm not used to the speeds that we are running from my past or anything. I think sometimes you adapt to certain vehicles and the Cup cars seem to fit that better than anything right now."
IF YOU CAN GET UP TO WHERE TONY STEWART IS IN THE RACE, CAN YOU TWO WORK TOGETHER OR IS HE IN A CLASS OF HIS OWN RIGHT NOW?
"Tony is awesome on superspeedways. Tony has a lot of help as well. When guys get behind him, they want to push him because they know he can win and they want to go to the front. He gets a lot of help and he knows how to get those runs to the lead. I definitely think I can help him once I get there and he can help me because he's helped me time and time again. We're just one step behind on our setup from where they are at but we're a lot closer than what we were a week ago on it."
IS TONY STEWART A FAVORITE FOR SUNDAY?
"It's hard to say that he's not. He's won just about everything but those guys got their cars pretty well. I got to ride behind him yesterday and their car really looked strong. I think the 38 is probably the strongest car of the whole bunch. Whether the experience level will come into factor or not, you never know. He's got a really, really fast car but Tony can take a car that is a little bit worse and win with it and he's proven that."
ON THE EXPECTATION LEVEL OF HIM THIS YEAR VERSUS LAST YEAR:
"To me it's kind of amazing a little bit. We've still got to prove ourselves especially to the media and everything. We look all around and nine times out of 10 you see the headline that I won't make the Chase this year, that we're going to have problems and this, that and the other. Evidently we've still got to prove ourselves and prove that we're a championship contending team and we're going to do it again."
WHAT WILL CALIFORNIA BE LIKE AFTER ALL THE HYPE OF DAYTONA?
"I'll be looking forward to it because we're going back to the normal racing, the racing where the driver has a lot of input. The setup wise, means a whole lot. For us it's back to the basics when we go back to California. Honestly I like Daytona but it's good to start your real racing next week."
WHAT NOTES CAN YOU TAKE FROM THE LAS VEGAS TEST TO HELP YOU IN CALIFORNIA AND THEN IN VEGAS?
"Vegas is so much different than California now that you really can't transfer anything. The speeds are about the same but the banking of Vegas now is just a lot different. It will be interesting to see how Vegas ends up, they're having problems with the tires and I think they are shortening up the fuel cells again. It's tough to say how the racing is going to be."
ARE THERE ANY CHANGES YOU GET FOR BEING IN YOUR SECOND YEAR VERSUS COMING HERE AS A ROOKIE?
"Everything really stays the same for us. The only thing that is really different is that things have kind of slowed down a little bit. I don't have to do all those things (where) the rookie has to earn his place in the sport. I'm still doing those things and still want to do them. We're definitely taking it more easy on the schedule. I had a tough schedule last year, a lot of things going. We took this year and said we were going to have a little bit more fun with it and be more focused on our Cup program."
HAVE YOU THOUGHT OF WHAT YOU WANT TO DO AFTER DRIVING?
"I might be owning a team one day but that's a whole other endeavor. Yeah, if you're looking to throw away money just own a team. That's what J.D. says anyway (laughs). I'd like to own a team one day. Hopefully at one point in my career I'll hopefully be able to have the opportunity to do that.
HOW DO YOU AVOID THE SOPHOMORE SLUMP?
"Run good. It's tough to say how you avoid it. There's nothing that we can do to avoid it. If we're going to have a slump, it's going to be because of bad luck. I don't think it's going to be because we didn't run well. I know as a driver, I'm going to be a better driver this year than what I was last year just because a lot of these race tracks I'll actually be going to for a second time. It seems like I've looked at stats and stuff and every time I've gone back somewhere it's been better. I'm really looking forward to the tracks that I do have a lot of experience at and I know the cars that we are bringing to track are better than ever. I look at the wind tunnel notes. I look at everything. So if the driver is better and the cars are better, we should be better as a whole. We just have to see whether we took two steps in the off-season and how many steps did the competition take. I think luck is basically what is going to happen."
AFTER A GREAT ROOKIE SEASON, WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE THE TEAM MAKE SOME IMPROVEMENTS THIS YEAR?
"It's tough to say. We kind of struggled on pit road last year a lot, especially during the Chase. But I tell you, this year so far at Daytona we've been on it. I've gained six, seven spots every time I've come in the pits. I think a lot of it is they see how dedicated I am to one, the training program and two, the whole racing program. They're seeing that I'm working hard. I want it bad so they're working extra hard to make sure I'm getting everything possible. I rode them pretty hard last year and it's paying off this year so far."
AFTER HAVING THAT SUCCESS, HOW HARD WAS IT TO WAIT SEVERAL MONTHS BEFORE GETTING BACK IN AND BUILDING ON THAT SUCCESS?
"Well the good thing is we ended the year on a really good note.
"We gained more points than anybody during the Chase last year and ended with a couple top-three finishes and that's what I wanted to do. Regardless of where we ended up in the Chase I wanted to have good finishes to just have momentum going into the next year. I feel like we had that, even though a lot of people don't think so. We're going to have a lot better year than people think."
WHAT IS IT GOING TO TAKE TO GET TO VICTORY LANE SUNDAY?
"A lot of help at the right times that's for sure and we're getting a lot of help from guys that we didn't have help from last year. Then again our cars are a lot better. I think it's just going to be placing yourself at the right time and evidently you've got to be somewhere around Tony if you want to see the checkered flag first."
DOES IT BOTHER YOU PEOPLE SAY YOU WON'T MAKE THE CHASE? DOES IT MOTIVATE YOU?
"It's a huge motivation. Actually in the lounge of this trailer there's some magazine where it had eight people's picks of the top 10 and we might be in two of them so it's motivation.
"You look at the past and some guys have problems their second year but you look at most of them and they have better years than what they've had. There's no reason that we should be taking a step backwards. We're going forward from here on out."
DO YOU FEEL PHYSICALLY DIFFERENT IN THE CAR BASED ON YOUR TRAINING PROGRAM?
"Yeah, a lot different. I've worked at it really hard and tried my best to stay focused and stay motivated on it. You kind of get motivated when guys like Tony say that we're going to stick to it and we're going to do it. Me and him have just been hard at it just about every day. You kind of having a recovery time after a race. It was Wednesday for me really before I could really recover from what I experienced over the weekend. Now it's the next day, the night of. I just feel better in that aspect. Normally after the hit I had at the shootout I'd be sore and now I'm fine. There's certain aspects that benefit whether you see it or not. It's definitely when you feel better you're definitely going to be a better driver."
WHAT IS THE TOUGHEST PART OF YOUR FITNESS PROGRAM?
"Probably (getting up early) in the morning. When I talked to my trainer he asked what time I wanted to do these things and I said just about whenever. He asked how I like mornings and I said 'I really don't do mornings' but they get me out of bed. If I'm ever late they kick me out of bed so I have no choice to show up."
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DENNY HAMLIN, NO. 11 FEDEX EXPRESS MONTE CARLO SS, 6TH IN POINTS, MET WITH MEMBERS OF THE MEDIA DURING THE WEEKLY TOP-10 BEHIND THE HAULER CHAT TO DISCUSS HIS EXPECTATIONS, THE TRACK AND OTHER SUBJECTS
ON EXPECTATIONS FOR THIS WEEKEND:
"Hopefully, it'll be another top-five finish. We had a really good run here in the Spring and not so stellar in the Fall, so we're hoping to get back to the rhythm of things with this car and hopefully we're still on top of our game."
ON THE ELIMINATION OF THE "BUMP":
"Just from running the Busch car here it really seems like it's been effective. It looks like the speeds were a little higher than in the past. We had it kind of set up for the bump otherwise the car would get airborne. We can get a little more aggressive on our packages because of the smooth surface. I didn't run up high so I don't know if it's been fixed up high as well but certainly down low it's a lot better."
ON NEXT WEEKEND AND RUNNING THE IMPALA SS AT PHOENIX:
"The biggest concern for me is going to be how aero tight we're going to be. How hard is passing going to be next weekend. We know from testing at Richmond that you can't even get close to anybody before it pushes. You can be three-tenths faster and all of sudden you're three-tenths slower. It's a concern for us but we've just got to work through it."
ON THE YEAR SO FAR:
"We knew all along that this year's car was hopefully going to be better. We had to see if all the work we did was going (to make it) better than the opposition . It's been a year we've been hoping for."
IS THERE SOMETHING YOU'VE DONE DIFFERENTLY?
"Well, no. It's just part of our team. We don't talk about things we're struggling with when we're at a racetrack. The only time we think about it is when we read about it in the paper or see it on the news. The rest of the time we're just handling business."
ANY PROBLEMS WITH FRIDAY THE 13TH?
"Other than it's probably going to rain? I think that the other time it was Friday the 13th we actually had a pretty good practice."
NO SUPERSTITIONS THEN?
"I used not to like the color green on any racecar but one of my favorite race cars (a FEDEX car) was green so that blows that out of the window. So there are no real superstitions for me."
WHERE DO YOU THINK THESE SUPERSTITIONS HAVE COME FROM?
"Over the years, people watching, deciding what's good luck, what's bad luck."
ON WHY THERE HAVE BEEN NO REPEAT WINNERS AT TEXAS.
"One guy's not gotten hold of this racetrack since we starting coming here. Well I think that the track changes every time we come back here. Since it was brand new each time we've come here it's got faster, it's got wider. And the competition has got tighter. I think that's why there have been so many different winners."
IS IT GOING TO BE A DIFFERENT RACETRACK AGAIN THIS WEEKEND?
"Somewhat. A few things are going to change but for the most part it's going to be the same old Texas. It became a two, three wide racetrack and now with the bump gone it's going to be even better."
ON RACING CLOSELY WITH JEFF GORDON AND JIMMIE JOHNSON:
"All of us we race against each other every week. We're all around each other every weekend. If I was with a guy I rarely raced it would be different. Maybe I'd be more aggressive. We're competitors with each other every week and we have to respect that.
ON MARTINSVILLE FINISH VERSUS LAST YEAR'S CHASE BATTLES:
"Last year we were in the middle of the Chase battle was different. I knew that if he (Gordon) hit me or I hit him and took each other out the Championship would be over. That's what I was thinking at the time. This year if it had been the same situation I maybe would have been more aggressive - but I would have still had the same respect for him."
WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM RACING GORDON AND JOHNSON AND THE FINISH AT MARTINSVILLE?
"I think Gordon pushed it to the absolute limit that he could push it without stepping over the team. I think that Johnson did exactly what he had to do in the race. It's hard for me to fault any one of them. If I'd been in the same situation I would have done the exact same thing . In fact I was watching them and thinking I would have done the exact same thing."
IS THERE ANY MENTAL TRAINING YOU CAN DO TO GET YOURSELF READY FOR THE RACETRACK?
"I've got a lot of good people on the radio keeping me informed and calm ... helping with decisions. There's no real way to prepare yourself for those (race) situations. You have to always know in the back of your mind that (things) can happen."
IS THERE ANY CONCERN OVER THE DOMINATION THAT HENDRICK IS HAVING? COULD THEY RUN AWAY WITH IT?
"There's nothing to say they could run away with it. There's too many good cars. I mean, it is hard to argue with the way that the #48 has started and the way the #24 has started. But they're not going to be up front all year long. We're still only six races in. A lot of times it takes a little time for a team to catch up. I think that Gibb is one of the organizations (that can). We've just got to get back into the rhythm of things to be where Hendrick's at."
WHAT IS IT LIKE TO WORK WITH (CREW CHIEF) MIKE FORD, WHO HAS SO MUCH EXPERIENCE AND HAS HAD SO MUCH SUCCESS?
"I get excited at some points and he's the guy who keeps me level. I think it's a good combination with experience and some inexperience. I think we can be very successful."
DO YOU LIKE TEXAS, THIS TRACK?
"Yes. Texas is one of the best big tracks we go to."
ARE TIRES GOING TO BE AN ISSUE?
"I don't think so. I don't think they've had a whole lot of tire issues at this racetrack. It's a good racetrack where we don't have to be so aggressive with our setup. I think the worst part is going to be pretty good."
HOW'S THE NEW CHEVROLET R07 ENGINE GOING TO HOLD UP?
"That's hard to say. I'd like to get out there and practice and see what I've got. Everything should be better with this engine. We've run it through many tests. We're very excited about it."
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DENNY HAMLIN, NO. 11 FEDEX MONTE CARLO SS, TALKED WITH MEDIA ABOUT HIS PHOENIX SPEEDING PENALTY, TONY STEWART'S COMMENTS AND MORE
WHAT GOES ON INSIDE YOUR HEAD WHEN YOU END UP IN THIRD PLACE AFTER A PENALTY AND MIGHT HAVE WON THE RACE?
"It's tough to win or finish in the top five in any race but it takes more time for us - for myself - to get over it but I know deep in my heart that a third-place finish is good for us. It's a good points day and it could have been a whole lot worse."
DOES NASCAR PROVIDE DATA THAT SAYS HOW FAR OVER THE SPEED LIMIT YOU WERE?
"We asked for it and what it said is that we were 50.13 mph. The limit is 45 mph but I believe they give you up to 50.1 mph as the absolute max. We were just a bit over it."
I BELIEVE YOU FIRST SAID YOU WERE 2.2 MPH UNDER THE FIRST TIME?
"What we had was. you can call up NASCAR after you go down pit road and say 'in such and such a segment, what was our speed?'. We were the first car on pit road so I had no one in front of me and could run the exact RPM I wanted to run, then asked how much room do we have to go up or down. They said we were 2.2 and if it was good. (Crew chief) Mike (Ford) asked me if I wanted to increase the RPM and I said 'no, I'll just keep it in reserve in case I need it'. I came back in the second time as the leader and didn't need to speed but was speeding when I felt like I was running the exact same RPM. Whether we got a bad segment time the first time, I don't know. Maybe that was the fact - we just called in maybe a segment where we were a little too slow, where we were actually closer to the limit than what we thought."
HOW NICE IS IT TO KNOW THAT YOU'RE GETTING CARS THAT YOU CAN GO FROM 43RD TO UP FRONT IN A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME?
"That's the great thing is that we had a lot of fun going back to the front but it was frustrating in the same breath. it gave me a lot of confidence that our team was really on top of things with the new car and it gives me a big shot of confidence for Richmond coming up."
YOUR THOUGHTS ON TONY STEWART'S COMMENTS:
"It's pretty much taken up all the media when you turn on the TV and hear about it. To me it's tough that a guy really can't say what he really feels even on his own radio show but you've got to protect the integrity of the sport and can't throw mud all over it in the same aspect. I definitely see both sides of it. I think he's in a tough situation where he didn't want to let loose in front of the cameras so instead he did it behind the microphone and it still cost him."
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Event: Dodge Avenger 500
Date/Time: May 12, 2007 / 7 p.m. ET
Length: 1.366 miles
Shape: Oval
Banking: 25/23 degrees
Distance: 367 laps/500 miles
2006 winner: Greg Biffle
2006 polesitter: Kasey Kahne
EXPRESS NOTES:
COT Success Continues; Hamlin Posts Third-Place Finish at Richmond: Denny Hamlin and the #11 FedEx team turned-in another strong Car of Tomorrow performance, and led laps (12) for the fourth time in the last five races before securing a fourth top-five finish of the season. Hamlin’s sophomore season success has him fourth in points through the first ten races of the 2007 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series schedule.
Hamlin at Darlington Raceway: Playing off his previous Busch series success at Darlington Raceway, Hamlin secured a top-ten finish in his first-ever NNCS start at Darlington Raceway in 2006. This will be Hamlin’s fifth start overall, and his second NNCS start at Darlington. Hamlin has secured top-ten finishes in all four races he has started at this track; including one Busch series win (2006). After winning last May’s Busch series race on Friday night, Hamlin took his momentum into Saturday’s NEXTEL Cup-Dodge Charger 500 and ran in the top five for the first half of the race before negotiating handling issues and a cooling track to secure a 10th-place finish in his Cup debut at Darlington.
This track played a big role in getting Hamlin into a Busch and Cup series ride at Joe Gibbs Racing as well. JGR signed Hamlin to a developmental contract in 2004 and gave him a limited tryout in selected Busch and Craftsman Truck Series starts. Just three months after turning in a top-ten debut in the Truck Series at Indianapolis Raceway Park, Denny lined up for his first Busch series race at one of NASCAR’s trickiest tracks. Despite the odds against him, he turned a lot of heads as he posted a top-ten finish in his Darlington debut.
Express Fact:
Hamlin has led laps in all four COT races and has finished in the top-5 in three of the four COT races this year. Hamlin’s 2007 average starting position with the COT (5.0) is second best behind Jeff Gordon, and Hamlin’s average finish (5.8) in the COT ranks him fourth.
Mother’s Day at Darlington:
For the second consecutive year, Hamlin’s mom, Mary Lou Hamlin, will join the moms of other NEXTEL Cup drivers as the Grand Marshals for Saturday’s race. Prior to the race, the moms will be introduced with their sons on stage and will then team up to give the command to start engines.
“I know I can speak for a lot of the guys out here when I say that without my mom’s support and sacrifice I wouldn’t be here today doing what I love,” said Hamlin. “She continues to give me confidence and keeps me grounded when I need it. I’m thankful for her everyday and it’s always comforting knowing that she is crossing her fingers every time she watches me race.”
Darlington Raceway Chassis JGR 166 and JGR 158:
Chassis 166 is a new Car of Tomorrow chassis from the Joe Gibbs Racing stable. Backup chassis 158 has yet to make a NNCS start, but has served as the back up for all four COT races this season.
QUOTES:
Hamlin on Darlington Raceway:
“I think running here will be a big test for this Car of Tomorrow. This track is hard to tackle in the old Cup car with ten years of notes, so it will no doubt be a challenge to get this car right. This FedEx team has had the advantage of being really good off the truck at COT races, but I am guessing we’ll use every minute possible in practice to work on the car. We know qualifying will be really important because we’ve seen that it can be hard to pass in this new car so between the track and the car, we’ll have our work cut out for us at Darlington.”
“After seeing some chances to win at places like Bristol and Phoenix slip away we would like nothing more than to win one of these races. It says a lot about how far this team has come to be talking about wins over third place finishes but we feel like we are a team to beat this year. Based on how our COT has performed so far this year, if we stick to our strategy of being patient and conserving tires here, we feel good about our chances this week. “
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This thread if for the news articles and press releases about Denny Hamlin in the 2007 season.
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Denny Hamlin, No. 11 FedEx Kinko's Impala SS met with members of the media at Dover International Speedway to discuss racing at Dover, Pocono and short track racing, among other subjects.
ON RACING THE IMPALA SS AT DOVER:
"We're slowly but surely starting to work out all the other kinks that the car has but the aero part of it is one that we haven't changed yet. Eventually we're going to need to change something but we'll see how good or bad it is this weekend."
DID YOU LEARN ENOUGH AT A NON-SANCTIONED TEST TO PUT TO USE AT A TRACK LIKE THIS OR ARE YOU COMING IN BLIND?
"You can learn a few things by going somewhere like Rockingham for a track like this. It's hard to try to find exactly what race track is similar to this one as far as your loading and unloading is concerned so Dover is one of a kind. I think you're going to see probably a big gap from the have and have nots probably for the first half hour or 45 minutes of practice."
THE NEW CAR DOESN'T REALLY DIFFER THAT MUCH FROM TRACK TO TRACK:
"It seems like it's making the competition tighter as far as time is concerned but as far as the teams, I think it's very narrow right now. I think there's some teams that have it figured out and there are some teams that haven't. Eventually it's all coming together but right now it's going to spread out."
DO YOU THINK YOUR TEAM WILL FINALLY BREAK THROUGH ON ONE OF THESE RACES?
"I hope so. We go into every Car of Tomorrow race with a lot of confidence. We're going to treat this one like any other one."
IS THIS A GOOD TRACK FOR YOU AND DO YOU LIKE IT?
"Bad and hate. This has not been my best race track by any means. Over on the Busch side in practice we were one of the best cars by a long shot so I think I'm slowly but surely coming around to this race track."
YOU'RE THE KING OF POCONO. ARE YOU EXCITED ABOUT GOING BACK THERE?
"Yeah, we'll take the same car back and hopefully try to do the same thing and get a win one way or another. Who knows. Things change from one year to the next. That car has been wrecked and run really well since then so who knows what we've got when we go back."
WHY DO YOU LIKE QUIRKY RACE TRACKS?
"I'm not sure why we took to that race track as fast as we did. I think a lot of it was race car more so than myself. I think just with Mike (Ford)'s experience at that race track, he knew how to set up a race car. He's had a lot of success will Bill there so I was able to take the reins from what he had already built."
DO YOU THINK YOU WILL DO WELL HERE WITH THE NEW CAR?
"I think so. We've performed well every time we've been here. I think our worst finish is 11th or so. But we've lucked into some finishes and we ran well at times, I just have a tough time around this track. It really wears me down physically. I'm in a lot better shape than I was last year but I don't know what it is. 400 laps around this place is a long time and it's hard to keep your concentration. That's really the biggest element. It's challenging for me here."
DO YOU THINK IT WILL BE A CHALLENGE WITH THE NEW CARS' TURINING ISSUE?
"I think it's going to be really tough here. Our cars bounce here anyway. When you add the new car which you're not really able to travel, I think it's going to add even more bounce and be even more physically demanding on you. Needless to say, I wasn't really wasn't looking forward to coming here. But you never know after the first practice."
HOW DO YOU APPROACH QUALIFIYNG HERE KNOWING THAT THE DRIVER WHO IS SLOWEST MAY HAVE TO SHARE A STALL?
"I think Jimmie had to do it last year and it's tough. You've got us to lay down a solid lap and you don't want to be one of the guys sharing a stall but this is a race track that you have to get after it if you're going to run well. You've got to charge the corners as hard as you can. This track really rewards a guy who is really aggressive. That's usually not my style but for the most part you've got to bear it as much as you can around here for qualifying. So it's kind of a balancing act."
HOW DO YOU LOOK AT YOUR SEASON SO FAR?
"It's full for me. We're running better at every race track than what we did last year. At this point last year we hadn't got a win yet and we haven't got a win yet this year. Next week, if we don't start doing something then maybe something needs to be worked on but I think for the most part, we're more competitive every race track we go to; we're finishing better at every race track. I'm pretty happy about the way our season is going. I know as a driver I'm slowly but surely getting to where I need to be and still haven't reached my full potential yet so it's going to take a little bit of time. I think if Tony (Stewart) is not winning races right now he knows he's probably at his peak as a driver right now. I feel like I've got a lot of things still to learn."
ARE WINS A BIGGER DEAL THAN THEY SHOULD BE?
"I think you've got to make a big deal out of them because they reward you. If I don't have any wins when it comes time for the Chase I might as well be twelfth. It doesn't matter whether I'm leading the points or not. If I don't have any wins to show for it then we're going to be set back at a disadvantage when it comes to the Chase. We've got to start getting wins but if we get wins in the Chase, that's going to pay pretty good too."
ARE YOU GOING TO DO THE SONOMA/MILWAUKEE DOUBLE?
"That's going to be tough. That was one of the worst weekends that we had last year, doing the Milwaukee/Sonoma deal. We didn't get in until about 5:00 a.m. the day of the Sonoma race and had to be up at 7:00 a.m. to do different hospitality. So it's going to be really, really tough. It is a big race for Rockwell - their home - and it's a good race track for me. We're going to try to get as much rest as we can in between the two."
HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT HAVING DALE EARNHARDT, JR. AS A TEAMMATE?
"I've thought about it but I'm not losing any sleep over it by any means. I know what he could bring to our organization, I know what we could offer him. It would be a good deal for him. He's got a lot of things he has to work out other than the driving and the racing part. There's so much more that goes into it nowadays than just getting behind the wheel and choosing the best race car for you. There's a lot of other things that play into it. He's got a lot of thinking to do."
HAVE YOU GOTTEN TO KNOW HIM OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS?
"Yeah, I know him pretty well. I think I do anyway. More off the race track than on. I think our personalities get along well. I know him and Tony get along well. From the outside looking in it would be a great fit but the No. 18 car is really running well now and it's tough to say where he would fit in."
HAVE YOU LOBBIED FOR HIM OR TALKED TO HIM MUCH ABOUT IT?
"No, I've chatted with him briefly in his motor home about it but he's got a lot of questions he wants answered of how things run at each race team. I try to do my best to answer them but J.D. (Gibbs) is going to have to answer them, not me. I think he's really looking to find a place where he gets a little more time to himself. I think that's going to be very important to him and wherever he goes he's going to want that time. Whoever suits him best is where he's going to go."
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT DRIVING THE IMPALA SS FULL-TIME NEXT YEAR. IS IT TOO SOON?
"No, I think it's good for the sport. I think it's good for the teams and good for the drivers, not having to go back and forth. The teams not to have to work on two cars. for the most part I think as long as they're open to changes in the race cars it's going to be better for everyone."
HOW DID SHORT-TRACK RACING SHAPE YOU AS A DRIVER?
"The commercial kind of sounds exactly the way it is. Short tracks are where you learned to race. When you come to a bigger race track, you use those short-track characteristics to help you. For me, having short-track experience is priceless in this sport. You can use it everywhere you go. A lot of the guys who grew up on the bigger tracks have a tough time adapting to the short race tracks but the guys who have been racing short tracks all their lives can go to a big race track and perform well. I think that has to do with a lot of my success. As much as I ran on the small race tracks, when we go to these short tracks on the Cup series, I run well because it's all the same. It's just you're in a different machine."
WHAT IS IT ABOUT THE FRIDAY/SATURDAY NIGHT SHORT TRACK RACES THAT IS SO EXCITING?
"It's the beating and banging aspect. It's the guys, your local heroes out there, racing. I ran an 175-lap late model race last night in Virginia and it was just like old times. Seeing all the guys that I used to race against and just that atmosphere of packing the local short track, your local hot dog stand, everything is just different than what it is out here on the Cup series. The people really support the local short tracks, they'll be there for years to come."
HOW IMPORTANT IS IT FOR NASCAR TO SHOW THEIR SUPPORT?
"It's big for NASCAR to help keep those local short tracks going because honestly, those guys lose money just about every year on these local short track deals. They're trying to pay us the purse to show up but keep fans in the stands. It's a balancing act that really tough but I tell you, it's really where NASCAR's next generation is going to come from. I just think the local late model guys are the guys that will soon be champions here are our late."
TELL US ABOUT YOUR SPECIAL PAINT THEME ON YOUR HELMET:
"Jonathan from Make-a-Wish did the helmet for us this weekend and we're very excited about that. It's part of the 'Wear your heart on your helmet' campaign from FedEx. Really every time I get to run one of these paint schemes it means a little bit more to us that weekend so hopefully we can get Jonathan a win."
DO YOU GET TO MEET THE KIDS?
"Most of the time we do. We meet the kids and usually present the hospital with the check but we've been a huge supporter of the Make-a-Wish for the last couple of years and this is where we're showing our respects to those kids."
IS THAT A GOOD FEELING FOR YOU?
"All the hospitals that I go to throughout the whole year, St. Jude or the Children's hospitals, you're making a difference in those kids' lives one way or another. It means a lot to be able to do those things for those kids and bring the race track to them instead of them coming to the race track."
HAVING NOT TESTED THE NEW CAR HERE, WHAT ARE YOUR CONCERNS?
"One of my biggest concerns is knocking the splitter off. You never know how much travel you're able to have with these race cars. So we're obviously on the conservative end. This race track really demands a lot of your front suspension so we really have to be aware the first half hour, 45 minutes to make sure we don't damage our car too much."
RUNNING THE NEW CAR, DOES THAT MAKE THIS TRACK EVEN MORE CHALLENGING NOW?
"It's a challenge for sure, especially since our test got cancelled here. We've got to be on our toes not to damage our car and use every minute of this practice wisely."
DO YOU THINK THAT THIS TRACK IS IMPORTANT IN THE FACT THAT YOU COME BACK HERE DURING THE CHASE?
"It's going to be very important. That's what it's going to be about is learn as much as we can and make sure we perform well in the Chase because ultimately that's what matters. None of these races matter unless you win them. We feel like we're a good enough team to make the Chase so we need to rack up wins right now and that's all we're concerned about."
DO YOU SEE DEBRIS WHEN THEY CALL DEBRIS CAUTIONS?
"Sometimes you do, sometimes you don't. My spotter usually tells me where it's at and I look for it but sometimes he doesn't know where it's at. I like NASCAR's approach. They're trying to do the right thing by keeping safety in mind and still make the racing good. So you really can't fault them either way on when they throw them."
ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO ELDORA?
"Yeah, I'm really looking forward to Eldora. I'm really excited for Tony to get 20 or so drivers to participate in that and a lot of them have never been on dirt before. I was the virgin to dirt last year so it's going to be interesting to watch some of these guys up here on dirt, especially Juan (Pablo Montoya) for the first time."
HAVE YOU PRACTICED AT ALL FOR THAT?
"I haven't practiced this year, I'm just going to go out there and wing it this year."
IS THERE A LOT OF COMPETITION AND PRESSURE TO NOT EMBARRASS YOURSELF IN THIS?
"If you put us out on a little go kart track then we're going to be trying as hard as we can to beat each other. I think we take more pride in beating each other in an environment in which we're not in every single week than we are out here racing every Sunday. If you take us out of our environment and then see who is best, I think the winner is going to take more pride than they do here."
IS THAT BECAUSE IT'S MORE OF A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD?
"It's a little more level for sure. I think that's why we take so much pride."
WHAT'S THE BEST PART OF RACING ON DIRT?
"To me it's the sliding. Finding the cushion and going around and finding different grooves. You do that a little bit in these cars but you're not doing it sideways so probably the sideways aspect."
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Event: Autism Speaks 400
Date/Time: June 3, 2007 / 1:30 p.m. ET
Length: 1.0 mile
Shape: Oval
Banking: 24 degrees
Distance: 400 laps/400 miles
2006 winner: Matt Kenseth
2006 polesitter: Ryan Newman
EXPRESS NOTES:
Hamlin, FedEx Racing Finish Ninth at Charlotte:
Denny Hamlin and the #11 FedEx team secured their third straight top-ten finish, seventh overall, of the 2007 season by finishing ninth in the Coca-Cola 600. The #11 FedEx team was able to avoid several multi-car wrecks and manage handling issues early in the race to work their way to the front and take the lead before having to pit for fuel with only five laps to go. Gambling on fuel mileage, several lead cars opted not to pit and were able to make it, resulting in a ninth place finish for the #11 FedEx Chevrolet. Hamlin’s sophomore season success has him fourth in points through the first twelve races of the 2007 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series schedule.
Hamlin at Dover International Speedway:
This will be Hamlin’s sixth start overall, and his third NNCS start at Dover International Speedway. Hamlin has secured both a top-ten start and a top-ten finish in his two Cup starts at Dover. After running with the leaders during the early part of the June 2006 race, Hamlin made contact with Jeremy Mayfield in the pits and was forced to go a lap down while making repairs to the car. He surged through the field but laps ran out and had to settle for an 11th place finish and just missed scoring his fourth consecutive top-ten. In last year’s fall race at Dover, Hamlin and the #11 car ran near the tail end of the lead lap for most of the race before making adjustments on the car and catching some good luck to secure a top-ten (9th) finish.
Hamlin Continues FedEx “Wear Your Heart on Your Helmet” Program:
Hamlin will continue the FedEx 2007 “Wear Your Heart on Your Helmet” campaign by wearing the third of 11 designed helmets by children’s hospital patients and Make-A-Wish® recipients. Hamlin will be wearing a special FedEx Kinko’s helmet designed by 7 year-old Jonathan N. from Fredericksburg, PA, who is having his wish granted by the Make-A-Wish Foundation® during the Dover 400. In addition, several Make-A-Wish kids will have the opportunity to meet and have their picture taken with Hamlin prior to the race. The eleven helmets will be designed by children’s hospital patients and Make-A-Wish kids in race markets throughout the 2007 season. The Make-A-Wish Foundation will be presented with a $50,000 check on behalf of FedEx when the Cup series visits Phoenix in November. Following the season, all of the race-worn helmets will be auctioned off to benefit Victory Junction.
Express Fact:
Hamlin has led laps in all five COT races, including a career-high 179 laps at Darlington, and has finished in the top-5 in four of the five COT races this year. Hamlin’s 2007 average starting position with the COT is 5.4, and has an average finish of 5.0 in the COT.
Dover International Speedway Chassis JGR 166 and JGR 158:
This will be the second start of the 2007 season for JGR Chassis 166. Hamlin drove this car to a second-place finish after leading a career high 179 laps in its debut at Darlington in May. Backup chassis 158 has yet to make a NNCS start, but has served as the back up for all five COT races this season.
QUOTES:
Hamlin on Dover International:
“It’s no secret Dover is one of the most demanding and trickiest tracks on the circuit, and probably one of the harder tracks for me. Hopefully I’ll be able to find my comfort zone on this track which is so physically demanding. Because of testing being cancelled here at Dover, our practice sessions will be extremely important in getting the proper setup for Sunday. It would be great to turn-in a solid performance to give us momentum heading into next week where we’ll be trying for our third straight trip to Pocono’s victory lane.”
Hamlin on Car of Tomorrow at Dover:
"It will be the biggest test for the Car of Tomorrow so far. We will be going as fast as we have ever gone in the car. Aero is such a big deal for those cars; it is going to be interesting to see if guys are able to run behind each other. I know on the short tracks, the little aero we have, it was pretty tough. It will be interesting to see how we do having this be the first time we’ve brought the COT here. With the success we’ve been having with the JGR COT, I definitely feel good about our chances."
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Event: Pocono 500
Date/Time: June 10, 2007 / 2 p.m. ET
Length: 2.5 miles
Shape: Tri-Oval
Banking: 14-8-6 degrees
Distance: 200 laps/500 miles
2006 winner: Denny Hamlin
2006 polesitter: Denny Hamlin
EXPRESS NOTES:
Hamlin Rallies for Fourth at Dover:
Denny Hamlin and the #11 team continued their string of strong Car of Tomorrow performances at Dover International Speedway on Monday afternoon. Hamlin started 29th and clinically navigated his way into the top five to take the checkered flag in fourth. The result keeps Hamlin in fourth place in the season standings, 27 points behind Matt Kenseth in third and 138 points ahead of Jeff Burton in fifth.
Hamlin at Pocono – One Year Later:
Expectations will be high as Hamlin and the #11 team return to Pocono Raceway after the success they enjoyed there in 2006. Hamlin won both 2006 races from the pole as a rookie and did so in dominating fashion. However, Hamlin’s first Pocono experience was also marked by a recovery from a lap 50 cut tire that forced Hamlin to spin the car on purpose before entering the tunnel turn. Facing substantial damage, the #11 FedEx crew made major repairs on pit road before sending Hamlin to work his from 40th place all the way to the front to take the checkered flag.
Pocono Chassis – JGR 121 and 137:
Chassis 121 forged its reputation last season at Pocono by twice dominating the field at the 2.5-mile track - scoring two poles, two wins and leading 234 of 401 possible laps. In addition to success at Pocono, 121 served as the team workhorse throughout the 2006 season, scoring seven top ten finishes. In thirteen Cup starts dating back to Las Vegas in the spring of 2006, this car has recorded ten top-ten finishes, three-top five finishes and two wins. This will be the third start of the 2007 season for this car. To date, Hamlin recorded ninth-place finishes at both Texas and Charlotte behind the wheel of 121. 137, with starts at Fontana and Atlanta, will serve as the back up this weekend.
FedEx Express Fact:
Hamlin joined his driving hero Bill Elliott as the only driver to sweep both Pocono races from the pole in a single season, a feat Elliott accomplished in 1985. (Darrell Waltrip won the pole and started first but his time was disqualified).
QUOTES:
Hamlin on Pocono: “What makes Pocono so unique is you’ve got three corners that are completely different, no other track we visit during the season requires you to prepare like this. One is a very wide sweeping corner but it’s got a little bit of banking to it. So, you need to have a car that basically will stay up in the banking. The second corner, the tunnel turn, is very flat and it’s very fast. That’s really where you can gain a lot of time on guys. And you know – it drives a lot like a road course kind of corner. And the other corner is like a short track – almost like Phoenix in turns three and four - it’s very flat and very wide and it comes out sweeping to the long straight away. It’s a lot like a mixture of different race tracks, a track that rewards a guy who is very smooth on corner entry and I think that’s where it kind of plays into my strengths.”
Hamlin on What Winning at Pocono in 2006 Meant for the #11 Team:
“Because we were still a new team, I think the win at Pocono gave us some more credibility. Mike (Ford) was well known and respected in the garage, I think everyone knew the #11 team was good, and we had been putting up pretty good results, but breaking through and winning that first Cup race was a big step for us. From there we went on a good run and carried a high level of performance through the Chase. The wins at Pocono, and having a really dominant car at both races, gave us a lot of confidence and belief that we belonged among the best teams and it wasn’t a fluke that we were in the top-ten in points.”
Hamlin on 2007 Pocono Expectations:
“It will be different for sure. It’s easy to look at tracks where someone has run well and assume they will be as good but we set the bar pretty high last season. We are definitely confident in our equipment, and Mike (Ford) has a lot of experience and success going back to his time with Bill Elliott, so I expect to be competitive, but it’s never safe to assume anything until you are on the track. We’ll have a different tire to deal with so all bets are off but we’ve been really good lately.
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Behind The Hauler Chat With Denny Hamlin
Behind The Hauler Chat With Denny Hamlin
Denny Hamlin Pre-Darlington NNCS Race Preview
Qualed 2nd!!!