DENNY HAMLIN
#11 FedEx Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS
FEDEX RACING EXPRESS FACTS
POCONO 500 – POCONO RACEWAY

RACE INFO:
Event: Pocono 500
Date/Time: June 11, 2006 /1:30 p.m. ET
Track: Pocono Raceway
Length: 2.5 Miles
Shape: Tri-Oval
Distance: 200 laps/500 miles
Banking: 14-8-6 degrees
2005 winner: Carl Edwards
2005 polesitter: Michael Waltrip EXPRESS NOTES:
Hamlin’s March Continues: Denny Hamlin continued his impressive run of races and climb up the Nextel Cup standings with a well-deserved 11th-place finish on the high banks of Dover International Speedway last weekend. Hamlin arrived at Dover riding a consecutive top-ten streak of three races and only missed adding to the streak by one spot. The string of good finishes moves Hamlin and the FedEx Racing team within one place of the top-ten in the season standings.

Hamlin at Pocono Raceway: The Pocono 500 will mark Hamlin’s Cup debut at the unique tri-oval.

Hamlin on his Pocono Debut: “This will be my first time at Pocono and I am looking forward to getting there and trying to figure out my way around the place. I have had a chance to study it a bit and I am learning about the track and the different turns from Mike (Ford) and the guys on the crew that have been there before. They are telling me about the set up for the weekend but it will really come down to getting in the car on Friday, turning some laps and getting a good feel there. I expect that with some practice and with the quality of cars this team is giving me that we will be pretty good.”

Double Duty – Pocono to Nashville…and Back: Denny Hamlin will continue his run in both the Busch and Nextel Cup series this weekend, though instead of walking between garages he will travel to Nashville, Tenn., on Saturday after Cup practice to qualify and start the Federated 300 Busch Series Race at Nashville Speedway. He will return to Pennsylvania immediately following the race and prepare to take the wheel of the #11 FedEx Ground Chevrolet for the Pocono 500 on Sunday

2006 Points: Hamlin’s 11th-place finish at Dover moves him up one spot to 11th in the NASCAR Nextel Cup standings heading to Pocono this weekend. Hamlin currently sits 80 points behind Kyle Busch in tenth and 519 points behind leader Jimmie Johnson. Hamlin has picked up eight spots over his last three races.

2006 Rookie Race: Hamlin once again captured the Raybestos Rookie of the Race award at Dover and increases his lead over second-place Clint Bowyer to 14 points (143-129). The Neighborhood Excellence 400 marks the seventh time this season, and fourth consecutive race, that Hamlin has been the highest finishing rookie.

Pocono Chassis JGR 121/092: The #11 FedEx Team will roll out car JGR 121 this weekend at Pocono. In two starts the car has performed well, posting two finishes of tenth place (Las Vegas 3/06 & Darlington 5/06). Backup chassis JGR 092 raced to a 12th-place finish at California in February and has served as a backup on five occasions since.

FedEx Ground Car at Pocono: Hamlin’s #11 Chevrolet will sport the FedEx Ground colors for the third time this season this weekend at Pocono Raceway. Throughout the season, Hamlin and FedEx Racing will feature schemes representing four of the FedEx operating companies; FedEx Express, FedEx Ground, FedEx Freight and FedEx Kinko’s

Hamlin on Reaching Eleventh in the Standings: “This team has a lot of momentum right now but we aren’t taking anything for granted. We’re not looking or thinking ahead beyond the coming weekend. We have a good string of finishes going and that is the goal, just good consistent finishes. The team is building great cars and I truly look forward to getting behind the wheel each week because we are gelling so well.”

Mike Ford on Hamlin’s Pocono Debut: “We’ll prepare for (Pocono) just as we do every week. You try to put your best equipment on the track and just have to spend a little more time talking to Denny and making the most of our chances to debrief after being on the track. This weekend is complicated a little by the fact he is going to be flying in and out. That’s going to be the hardest thing, the time constraints, but we’ll be ok.”

Hamlin on the Rookie Race: “We said from the beginning that it might take a top-ten year to win the rookie race and it looks more and more like that could be the case. It’s a competitive group and each week it seems as a group we are qualifying well, running in the top ten or challenging for a good finish. All of the rookies have strong teams behind them and that makes the competition that much better.”