DENNY HAMLIN
#11 FedEx Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS
FEDEX RACING EXPRESS FACTS

RACE INFO: Event: Pennsylvania 500
Date/Time: July 23, 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: Kurt Busch
2005 polesitter: Jamie McMurray

EXPRESS NOTES:
Hamlin Returns to Pocono Raceway: Only a little more than month after winning his first Nextel Cup race at Pocono Raceway, rookie Denny Hamlin returns to Pennsylvania hoping to be as successful the second time around.

Despite starting from the pole and leading a race-high 83 laps, Hamlin’s first win didn’t come without excitement as a blown tire forced the #11 FedEx Ground machine through the grass on lap 50 and onto pit road several times for repairs. After extensive work on the left rear quarter panel and battery compartment of the #11, Hamlin returned to the field and worked his way back to the front from 40th place to take the checkered flag and seal his first Cup win.

Fuel Shortage For Hamlin at New Hampshire: Denny Hamlin appeared poised to post his fourth top-five finish of the season last weekend at New Hampshire International Speedway but an extended caution late in the race added to the scheduled 300 laps and left Hamlin a lap short on fuel. Hamlin managed to cross the line but lost four places as he coasted through turns three and four and settled for a sixth-place finish.

Double Duty Reprise: After a three-week break from non-companion Nextel Cup and Busch Series race weekends, Hamlin will again be traveling this weekend. Hamlin will participate in the open practice at Martinsville on Thursday, July 20 before flying to Pennsylvania in preparation for Cup practice and qualifying on Friday. Then, following the final Cup practice on Saturday, Hamlin will fly to Martinsville to drive the #20 Rockwell Automation Chevrolet in the Goody’s 250 on Saturday afternoon before returning to Pocono for Sunday’s race.

2006 Points: Hamlin’s sixth-place finish at New Hampshire tightened the NASCAR Nextel Cup points standings significantly but did not see him change positions. Currently in 12th place, Hamlin sits seven points behind Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Tony Stewart in eleventh place and 18 points behind Greg Biffle and Jeff Gordon tied for ninth. With seven races to go before the chase, Hamlin is 465 points behind leader Jimmie Johnson.

2006 Rookie Race: With his seventh top-ten finish of the season, Hamlin earned highest finishing rookie honors for the tenth time this season. He currently holds a 34-point lead in the Raybestos Rookie standings over second-place Clint Bowyer heading to Pocono.

Pocono Chassis JGR 121/127: The #11 FedEx Team will again roll out car JGR 121 this weekend at Pocono. This is the car that dominated the field in the Pocono 500 earlier this summer despite suffering damage to the left rear quarter panel and battery compartment after a blown tire on lap 50. In two starts before winning at Pocono this car posted two finishes of tenth place (Las Vegas 3/06 & Darlington 5/06). Back up car 127 raced at Atlanta and Charlotte this spring posting finishes of 31st and ninth, respectively.

FedEx Kinko’s Car at Pocono: Hamlin’s #11 Chevrolet will sport the FedEx Kinko’s colors for the fifth 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 Returning to Pocono: “I think I will always look forward to coming back to Pocono because winning there meant so much to me and this whole team. We had a great weekend here in June. The car was good off the truck, we had good practice, we won pole in qualifying and then to come back after we lost a tire and suffered some pretty serious damage to win that race was something I will never forget. The guys built an incredible car last time and it showed on the track, I was just happy to be driving it.”

It’s hard not to be excited about going back to a place where you ran really well last time out, but we are trying to be as realistic as possible about what to expect at Pocono. It’s a different weekend and a lot can change in this sport, even in a short time. We are bringing the same car that we won here with in June, but we will have a different tire and we’ll be racing 42 other guys who are all bringing their best as well.”