DENNY HAMLIN
#11 FedEx Chevrolet Monte Carlo
FEDEX RACING EXPRESS FACTS
AARON’S 499 – TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY

RACE INFO:
Event: Aaron’s 499
Date/Time: April 28, 2006 / 1:30 p.m. ET
Track: Talladega Superspeedway Length: 2.66 Miles
Shape: Tri-Oval Superspeedway
Distance: 188 laps/500.8 miles Banking: 33 degrees
2005 winner: Jeff Gordon
2005 polesitter: Kevin Harvick

EXPRESS NOTES:
Frustration in Phoenix, Hamlin Finishes 34th: Denny Hamlin’s Saturday night at Phoenix International Raceway was over before it started last weekend as engine trouble struck on lap one and plagued him throughout the evening. After two visits to pit road during early-race cautions, the crew determined a bad sparkplug had been the culprit, but the damage was already done and Hamlin was forced to run the race on seven cylinders. Despite running competitive lap times for much of the night, Hamlin stepped aside for the cars fighting for position on the lead lap and settled for a disappointing 34th-place finish.

2006 Points: Hamlin’s 34th-place finish reverses the momentum gained in Texas and drops the team from 14th to 18th in the Nextel Cup standings heading to Talladega. Hamlin currently sits 33 points behind fellow rookie Martin Truex Jr in 15th, and 140 points behind Casey Mears in tenth. Joe Gibbs Racing drivers Tony Stewart and J.J Yeley are in fifth and 26th place, respectively.

Rookie Race: Hamlin’s Phoenix finish sees him swap places atop the Raybestos Rookie Contender standings with Clint Bowyer heading to Talladega. Hamlin trails leader Bower by eight points and holds a three point lead over Martin Truex Jr.

Hamlin at Talladega: This will be Hamlin’s first Nextel Cup race at Talladega Superspeedway His previous experience at the 2.66-mile tri-oval track includes one Busch Series start in 2005 where he qualified third but was caught up in lap 82 accident and finished 28th.

Race Series Date Start Finish Laps
2005 Aaron’s 312 Busch April 30, 2005 3 28 82/120

Talladega Superspeedway Chassis JGR 81/JGR 123: The Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway will be the first Nextel Cup of 2006 race for chassis #JGR 81, however Hamlin drove this car to a win in the 2006 Budweiser Shootout at Daytona on Feb. 11, 2006. This car made three Superspeedway starts in 2005, with Jason Leffler recording finishes of 36th (Daytona, Feb. 20), 26th (Talladega, May 1) and 29th (Talladega, Oct. 2). Prior to flying FedEx colors, Tony Stewart drove this car to a second-place finish in the 2004 Daytona 500. Chassis 123 serves as the backup this week and is a new car.

FedEx Freight Car at Talladega: Hamlin’s #11 Chevrolet will sport the FedEx Freight colors for the second time this season this weekend at Talladega. 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.

QUOTES:
Hamlin on Talladega: “This will be my first time running a Cup car at Talladega and I am obviously really excited to get there and see how our Superspeedway car runs after Daytona. We were competitive at Daytona, both in the Shootout and in the 500 before we were caught up at the end and had to settle for a finish that didn’t really reflect how well the car ran. The key at Talladega will be taking advantage of every practice lap to get the car right for raceday. Then come Sunday, hopefully I’ll be able to find some help out there and then do my best to avoid the trouble that comes with racing at Superspeedways. The goal is to be racing at the end because anything can happen.”

On the New Bumper Configuration: “I think it’s a step in the right direction and that the intention of NASCAR to cut down on the contact is a good one for the sport. Ultimately if we are looking for a change out there I think it will have to come from the drivers and the way we approach the race. Having less reinforcing behind the front bumper can’t hurt though.”

On the 2006 Points Race: “It’s been frustrating for everyone on the team, really. It seems like we are taking one step forward then one step back these days. We post a top-five in Texas and then come to a track where we feel we should be really good and we have engine trouble and settle for 34th. A lot of it is just bad luck and that is something you can’t control in this sport but we all feel like with some good luck, we can keep moving up in the standings.”