FEDEX RACING EXPRESS FACTS
INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

RACE INFO:
Event: Allstate 400 at the Brickyard
Date/Time: July 29, 2007 / 2 p.m. ET
Length: 2.5 miles
Shape: Oval
Banking: 9 degrees
Distance: 160 laps /400 miles
2006 winner: Jimmie Johnson
2006 polesitter: Jeff Burton

EXPRESS NOTES:
Hamlin at Indianapolis Motor Speedway: This weekend will mark Hamlin’s second Cup start at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and 63rd career Cup start overall. Hamlin ran times on pace with the race leaders for much of his 2006 Indy debut, but intermittent engine trouble severely affected performance and ultimately relegated him to a tenth-place finish.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway Chassis – JGR 137 & 121: The #11 FedEx Racing team will roll JGR Chassis JGR 137 off the truck this weekend in Indianapolis. This car has five total Cup starts, including finishes of 11th (Fontana) and 19th (Atlanta) this season. Chassis 121 has been the workhorse for the #11 team throughout the 2006 and 2007 season, winning twice at Pocono in 2006 and collecting eleven top-ten finishes in 15 total starts.

Midsummer Test at Chicagoland: While it might not have been the race result Denny Hamlin and the #11 team were hoping for at Chicago two weeks ago, the 17th place finish wasn’t completely unexpected. Despite struggling with handling and speed for much of the day the result keeps him solidly in second place in the standings heading to Indy, and the information gained from the experimental setup will likely play a large role in how the team prepares for the looming Chase.

“We went with an entirely new and different setup at Chicagoland hoping to learn some things that will help us later this season. We felt that to be a factor in the Chase, we need to not only run as well as we have all season but we need to improve because we know the competition level will be raised. You can say we are taking a risk but we see it as wanting to find that advantage that puts you among the elite teams. You can do it through testing on the track and a ton of work in the shop but nothing compares to race conditions. For us, it’s all about improving.”

QUOTES
Hamlin on Indianapolis Motor Speedway: “This is only my second time running at Indy but I am well aware of the history and prestige that comes with racing at IMS. Indy is a lot like Daytona because winning means so much at those places that it almost lives outside of the schedule and points, and thinking about the Chase. For me, winning at Richmond, in my hometown, is my dream just like winning at Indy was for Tony before he won here, but a win here is something every team wants. I figure if I ever need extra motivation I can just talk to Tony or Mike (Ford).”

On Racing at Indy: “Indy is a flat track and that usually brings out the best in this #11 team, so we see this weekend as a huge opportunity. I think I am at my best on flat tracks because it’s where I have the most experience and I can really feel what the car is doing and then share that with Mike (Ford) and the crew. At Indy, you are wide open down the stretches so you need horsepower but where you really pick up time and momentum is coming off of two and four and on to the long straights. You are on the gas in short chute so if you can roll through those turns, keep your momentum and pick up the throttle quickly on the straight you’ll be in good shape. It’s a combination of lifting and using just the right amount of brake. Indy keeps everyone, driver and crew the same, on our toes”

On His Indy Debut in 2006: “Last year we went right to Indy off our second win at Pocono with a car that was really good, a car that had dominated twice on a track that shares some characteristics with Indy. We were fast all weekend, and in the race we were right there with the best cars – maybe even the best there. The engine was missing back on the throttle so even though we were rolling the center really good, probably better than anyone, I couldn’t carry that speed off the turn the way I needed to because we went down a cylinder. I think we had a really good shot at winning.”

On the 2007 Race to the Chase: “We are in pretty good shape but we still feel the need to go out and win races because that win bonus will be really important when the Chase rolls around. Last season at this point we were right on the bubble of making the Chase but we were just hitting our stride. We were able to put a run of top-ten finishes together right up to the Chase and then carried us through to the end – a lot like what Tony did in 2005. The upcoming schedule suits us well because of the tracks we go to and our results at those tracks. We want to put together a similar stretch of races to last season, and hopefully improve enough to have a shot at a championship this season.”