FEDEX RACING EXPRESS FACTS
3M PERFORMANCE 400 – MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

RACE INFO:
Event: 3M Performance 400
Date/Time: August 19, 2007 / 2 p.m. ET
Length: 2.0 miles
Shape: D-shaped oval
Distance: 200 laps/400 miles
2006 winner: Matt Kenseth
2006 polesitter: Jeff Burton

EXPRESS NOTES:
Hamlin, FedEx Racing Finish Second at Watkins Glen: Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Denny Hamlin and Tony Stewart battled Jeff Gordon, and each other, for the win at Watkins Glen before a late race spin-out by Gordon ultimately found Stewart taking the checkered flag ahead of Hamlin, who finished second. After starting from the second spot on the grid, Hamlin remained in the top-five for a majority of the day, chasing Gordon while trying to conserve fuel and fend off a hard-charging Stewart. Hamlin’s second place finish was his ninth top-five of the 2007 season and keeps him in second place in the season standings, 344 points behind leader Gordon and 88 points ahead of Matt Kenseth in third.

Hamlin at Michigan: This will be Hamlin’s fifth start overall and fourth NNCS start at Michigan International Speedway. Despite bringing a new car the #11 FedEx team believed to be a top-five contender in June’s Citizens Bank 400 at MIS, however two costly pit road mishaps resulted in a 14th-place finish for Hamlin and FedEx Racing. Hamlin ran as high as fourth before having to battle back through the field after two sub-par pit stops on laps 37 and 114, resulting in Hamlin finishing a lap down to the leaders.

In the rain shortened 3M Performance 400 in June 2006, Hamlin had worked his way up from the 21st spot on the grid to 12th before the race was called due to rain. Hamlin’s second Cup start at MIS in August of 2006 had him starting 9th on the grid for the GFS Marketplace 400. Dealing with a loose car throughout most of the race, the #11 FedEx team was able to battle its way through the field to finish ninth and secure a fifth consecutive top-ten finish.

Michigan Chassis – JGR 121 and 137: After a disappointing 14th –place finish with a new car in June’s race at MIS, the #11 FedEx Team will unload their workhorse, chassis 121, at MIS this weekend. In fourteen Cup starts, the “Pocono” car has recorded ten top-ten finishes, four-top five finishes and two wins (Pocono-2). This will be the fifth start of the 2007 season for this car. Chassis 137 started in Fontana (11th-place finish) and Atlanta (19th-place finish) earlier this season and will serve as the backup.

QUOTES
Hamlin on Kurt Busch Becoming a Teammate at JGR: "Kyle joining JGR is really good for this team and I am definitely looking forward to having him as a teammate in the #18. Joe and J.D. are committed to improving all of the teams and adding Kyle will help do just that. Kyle 's one of the top drivers in the sport, hands down, so along with having Tony as a teammate already, I know I will benefit from having two of the best in the same garage."

"Going back to last season even, Kyle and I discussed our cars and the tracks quite a bit. He's one of the guys in the garage I really get along with and it's partly because of the fact that we have similar driving styles. He may be a bit more on the edge than I am but that works for him, and that's why he's running up front more often than not. To be so young, have the experience he has already, and have a lot of years ahead of him is really incredible. I hope we'll be teammates for a long time, and I think between Tony, Kyle and I, we'll have a team able to compete with anyone."

Hamlin on Michigan: “It will be fun to bring (chassis) 121 to Michigan and another big-motor track. We felt good about our chances when we were here in June with a new car, but had a couple of issues in the pits. If we can continue to have clean pit stops like we have been recently, there’s no reason why we can’t be battling for a win on Sunday afternoon with one of our favorite cars. Practice is important here to find the right groove where the car will handle the best. The tricky thing here is that the groove we run in practice may be completely different than the groove, or grooves, we run during the race.”