Denny Hamlin
FEDEX RACING EXPRESS FACTS
PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY

RACE INFO:
Event: Subway Fresh Fit 500
Date/Time: April 21, 2007 / 8 p.m. ET
Length: 1.0 mile
Shape: Oval
Banking: 11/9 degrees
Distance: 312 laps/312 miles
2006 winner: Kevin Harvick
2006 polesitter: Kyle Busch

EXPRESS NOTES:
Hamlin’s Texas Top-Ten Streak Continues: Though a loose wheel forced Denny Hamlin and the #11 FedEx Ground Chevrolet a lap down early in last Sunday’s Samsung 500 at Texas Motor Speedway, perseverance won the day as the FedEx team never gave up and Hamlin battled back to grab his fourth consecutive top-ten finish at TMS. The finish moves Hamlin up one spot to fifth in the 2007 NASCAR NEXTEL standings through seven races.

Back to the (Car of the) Future: After one week in the Monte Carlo, Hamlin is back in the Car of Tomorrow this weekend in Phoenix and feeling comfortable about the progress Joe Gibbs Racing has made in their COT program. In two starts in the COT, Hamlin has led 302 of a possible 1004 laps between races at Bristol and Martinsville.

“The guys in the JGR shop spent a ton of time and effort in preparing these cars and it is pretty clear they hit on something because we have been really strong. Really, only some random problems kept us or the #20 from winning at Bristol. Then we were both good at Martinsville the next weekend so I do feel like we are ahead of the curve at the moment but this sport can change in a hurry. We know we need to keep working hard on these cars, and hopefully win one here.”

Hamlin at Phoenix International Raceway: The Subway Fresh Fit 500 will mark Hamlin’s fourth start at Phoenix International Raceway in a Nextel Cup car. Hamlin posted his best PIR finish of third in the penultimate race of the 2007 season, during the Chase for the Nextel Cup. In the spring race at PIR last season, Hamlin lost a cylinder on lap one and was forced to navigate the one-mile track down on power, ultimately settling for a 34th-place finish. He made his debut, and some news, at the track in November of 2005 by driving the #11 FedEx Chevrolet to his first ever Cup pole. Hamlin spent most of the afternoon in the top-five and led the race for 23 laps before a missed lug nut during a late-race pit stop forced the team to settle for a 13th-place finish.

Phoenix International Raceway Chassis 154 and 158: Chassis 154 is a new Car of Tomorrow chassis that will make its second start this season at Phoenix. This car performed well, qualifying tenth and leading 177 laps, at Bristol before a fuel pick up problem on the last restart relegated the team to a 14th-place finish. Backup car JGR 158 has yet to make a NNCS start but served as the back up at Bristol and Martinsville.

QUOTES:
Hamlin on Phoenix International Raceway: “Really no track that we visit reminds me more of racing when I was younger than PIR. I spent my early career running flat tracks in Late Models and this track feels like that to me. Put us out there under the lights and you can’t get any closer to the Late Models days than here at Phoenix and that is one of the reasons it’s my favorite place to race.

The track is a little tricky. It’s flat and requires you to be really good with your setup if you are going to be quick through the corners but we have always been good here and feel like we should probably have more to show for it. In past races here we’ve either had engine problems or trouble on pit road that has kept us from getting the results so knowing we are good enough to run up front but not showing it is a little frustrating. But, it also motivates this FedEx team to come back here and get after it.”