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Hamlin, FedEx Racing Keep Cool on Way to Third Place at Scorching Pocono
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On a day when the heat experienced by the fans in the stands at Pocono Raceway was only a fraction of what the drivers had to deal with behind the wheel and what the crews endured on pit road, Denny Hamlin and the #11 FedEx Racing team delivered a cool performance on the way to a third-place finish.
In addition to the immediate physical challenges posed by the weather, Hamlin's drive into the top-three at Pocono, and back into the thick of the points race, also was marked by a pit road incident that threatened to derail the promising run well before the halfway point. As Hamlin exited the #11 pit box under caution on lap 40, he suffered damage to the right front fender and splitter. The damage, while having a noticeable - though not profound effect - on the handling of the #11 car, was rubbing against the right front tire and after letting Hamlin ride for nearly 30 laps, a brief rain delay gave the team the opportunity to check the status of the tire and confirm that the crumpled fender was digging deep into the tire. It was clear that if not fixed the tire would ultimately go flat so Crew Chief Mike Ford made the only decision he could, to give up a spot in the top-ten and call Hamlin to pit road on lap 71 for the needed repairs. On a day when passing was difficult, giving up nearly 30 places on pit road was a bitter pill to swallow and Hamlin and the team would have their work cut out for them, restarting 40th on lap 73.
Through some well thought out fuel and tire strategy by Ford and the FedEx crew, and a gutsy drive by Hamlin, the #11 FedEx Ground Camry charged forward. As each crew and driver made set their individual fuel and tire strategies, Ford's plan of giving Hamlin the freshest tires he could for his last run of the day meant he could run with the leaders - and Hamlin calmly brought the FedEx Toyota home in third place. It was Hamlin's fifth top-five, and third third-place finish of the 2008 season.
After the race, an exhausted Hamlin praised the work of the #11 crew.
“I am really proud of this whole FedEx crew today. We had to battle back after the repairs so to get back to the front added up to a great day for us. We really didn’t have a whole lot for Kasey (Kahne) there at the end - his car was too strong. I could get to Brian (Vickers) in second but it was too hard to pass as soon as the air was off our car. We had about a second or third-place car all day and that’s where we ended up so we can leave here really satisfied."
Kasey Kahne continues his streak of good performances, wining for the second time this season. Brian Vickers, Hamlin, Dale Earnhardt Jr and Jeff Burton rounded out the top-five. Joe Gibbs Racing's Tony Stewart ran in the top ten for much of the afternoon before a late-race pit road speeding penalty cost him valuable position and relegated him to a 35th-place finish. Kyle Busch, forced to the back up car after a happy hour wreck on Saturday, was caught in a lap 48 incident and ultimately finished the race in 43rd.
By virtue of his third place run, Hamlin climbs back into the top five in the Sprint Cup points standings. He currently sits 285 points behind his teammate Kyle Busch in first and 56 points behind Carl Edwards in fourth place.
The Sprint Cup continues next weekend when the series visits Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn Michigan for the LifeLock 400.
Starting from the 16th spot on the grid, Hamlin and the FedEx team knew track position would be at premium all day. However, armed with a car that performed admirably during the final practice, they strongly believed that through a combination of strategy, quick stops and Hamlin's prowess on the triangle speedway, they could get to the front by the end of the 200 lap race.
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From the start, Hamlin was able to pick off spots but his climb masked just how hard passing would be on the day. At a track where the banking isn't profound enough to truly help turn the cars through the corner, the drivers desperately needed downforce to provide the grip at the front wheels so they could guide their cars through the turns. Unfortunately, that downforce was in short supply as soon as the cars ran anywhere near each other on the same line. That dilemma put a huge emphasis on the pit strategies devised by the crews - with each hoping their formula would give them the advantage when the race was on the line.
The first of ten total cautions of the day flew on lap 28 and Ford called Hamlin onto pit road for four tires, fuel, and small track bar adjustment. The FedEx crew worked fast and got Hamlin out quick to restart 11th on lap 31.
The race stayed green for only nine laps before the caution flag flew again and Hamlin was back on pit road - this time for only two tires and fuel - before suffering damage on exit when making contact with the #70 car driven by Jason Leffler. Only able to partially diagnose the damage from afar, the crew asked Hamlin for his feedback on the severity of the situation once the race went green. Hamlin radioed back that while he could certainly feel a difference, it didn't seem to be adversely affecting his handling and he charged into fifth place by the time the caution flag came out again.
The decision was made to stay on the track with the lead cars and shortly after the restart Hamlin worked his way past the #99 of Carl Edwards for fourth place on lap 52 and the Earnhardt. Jr. for third on lap 53.
An accident in turn one brought out the caution flag and Hamlin turned the #11 onto pit road for four tires, fuel and a small air pressure adjustment. It also gave the crew an opportunity to assess the damage to the right front. With a handful of cars choosing to stay on the track, or take only two tires, Hamlin would lose several positions and be forced to line up 13th for the restart on lap 63. Hamlin wasted little time lifting the FedEx Camry into the top-ten as he moved past Greg Biffle and Clint Bowyer before the caution flag flew again.
At this point, however, weather moved into the area and as the cars made their way around the 2.5-mile track behind the pace car they also were being pelted with rain and NASCAR brought out the red flag and pulled the cars onto pit road. This actually turned out to be a good break for the #11 team as the right front tires pulled from the car during the lap 59 stop were showing a groove deep enough to reveal the cords. A closer look at the damage confirmed that the fender needed to be repaired if Hamlin hoped to the make the end without incident and, after the seven minute red flag was lifted, he pulled onto pit road so the crew could go to work. Even though the pace laps at Pocono offer a longer than normal opportunity for the team to work, the repairs left Hamlin sitting in 40th place for the restart and facing a monumental challenge to get back to the front.
The first of many good breaks for the #11 team - a seemingly rare occurrence this season - came on lap 83 when the caution flag flew and the vast majority of the teams made their way to pit road. Ford made the call to keep Hamlin on the track and he would line up in the top five for the restart on lap 88. Hamlin wasted no time dispatching Elliot Sadler from the top spot and he led his first lap of the race on lap 90. Knowing that they were light on fuel by comparison to the cars around them, a best case scenario was a caution right at the end of the #11 team's fuel window, allowing Hamlin to pit under caution instead of under green, but also forcing the other teams to make decisions about fuel and tire strategy. That caution came on lap 106, the very lap that Hamlin was planning to turn down pit lane, and he quickly put the car into neutral and coasted along behind the pace car in an effort to save fuel and make it to pit road. At this point Hamlin had led 17 consecutive laps and was enjoying the incredible advantage the clean air offers the lead car.