FedExRacing Express Facts - Infineon
RACE INFO:
Event: Toyota/Save Mart 350
Date/Time: June 22, 2008/ 2 p.m. EST
Length: 1.99 miles
Shape: Road Course
Turns: 12
Distance: 110 laps/218.9 miles
2007 winner: Juan Pablo Montoya
2007 pole winner: Jamie McMurray
EXPRESS NOTES:
Handling, Late Cautions Fuel Frustration for Hamlin at Michigan: On a day when handling issues had frustrated the #11 FedEx Racing team from the drop of the green flag, a race decided by fuel mileage appeared to offer them a brief glimmer of opportunity. Pitting on lap 155, the team felt they could make the end of scheduled 200-lap race and looked set to sneak out a top-ten finish. Unfortunately, the late caution that pushed the race to a green-white-checkered finish also exhausted the fuel in the #11 car and the team had no choice but to turn down pit road to refill. After the last stop, Hamlin's opportunities to make up any further positions were ended when one final caution flew, freezing Hamlin in 14th place, end ending the race after a trying 203 laps. The result drops Hamlin from fifth to sixth in the Sprint Cup Series points through 15 races.
Hamlin at Infineon: The Toyota/Save Mart 350 will mark Hamlin’s third Cup start at Infineon Raceway and his fifth career Cup road course try. Last season, Hamlin started 36th, drove from deep in the field to lead three laps and looked to have managed the fuel mileage challenge correctly before several cars stretched their loads to the end - leaving Hamlin and the FedEx team to finish tenth. Hamlin's shifter knob broke loose during lap 17 of the race last season, forcing him to drive over twenty laps without it before he could work with the team to make repairs under caution on lap 41. In his debut at Infineon, Hamlin was forced into a back up car after a practice session wreck and, with no opportunity to practice, qualified 40th. Following the drop of the green flag, Hamlin and crew had their work cut out for them as they persevered through early handling issues and then a cut tire to post an impressive 12th-place finish. Hamlin has experienced additional road course success in his young career, recording a second-place finish in the Cup Series race at Watkins Glen in Aug. of 2007, and winning the Nationwide Series race at Mexico City in March of 2006.
Infineon Chassis: JGR 181 and 176: This will be the first start of the season for JGR 181 - the road course car that served as the back up for both the Infineon and Watkins Glen races last season. Chassis 176 raced at both road courses last season, finishing tenth at Sonoma and second at Watkins Glen.
HAMLIN CONVERSATION - ROAD COURSE:
Talk about making your third start here, do you feel better prepared?: "I feel much more confident going back to Infineon this time having been there a couple of times now and having a better idea of what to expect and how to prepare. We spent a couple of days at VIR within the last month getting ready, turning a lot of laps, working on this car and getting really good reads on fuel mileage. We were here last year for the first time in the new car and it was a pretty sharp learning curve for all of the teams. With a year, two races and some good data to work with I think you'll see everyone come back with much better handling cars."
With some experience to point to, what are your impressions of Infineon?: “Infineon demands you to be really consistent on each lap. It differs from Watkins Glen in that you have to be so smooth all the way around or you’ll get off track and then it’s hard to get that rhythm back - especially in traffic. The turns are sharper, you have some big elevation changes and the speeds are slower so you need to be methodical and fast, but also careful. I got off track in practice during my first year here and ended up tearing up a good race car so I know what can happen on these courses. Its tough mastering this road courses because you need to be aware of your shifting, the condition of your brakes and all the while you are thinking about fuel mileage and the next opportunity to pass. Last season I lost my shift knob early in the race and I had to fix it on the fly. The guys handed me a replacement knob and some tools through the window and I had to remove the broken piece and attach the new one during the cautions. I was steering with my knees and working on it all at the same time. I figure we won't have a more unusual problem than that."
Do you count yourself among the road course fans?: "I really do. I can honestly say I look forward to running road courses. I know some folks go back and forth on that subject but I really think they should be a part of the series because they offer different challenges for the teams and the drivers. It's the same car, but you are preparing it differently and it's not just turning left and right - you have elevation changes and different forces to deal with. I think my background running flat tracks has really helped me learn how to run a road course and I have been able to translate that experience to good races at Infineon, and also up at Watkins Glen where we finished second and in Mexico where we had some really good runs in the Nationwide Series. I also know that the Joe Gibbs Racing team takes a lot of pride in these road course races, our equipment is right there with the best of them."
