Denny Hamlin

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James Dennis Alan Hamlin, Jr.

Born:	November 18, 1980 (1980-11-18) (age 27)
Birthplace:	Chesterfield, Virginia
Achievements:	—
Awards:	2006 Raybestos Rookie of the Year
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Statistics
Car #, Team	#11 - Joe Gibbs Racing
2007 Sprint Cup Position:	12th
Best Cup Position:	3rd - 2006 (Nextel Cup)
First Race:	2005 Banquet 400 (Kansas)
First Win:	2006 Pocono 500 (Pocono)
Last Win:	2008 Goody's Cool Orange 500 (Martinsville)
Wins	Top Tens	Poles
4	48	6
NASCAR Nationwide Series Statistics
Car #, Team	#18/#20 - Joe Gibbs Racing
2007 NNS Position:	13th
Best NNS Position:	4th - 2006
First Race:	2004 Bi-Lo 200 (Darlington)
First Win:	2006 Telcel-Motorola 200 (Mexico City)
Last Win:	2008 Heluva Good! 200 (Dover)
Wins	Top Tens	Poles
7	56	11
Statistics current as of May 11th, 2008.

James Dennis Alan Hamlin, Jr. (born November 18, 1980 in Chesterfield, Virginia) is an American race car driver.

He currently drives the #11 FedEx Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series.

[edit] Career

[edit] Racing prior to NASCAR

Hamlin began his racing career in 1988, at the age of 7 years old, racing go-karts. By 1997, at the age of 16, he was racing stock cars. In his first stock car race, at Langley Speedway, Hamlin won the pole position, and won the race. Denny progressed to the Grand Stock division in 1998, and moved on to Late Model Stock Cars in 2000. In 2002, he won ten Late Model races, and surpassed that in 2003 with 25 wins, and 30 poles, out of 36 races. In 2004, while competing full time in Late Model Stock Cars for Dean Motorsports, Hamlin caught the eye of Joe Gibbs Racing, who signed him to a driver development program.

[edit] NASCAR career

Denny Hamlin's #11 FedEx Chevy being inspected at the November 12, 2006 Checker Auto 500

[edit] 2004

In 2004, Hamlin competed in five NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) races, and one NASCAR Busch Series race at Darlington Speedway. After starting 27th because of a rained out qualifying session, Hamlin patiently and methodically worked his way towards an 8th place finish, as well as a future at Joe Gibbs Racing.

[edit] 2005

In 2005, Hamlin ran the full season after he replaced Mike Bliss in the #20 Rockwell Automation Chevrolet running in the Busch Series. He ended up finishing 5th in the final championship points standings as a rookie in that series, with 11 top 10's and earnings of $1,064,110.00. Hamlin also ran his first Nextel Cup Series races in 2005, making his Cup debut at Kansas Speedway as driver of the #11 FedEx Chevrolet for the 2006 season, after struggling driver Jason Leffler was released. Hamlin went on to make seven starts in in the Cup series in 2005. He finished the Cup season with three Top 10 finishes in those seven starts and one pole at Phoenix International Raceway.

[edit] 2006

In 2006, Hamlin ran his first full season in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series, and during the year he drove in both the Nextel Cup and Busch Series. In Hamlin's first restrictor plate race as a Nextel Cup driver, he scored an upset by beating all the previous year's (2005 season) pole winners in the 70-lap 2006 Budweiser Shootout. Hamlin became the first Rookie of the Year candidate to take home the Shootout victory. Hamlin achieved his first career Busch Series victory at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez (March 5). Denny scored a second Busch Series win on May 12, 2006 at Darlington in the Diamond Hill Plywood 200. In May, during a break while testing at Lowe's Motor Speedway, Hamlin and several crew members were racing around their race trailer and timing themselves. During the horseplay, Hamlin severely injured his left hand between the pinkie and wrist, and had to get 19 stitches. Despite the injury, he still finished second at the Crown Royal 400 to Dale Earnhardt, Jr.. On June 11, Hamlin scored his first career Cup Series win at the Pocono 500, where he also won his second career pole. He achieved his second career win on July 23, in the Pennsylvania 500 also at Pocono Raceway becoming only the 2nd rookie in Nextel Cup history to sweep both races at a track during the same season (Jimmie Johnson did so at Dover International Speedway in his rookie season in 2002), both from the pole position. During the 2006 Cup season, Hamlin won three poles (Pocono 500, Pennsylvania 500, and Chevy Rock and Roll 400). In the Cup Series, Hamlin won the Raybestos Rookie of the Year award and finished third in the final cup standings, scoring the highest points finish ever for a rookie in the modern era of NASCAR. Hamlin thus became the first ever rookie to make the Chase for the NEXTEL Cup.

[edit] 2007

Denny Hamlin practicing for the 2007 Ford 400 at the Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Hamlin started the 2007 Cup season by finishing 28th in the Daytona 500. He won his third career cup race at the Lenox Industrial Tools 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway. Hamlin clinched a spot in the Chase for the Cup and was seeded sixth, 50 points behind the leader. Denny has had some misfortunes during the Chase for the Cup, including Contact with Kyle Petty that left him with a disappointing finish. At the end of the season at the Ford 400 at Homestead Miami Speedway, he finished 12th in points, 580 behind the Champion Jimmie Johnson.

In the Busch Series, Hamlin scored victory three time including Darlington, Michigan, and Dover in the #20 Rockwell Automation Chevy.

[edit] 2008

Denny Hamlin will be driving the #11 FedEx Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing

To start the season with the 50th annual Daytona 500 Hamlin finished 17th after his left rear quarterpanel was dislodged and was involved in wrecks that made him spend more time on pit road.

The season started off with many troubles. Hamlin also finished bad at Auto Club 500, wrecking from water spots left on the race track after rain. He finished a lap down both in the UAW-Dodge 400 and Kobalt Tools 500 because of bad qualifying efforts.

At the Goody's Cool Orange Hamlin qualified second for this race, the highest he has ever qualified this season. Staying up front and out of trouble, calling all the pits right gave Hamlin his 4th Sprint Cup Series victory.

At the Subway Fresh Fit 500 the #11 FedEx Kinko’s racecar is supporting the March of Dimes March for Babies for NASCAR’s April 12 race in Phoenix, AZ. The car’s new paint job was unveiled at FedEx Kinko’s Dallas, TX headquarters on April 2. As FedEx racing team driver, Denny Hamlin will have a racing uniform and helmet specially designed to show support for March for Babies. See the car here: [1]

At the Dan Lowry 400 Hamlin qualified on the pole for this race. He dominated nearly the whole race leading 382 laps and setting a new record for most laps led. Denny had a late race tire issue, but instead of coming into the pits to change the tire, he elected to stay out. The caused him to wreck shortly after, ending his dominate day at Richmond.

• Red means the starting position based on 2007 owner points.

• Bold means the current best starting/finishing position (Denny Hamlin has both qualified and finished in the highest positions possible)

Denny Hamlin- 2008 Sprint Cup Record

[edit] Races Won

[edit] Sprint Cup (4 career wins)

• 2008 (1 win) Goody's Cool Orange 500 (Martinsville)
• 2007 (1 win) Lenox Industrial Tools 300 (New Hampshire)
• 2006 (2 wins) Pocono 500 (Pocono), Pennsylvania 500 (Pocono)

[edit] Nationwide Series (7 career wins)

• 2008 (2 wins) Lipton Tea 250 (Richmond), Heluva Good! 200 (Dover International Speedway)
• 2007 (3 wins) Diamond Hill Plywood 200 (Darlington), Carfax 250 (Michigan), RoadLoans.com 200 (Dover)
• 2006 (2 wins) Telcel Motorola Mexico 200 (Mexico City), Diamond Hill Plywood 200 (Darlington)

[edit] Career NASCAR Teams

Sprint Cup

• Joe Gibbs Racing- #11 FedEx Toyota

Nationwide Series

• Joe Gibbs Racing- #18 Toyota/ #20 Z-Line Toyota
• Braun Racing (2008) - #32 Dollar General/Hass Avocados Toyota

Craftman Truck Series

• Team EJP- #03 Decoma Chevrolet
• Morgan-Dollar Motorsports- #46 Econo Lodge Chevrolet
• Billy Ballew Motorsports - #15 Miccosukee Toyota (Martinsville Mar. 2008)

[edit] Career NASCAR Statistics

Data as of May. 11th, 2008 ^[1]

[edit] References

1. ^ NASCAR.COM : drivers: denny hamlin

[edit] External links

• Denny Hamlin's official website
• Driver's statistics at racing-reference.info
• Hamlin Career History at Joe Gibbs Racing site