View Denny Hamlin: Chase Chronicle
Chase Chronicle: Denny Hamlin
By Gregg Leary
Heading into the halfway point of the Chase, Denny Hamlin sits 12th in Points, 4 markers behind Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch….335 ticks behind leader Jimmie Johnson. Denny had a disastrous Talladega….blowing a tire and crashing hard into the SAFER barrier on Lap 99 while leading. (He led 9 laps.) He was held overnight in a Birmingham hospital for observation. “It was definitely the hardest hit I have ever taken in a race car,” said Hamlin. The diagnosis…”no broken bones, no concussion…cleared to race at Charlotte,” but…”wait until next year for any chance at a title.”
Hamlin’s 2008 Chase began with much promise. He had three straight third place finishes at Bristol, Fontana and Richmond carrying momentum and a tie for fourth place heading into the opening round of the Chase at Loudon. (-70 to Kyle Busch) He finished 9th at New Hampshire and 11th at Kansas. Two races were disasters…38th at Dover and 39th at Talladega…equals LAST in the Chase.
How has Denny fared in his Chase career? He has made the Chase every year since his rookie season of 2006. He finished 3rd in Points in his Rookie of the Year season. He was 12th in Points in 2007. He has contested 31 Chase races from 2005-2008. He has 6 Top Fives (19% in Chase races versus his Career 27%) and 14 Top Tens (45% in Chase races versus his Career 51%). On the flip side he has 6 finishes in the 20’s and 5 in the 30’s.
Here’s a brief bio of Denny Hamlin.
DOB: 11-18-80 (27)
Hometown: Chesterfield, VA
Hobbies: On-line Racing
Racing Hero: Bill Elliott
Favorite Sports Team: Washington Redskins (Would former Redskins Coach Joe Gibbs have hired Hamlin had Denny been a Dallas Cowboys fan? To be fair…Washington is only about 120 miles from Denny’s hometown of Chesterfield, VA.)
Favorite Movie: Shawshank Redemption (Filmed at Mansfield, OH Reformatory)
Joe Gibbs Racing
#11 FedEx Chevrolet
Crew Chief: Mike Ford
109 Cup Starts
4 Cup Wins (Both Pocono races 2006, NH 2007, Martinsville 2008)
6 Cup Poles
29 Top Fives
56 Top Tens
Average Start: 14.0
Average Finish: 14.4
First Cup Start: 10-9-05 (Kansas) (S7 F32)
First Cup Pole: 11-13-05 (Phoenix-6th Start)
First Cup Win: 6-11-06 (Pocono S1 F1) (21st Cup Start)
First NCTS Start 8-6-04 IRP (S7 F10)
First Busch Start: 11-13-04 Darlington (S27 F8)
First Busch Pole: 4-8-06 Texas
First Busch Win: 3-5-06 Mexico City (S2 F1) (39th Busch Start)
Won 2006 Budweiser Shootout
2006 Cup Rookie of the Year
Product of the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series
Started running it in 1996
Nearly 50 Wins from 2002-04
2003 Southern National Speedway Track Champion 25 Wins, 30 Poles
2002 10 Wins, 15 Poles at Southampton (VA) Motor Speedway
Rookie of the Year at Southside VA Speedway in Late Model Stocks
1997: Mini Stock ROY at Southside and Langley
Youngest driver to win Mini Stock Championship at Langley (Age 16)
5 Championships and 127 Kart Feature Wins
Started racing Junior Sportsman at Age 7 (Won first race he entered)
Denny will NOT compete in the Nationwide race at Lowes Motor Speedway on Friday, giving himself one extra day to heal. He said he feels fine for the Cup race. “If I felt I was a danger to myself or anyone else, I wouldn’t be out there.” He WILL run Saturday’s Cup race. In 6 previous races at Lowes Denny has 3 Top Tens and has led 28 laps. His average finish is 16th. He has nothing to lose…he must take chances and go for the win if he is to have any chance to get back into the Chase.