Kansas Notes: Hamlin is the all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins leader at Kansas Speedway with four victories. In addition to leading in wins, Hamlin’s 14 top-five finishes at Kansas are the most all-time. He has posted six consecutive top-five finishes at the track dating back to October 2021. In the past two Kansas races, Hamlin was leading before late cautions sent both races to overtime and left him with a second-place finish last fall and a fifth-place result this May. Three of Hamlin’s four Kansas wins have come since being paired with crew chief Chris Gabehart at the start of the 2019 season. Hamlin’s success at Kansas Speedway is not limited to his efforts behind the wheel as he has also visited victory lane three times at Kansas as a co-owner of 23XI Racing.
Next Gen Kansas: Since the inception of the Next Gen racecar in 2022, Hamlin has finished inside the top five in all five races at Kansas Speedway. Over that time, he has one win (May 2023) and two runner-up finishes. According to Loop Data from NASCAR, Hamlin has the best green flag speed in each of the last three Kansas races.
Round of 16 Recap: Hamlin advanced to the Round of 12 after a fourth-place finish last weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway. Prior to Bristol, he finished 24th at Atlanta Motor Speedway and 23rd at Watkins Glen International. Those results put him six points behind the cutline entering Bristol where he finished sixth in stage one and third in stage two before claiming a top-five finish to secure his spot in the next round.
Playoff History: This season marks Hamlin’s 18th appearance in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs giving him the most appearances since the postseason format began in 2004. Over the course of his career, Hamlin has finished in the top five in points nine times, including the past five seasons working with crew chief Chris Gabehart.
History of the 11: Throughout NASCAR history, the No. 11 has visited victory lane more than any other car number. Hamlin’s win at Dover Motor Speedway was the 234th time a No. 11 car has won in the Cup Series. For Hamlin, his 54 victories driving the No. 11 are only one behind NASCAR Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough for most on the illustrious list of drivers who have wheeled a No. 11 car to victory lane. That list includes Bobby Allison (3 wins), Mario Andretti (1 win), Buddy Baker (2 wins), Geoffrey Bodine (4 wins), Bill Elliott (6 wins), A.J. Foyt (1 win), Denny Hamlin (54 wins), Ned Jarrett (49 wins), Junior Johnson (11 wins), Parnelli Jones (1 win), Terry Labonte (4 wins), Darrell Waltrip (43 wins), and Cale Yarborough (55 wins).
Hamlin Statistics
Track: Kansas Speedway
Races: 32
Wins: 4
Poles: 0
Top-5: 14
Top-10: 15
Laps Led: 517
Avg. Start: 12.8
Avg. Finish: 12.3
Hamlin Conversation – Kansas
What is your mindset with a reset to start the Round of 12 this weekend at Kansas Speedway?
“It’s game on from here. We need to be on the offensive from the start of practice this weekend and put ourselves in position to get stage points and have an opportunity to win the race or get a solid finish to set ourselves up for Talladega and the ROVAL. Kansas has historically been one of our better tracks, maybe our best honestly, so we are more than capable.”
FedEx Along for the Ride at Kansas: For this weekend’s race at Kansas Speedway, the b-post of Hamlin’s No. 11 Camry will feature 1RATE. Race fans can now ship using FedEx One Rate, which offers simple and predictable flat-rate prices for their shipping needs. FedEx One Rate pricing allows customers to ship packages weighing 50 pounds or less to anywhere in the United States for a fixed price. For more information, visit fedex.com/onerate.
Sunday Race Info
Race: Hollywood Casino 400
Date/Time: Sunday, September 29 / 3 p.m. ET
Distance: 267 laps / 400.5 miles
Track Length: 1.5 miles
JGR PR
