Sunday Race Info
Race: Daytona 500
Date/Time: Sunday, Feb. 18 / 2:30 p.m. ET
Distance: 200 laps / 500 miles
Track Length: 2.5 miles
Express Notes
Press Kit: Download the 2024 FedEx Racing press materials at www.fedex.com/en-us/racing/press-kit, including bios for Denny Hamlin, Chris Gabehart and Joe Gibbs Racing leadership, program highlights and statistics.
20 Years: This marks the 20th consecutive season that FedEx has been featured as the primary sponsor of Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 11 entry for the Great American Race. After the program’s initial launch with Jason Leffler in 2005, Hamlin has driven the FedEx car ever since, including his trio of Daytona 500 victories in 2016, 2019, and 2020.
2023 Season Recap: Last season marked the fifth consecutive season where Hamlin and the FedEx Racing team ended up in the top five in the series standings. The Chesterfield, Virginia native turned in another season of stellar results with three wins, 14 top-five finishes, 19 top-10s, four pole awards, and 998 laps led. After claiming his first win of the year at Kansas Speedway in May, Hamlin captured his 50th career NASCAR Cup Series victory at Pocono Raceway in July. He capped the season off with his third win in the night race at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Clash Winner: The No. 11 team started 2024 off with a bang as Hamlin won the Busch Light Clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on February 3. After posting the fastest time in practice, Hamlin won the pole for the 150-lap exhibition event. He led early in the race before slipping back as low as seventh. In the closing portion of the race, Hamlin rallied back to third prior to a restart with 10 laps to go. On the restart, he wrestled the lead away from Ty Gibbs and Joey Logano to earn his fourth career Clash victory.
Elite Company: Hamlin is tied with NASCAR Hall of Famers Bobby Allison, Jeff Gordon, and Dale Jarrett on the short list of drivers who have three Daytona 500 victories. If Hamlin can capture his fourth Harley J. Earl trophy, he would tie Cale Yarborough for second all-time behind only seven-time winner Richard Petty.
Leading the Way: When it comes to the Daytona 500, Hamlin leads all active drivers in wins (three), top-five finishes (eight), and laps led (480). The FedEx Racing driver has earned four top-five finishes in the past six Daytona 500s dating back to 2018.
Speedweeks Success: In addition to his three Daytona 500 victories, Hamlin has visited victory lane six other times during Daytona Speedweeks. He has a trio of wins in the 150-mile Duel qualifying races (2008, 2014, 2017) and three more in The Clash (2006, 2014, 2016).
Hamlin Statistics
Track: Daytona International Speedway
Races: 36
Wins: 3
Poles: 0
Top-5: 11
Top-10: 12
Laps Led: 666
Avg. Start: 16.8
Avg. Finish: 17.0
Hamlin Conversation – Daytona
What is something you have your eye on going into Daytona Speedweeks?
“We have a new Toyota Camry this year; that’s going to be one big difference. I think there is going to be a lot of anticipation of what do we actually have there because, if you look at the qualifying results on superspeedways since the Next Gen started, it is pretty much in line with downforce and drag numbers. We all kind of understand where all the manufacturers are on that and then qualifying really solidifies that. That’s what I am most looking forward to is seeing where we stack up because we’re all pedal to the metal in qualifying, so you’re seeing what the bodies can do and that’s going to be something to watch out for.”
FedEx Along for the Ride at Daytona: For the Daytona 500, the B-post of Hamlin’s No. 11 Camry will feature HNL to recognize the FedEx team members at the Hawaii Ramp for their critical role in recovery efforts after a wildfire left a trail of destruction in Lāhainā on the island of Maui. The Hawaii Ramp helped transport and deliver essential aid, medical supplies, and necessities to affected areas.
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