MICHIGAN II

Denny Hamlin started the No. 11 FedEx Freight Toyota in the fourth position after a solid qualifying effort on Friday afternoon. Hamlin battled mostly tight handling conditions through the early going as he settled in to race just inside the top ten. With each stop down pit road crew chief Mike Ford called for adjustments to the No. 11 Camry to try and find the right combination that would allow Hamlin to turn well in the corners and race his way back toward the front.  Hamlin came down pit road just past the midpoint of the race and the decision was made to go with just a two-tire change in hopes of improving his track position. While the FedEx Camry was able to restart back inside the top ten the two-tire change didn’t help the handle of the car as Hamlin once again began to fall back and hard contact with the wall with about 80 laps remaining would cause damage to the right front of his No. 11. Hamlin would be forced to bring the car down pit road for repairs and would fall a lap off the pace. A few laps later Ford had Hamlin bring the car to the garage to ensure he could finish the remainder of the race without further incident. By the time he returned to the track he had lost an additional dozen laps and would ultimately be forced to settle for a 35th-place finish.

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will return to Bristol, TN for one of the most anticipated races of the season – the night race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Coverage of the race will start on Saturday, August 27 at 7 PM ET on ESPN (race starts at 7:30 PM ET). The race will also be carried on Sirius Radio NASCAR channel 90 and MRN Radio.