Texas II

Hamlin started the No. 11 FedEx Ground Toyota in the 28th position and battled handling conditions through much of the day. Hamlin, who won both races in Texas last season, slowly climbed his way back toward the front of the field over the course of the second half of the race. He appeared set to battle for a top ten finish, but the No. 11 Camry would receive damage when Brad Keselowski backed the No. 2 car into Hamlin while attempting to leave his pit stall. Both cars would have to remain in the pits and lose critical track position. Hamlin would go on to finish 20th.

Hamlin climbed one spot into 10th and is 99 points off the pace.

Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Standings
1. Carl Edwards 2316
2. Tony Stewart (-3)
3. Kevin Harvick (-33)
4. Matt Kesenth (-38)
5. Brad Keselowski (-49)
6. Jimmie Johnson (-55)
7. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (-79)
8. Jeff Gordon (-81)
9. Kurt Busch. (-87)
10. Denny Hamlin (-99)
11. Kyle Busch (-100)
12. Ryan Newman (-103)

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will head to Phoenix next week for the ninth of 10 races in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. The race will begin at 3 PM ET with live, high-definition coverage provided by ESPN beginning with its pre-race show at 2 PM ET. The race will also be broadcast live on SIRIUS Satellite Radio Channel 90 and the MRN radio network.