NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

TEXAS TROPHY 'TWO-STEP' FOR TOYOTA JGR Takes Two, Hamlin Captures Cup Win and Kyle Collects Nationwide Triumph

FORT WORTH, Texas (April 19, 2010) -- Monday was a record-setting day for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) at Texas Motor Speedway. Denny Hamlin won the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) race and Kyle Busch recorded a victory in the NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) -- marking the first time that the JGR organization has won both a NSCS race and a NNS event in one day at the same track. Rain throughout the weekend in Texas forced both races to be rescheduled to take place Monday.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS)
In Monday afternoon’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) race at Texas Motor Speedway, Hamlin ran among the leaders all day long and then took the lead with 12 laps (of 334) remaining at the 1.5-mile oval en route to victory lane.

Hamlin, driver of the JGR No. 11 FedEx Ground Camry, took only two tires on a late race pit stop -- when other cars in the lead pack elected to take four new tires. Following the pit stop, a multi-car accident brought out the red flag -- stopping the race temporarily. When the cars returned to action, there were four laps of caution and then the race to the checkered flag resumed. Hamlin took the lead on the late race restart and never relinquished being at the front of the field, holding off a charging Jimmie Johnson to cross the finish line first.

The victory, which came just three weeks after Hamlin had surgery on his left knee, was his second win of the season and his tenth career Sprint Cup Series victory. Hamlin's two wins this season have come on Monday, in rain-delayed events -- he won at Virginia's Martinsville Speedway earlier this year in addition to his Texas victory. It was also the 23rd NSCS victory for a Camry driver since the start of the 2007 season.

“It was just one of those days where every run our car got better,” said Hamlin, following the race. “Every run, the pit crew did a good job of getting us some spots. It all paid off in the long run. We had one of those days where it showed how strong our race team is. Every little piece of it was very strong -- from the pit crew to the car to the driver getting better through the course of the race. And, our race car kept getting better. So, all those things put together showed right at the end.

“This is not the type of race track that people characterize us as being strong at,” added Hamlin. “People always say we’re a short track team. When we won Homestead-Miami (Speedway) at the end of last year, it was a sign of things to come. I know we have some good race cars in our stable and we’re going to keep getting better and working towards the Chase. Hopefully, by the time we get to the Chase, we’ll peak.”

Hamlin’s teammate at JGR, Busch, was third behind Hamlin and runner-up Johnson. Like Hamlin, Busch only took two tires on his final pit stop.

“It was definitely the right call,” Busch said, after the race. “Unfortunately, we probably had a 10th-place to 13th-place car today. Dave (Rogers, crew chief) and the guys never gave up. The pit crew was awesome today -- they were just flawless. They did a great job for us. Our Interstate Batteries Camry just wasn’t that good. We needed to work on it a little bit longer and could never get it just right. What we had worked with the wing, but doesn’t like the spoiler that much so we have some work to do on that. Third is a good day for us here today. I’m glad to see our teammate (Denny Hamlin) win.”

Martin Truex Jr. (ninth) was the third Camry driver to record a top-10 finish at Texas.

Other Camry drivers in the field included Scott Speed (16th), Marcos Ambrose (17th), Max Papis (22nd), Robby Gordon (26th), Joey Logano (28th), David Reutimann (37th), Brian Vickers (38th), Joe Nemechek (38th), Reed Sorenson (39th), Joe Nemechek (40th), Michael McDowell (41st) and Dave Blaney (42nd).

Hamlin’s win moved the Virginia native up seven spots into 11th-place in the unofficial NSCS point standings following Texas -- 275 points behind leader Jimmie Johnson. Busch (sixth) and Logano (12th) are also in the top-12 in the point standings -- the cut off to make the Chase championship playoff. Toyota drivers Truex Jr. (17th), Vickers (19th) and Speed (20th) are also in the top-20 in the championship point standings.

The Sprint Cup Series returns to action at Talladega Superspeedway, April 25.

NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS)
Busch captured the checkered flag in record-setting fashion in Monday evening’s NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) race at Texas -- recording his fifth consecutive Nationwide victory at the 1.5-mile oval. Busch dominated the 200-lap race, leading the field four times for a total of 153 laps (of 200) in his JGR No. 18 Z-Line Designs Camry.

Busch etched his name in the NASCAR record books by winning a fifth consecutive race at the same track -- a mark previously accomplished by Dale Earnhardt and Jack Ingram.

Busch started third in the NNS race and moved into first-place on lap 30. The 24-year-old driver led 100 of the first 131 laps, and regained the lead for the final time on lap 177.

“This is just a phenomenal day,” said Busch, following the race. “We were able to just run around there all day and bide our time. There at the end we were going to try and save fuel and go the rest of the way if need be. But, a caution (flag) came out and we had to race Joey (Logano) for the win. He kept me on my toes there. We were a little bit too loose to try to go real, real hard. I couldn’t get away from him. Then it seemed like he got a little bit tight and I started moving away.

“We’ve been here five times and have won five times,” said Busch. “It’s pretty awesome to be with these crew guys, this team and Jason Ratcliff (crew chief). To win five and be tied with Dale Earnhardt and Jack Ingram -- that’s pretty cool. I wouldn’t have it any other way. That’s how we wanted to come out here and do this. You never know, maybe we can come back in the spring and if we can have a great race car again -- and try to go for six.”

Why is Busch able to accomplish so much at Texas Motor Speedway? The Las Vegas-native isn’t really sure how to explain his dominance in the Nationwide Series at the track.

“I don’t know,” explained Busch. “It’s a team effort. It’s all these guys -- all the guys at Joe Gibbs Racing. The chassis guys, the body guys, the guys in the engine shop and everybody at the team just make this possible. We had a flawless race car so we had to make sure we got this one to victory lane. I drove my guts out there at the end after I made a miscue on pit road.”

Busch picked up a pair of Nationwide Series wins at Texas Motor Speedway in 2008 (April 5 and Nov. 1), and also won two NNS races at the ‘Lone Star State’ track last year (April 4 and Nov. 7).

The Texas win by Busch marks the 50th first-place or second-place finish for a JGR Nationwide Series entry since the team starting fielding Toyotas at the beginning of the 2008 season. In addition, Camry drivers have now earned 40 wins in the NNS since the start of the 2007 campaign.

Busch’s JGR teammate Logano was the race runner-up in the No. 20 GameStop Camry and Braun Racing’s Sorenson finished third in the No. 32 Dollar General Camry.

Other Camry drivers in the field included Reutimann (eighth), Steve Wallace (ninth), Jason Leffler (12th), Trevor Bayne (14th), Brian Scott (15th), Michael Annett (16th), Brendan Gaughan (21st), Justin Lofton (37th) and Kevin Lepage (40th).

The victory moves Busch into the top spot in the unofficial NNS point standings following Texas, 20 points ahead of second-place Brad Keselowski. Toyota drivers Logano (seventh), Gaughan (10th), Leffler (11th), Wallace (12th), Scott (13th), Annett (15th) and Bayne (16th) are also in the top-20 in points after seven of 35 races.

The NNS returns to action at Talladega Superspeedway, April 24.

Toyota NSCS Driver Finishing Positions at Texas Motor Speedway
1st, DENNY HAMLIN
3rd, KYLE BUSCH
9th, MARTIN TRUEX JR.
16th, SCOTT SPEED
17th, MARCOS AMBROSE
22nd, MAX PAPIS
26th, ROBBY GORDON
28th, JOEY LOGANO
37th, DAVID REUTIMANN
38th, BRIAN VICKERS
39th, REED SORENSON
40th, JOE NEMECHEK
41st, MICHAEL McDOWELL
43rd, DAVE BLANEY

Toyota Drivers in NSCS Point Standings -- following Texas Motor Speedway**
6th, KYLE BUSCH, 1,020 points
11th, DENNY HAMLIN, 973 points
12th, JOEY LOGANO, 941 points
17th, MARTIN TRUEX JR., 918 points
19th, BRIAN VICKERS, 835 points
20th, SCOTT SPEED, 831 points
26th, MARCOS AMBROSE, 785 points
30th, DAVID REUTIMANN, 723 points

Toyota NNS Driver Finishing Positions at Texas Motor Speedway
1st, KYLE BUSCH
2nd, JOEY LOGANO
3rd, REED SORENSON
8th, DAVID REUTIMANN
9th, STEVE WALLACE
12th, JASON LEFFLER
14th, TREVOR BAYNE
15th, BRIAN SCOTT
16th, MICHAEL ANNETT
21st, BRENDAN GAUGHAN
40th, KEVIN LEPAGE

Toyota Drivers in NNS Point Standings -- following Texas Motor Speedway**
1st, KYLE BUSCH, 1,154 points
7th, JOEY LOGANO, 903 points
10th, BRENDAN GAUGHAN, 751 points
11th, JASON LEFFLER, 739 points
12th, STEVE WALLACE, 738 points
13th, BRIAN SCOTT, 737 points
15th, MICHAEL ANNETT, 728 points
16th, TREVOR BAYNE, 708 points