NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS)

In Sunday’s NSCS race at Michigan International Speedway, Hamlin earned a single-season career best fifth win of the year. It also marked the fifth victory in the last 10 races for the 29-year-old Chesterfield, Va.-native.

Hamlin started seventh in the No. 11 FedEx Ground Toyota Camry and led four times for 123 (of 200) laps in the 400-mile event. In his eight previous starts at MIS, Hamlin had only led five total laps. He has recorded three top-fives and five top-10 finishes in eight starts at the two-mile Michigan oval.

“I can’t thank the fans enough,” said Hamlin, following the race. “It’s just been a great year so far.  It’s so easy to drive cars like this.  They make me look good.  I can tell you it’s the work of guys like Mike Ford (crew chief) and the entire 11 team.  I can’t think him enough, Sprint, FedEx and all of their employees, the whole 11 team, everyone at JGR (Joe Gibbs Racing), Gillette, Wiley X, Toyota , Coca-Cola and everyone who helps support this deal and helps put it together.  We’re going to keep making a run at them.”

Hamlin dominated the second half of the race, leading by as much as 10 seconds before a late caution for debris came out on lap 183. With less than 20 laps to go, Hamlin chose the outside lane for the final restart and easily pulled away from second-place finisher Kasey Kahne en route to victory lane.

“Anything can happen,” added Hamlin about the final restart. “I knew a caution was coming so I might as well just back off and save my tires.  I knew that debris caution was coming.  We’ve got to do what’s right for the fans and they need to see a great race at the end.  The best car won and that’s all you can ask for.”

The win is the 13th of Hamlin’s career and his 10th victory in a Camry. It also marked the seventh win for Toyota in 2010 and the 28th win since joining series competition in 2007.

Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) and Toyota have won seven of the last 10 NSCS races. Hamlin has also recorded victories at Martinsville (March 29), Texas (April 19), Darlington (May and last weekend at Pocono (June 6), while his JGR teammate Kyle Busch has won two races at Richmond (May 1) and Dover (May 16).

Hamlin’s JGR teammate Joey Logano finished 10th in the No. 20 Home Depot Camry to earn his sixth top-10 result of the season.

Marcos Ambrose (15th), Martin Truex Jr. (17th), David Reutimann (18th) and Kyle Busch (20th) also posted top-20 finishes for Toyota.

Camry drivers Scott Speed (28th), Robby Gordon (33rd), Casey Mears (36th), Joe Nemechek (37th), Todd Bodine (42nd) and Max Papis (43rd) were also in the field.

Busch remains second in the unofficial NSCS point standings, trailing leader Kevin Harvick by 22 points. With the win, Hamlin is currently third and 47 points behind Harvick. Truex (16th), Logano (17th) and Reutimann (19th) are also in the top-20 in points after 15 of 36 races.

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series returns to action in the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway, June 20.

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