No. 11 Sport Clips Toyota Camry News & Notes:
HAMLIN AT DARLINGTON RACEWAY: Denny Hamlin, current NASCAR Cup Series points leader, will make his 18th-career start at Darlington Raceway this weekend. A track that’s known for being “too tough to tame”, Darlington has coincidentally been one of Hamlin’s best tracks throughout his career, with five NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) wins and three NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) wins on his resume.
A WINNING PAIR: In their 13th season with Joe Gibbs Racing, Sport Clips Haircuts is back on Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota Camry at Darlington. Sport Clips has had much success with Hamlin at the historic track, tallying one Southern 500 victory, five top-five finishes, six top-10s and 250 laps led in just seven NCS races together. The duo also has two NXS victories at Darlington.
THROWBACK WEEKEND: The No. 11 Sport Clips Camry will pay tribute to Julius “Slick” Johnson this weekend with a special throwback scheme. Johnson, a South Carolina-native, was a veteran in short-track racing around the Carolinas throughout the 70’s. Famously known as “Slick”, he transitioned to NASCAR in the early 80’s where he competed in over 65 Cup Series races. Sadly, Johnson was involved in a fatal crash at Daytona in 1990.
RACE REWIND: Hamlin approached Kansas Speedway with three previous wins at the 1.5-mile tri-oval. While leading the race with 20 laps to go, Hamlin made contact with the wall and received damage to the right side of his Camry. Despite the turmoil, Hamlin battled back to score at 12th-place finish.
JGR AT DARLINGTON: Joe Gibbs Racing has claimed eight NASCAR Cup Series victories at Darlington Raceway. In 100 combined starts at the South Carolina track, the organization has tallied 29 top-five finishes, 61 top 10s and has led 1,865 laps at the 1.366-mile oval.
RACE INFO: The Goodyer 400 at Darlington Raceway begins at 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 9, 2021. The race will be broadcast live on FOX Sports 1, Sirius XM 90, and MRN Radio.
From the Cockpit:
Denny Hamlin: “Darlington has always been one of my favorite tracks. It’s a special place and we’ve had some good wins there. Obviously, the last couple of weeks haven’t gone the way we’ve wanted them to, but Darlington is a place where we can bounce back and maybe even get into Victory Lane.”
TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!
