Via FedEx Racing

Denny Hamlin finished 25th in Saturday night’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Daytona International Speedway after being collected in a Lap 153 incident in the 160-lap event on the 2.5-mile, high-banked oval.

Hamlin was charging to the front with drafting help from teammate Kyle Busch as the checkered flag neared, but contact from another competitor on the frontstretch sent Hamlin’s #11 FedEx Office Toyota spinning through the infield grass and back onto the track, where he was hit multiple times. Hamlin was forced to pit road for extensive repairs, finishing four laps down to race winner Tony Stewart.

“We were just biding our time early on in the race, but made our move to the front to be in position at the end of the race,” said Hamlin. “Kyle and I had a good draft working, and I was looking to pass (Greg) Biffle on the inside. He came down on me a little bit and got into my right-front. I hate it for this FedEx team that we were collected in a wreck, but that’s a product of this restrictor plate racing.”

Hamlin started 23rd in the 400-mile event, but a loose race car prohibited him from running in the big pack throughout much of the race. He stayed in contact with the draft while crew chief Darian Grubb worked through wedge and track bar adjustments during pit stops to help tighten up the #11 machine.

A two-tire stop late in the race gave Hamlin the track position he needed to compete for the victory before the on-track incident. The finish drops Hamlin two spots to seventh in the NASCAR standings following Daytona, 92 points behind leader Matt Kenseth after 18 of 26 regular season races.

The Series returns to action at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sunday, July 15.