4/14/2008

Denny Hamlin, driver of the No. 11 FedEx Kinko’s/March of Dimes Toyota, led the three-car Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) contingent at Phoenix International Raceway by finishing third in Saturday night’s Subway Fresh Fit 500k NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.  It was Hamlin’s third consecutive top-five finish and his fifth top-10 of 2008.

Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 Snickers Toyota for JGR, finished 10th to score his fifth top-10 of the season as well as his fifth top-10 in seven career Sprint Cup races at Phoenix.

Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 20 Subway/Home Depot Toyota for JGR, finished 14th.  The two-time Sprint Cup champion has finished 15th or better in seven of the eight races run this season.

Busch remains the lead JGR driver in the championship point race, as his 10th-place finish moved him up one spot to second in the standings after round eight of 36.  Hamlin and Stewart occupy the sixth and seventh positions, respectively.  Hamlin gained one spot while Stewart dropped two positions.

Jimmie Johnson gambled on fuel and won the Subway Fresh Fit 500k.  It was his 34th career Sprint Cup victory, his first of the season and his second consecutive win at Phoenix, as he won in his previous visit to Phoenix last November. 

Clint Bowyer, Hamlin, Carl Edwards and Mark Martin rounded out the top-five.  Jeff Burton, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Martin Truex Jr., Greg Biffle and Busch comprised the remainder of the top-10.

There were eight caution periods for 42 laps, with three drivers failing to finish the 312-lap race.

The Sprint Cup Series takes a rare weekend off before heading to Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway for the April 27 Aaron’s 499.  The race starts at 2 p.m. EDT with live, high-definition coverage provided by FOX beginning with its pre-race show at 1 p.m.  The race will also be broadcast live on SIRIUS Satellite Radio Channel 128.