Mother Nature made him wait, but eventually great things came to Denny Hamlin and Joe Gibbs Racing in the Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500.
After a rain-soaked Sunday pushed the race back to Monday afternoon, Denny Hamlin utilized Raybestos brand brakes, a member of the Affinia family of brands, to skillfully navigate Martinsville Speedway – a track notorious for treacherous braking conditions – to earn his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win in 2010. It was the second consecutive victory for Hamlin at Martinsville and his third overall at the track.
Although Hamlin led a race-high 172 laps and maintained a comfortable margin when a caution flag waved on lap 493 of the 508-lap race, a decision to pit for tires set the scene for a dramatic come-from-behind victory. After re-starting in ninth, Hamlin charged from behind in the No. 11 FedEx Freight Toyota to eventually cross the finish line .670 seconds ahead of JGR teammate Joey Logano.
The Raybestos Sprint Cup Braking System Hamlin utilized to gain an advantage at Martinsville once again was critical in JGR’s success.
“The Raybestos brakes were amazing,” Hamlin said. “This is probably the best I’ve ever felt about the brake package. It seems like every time we come here we have a brake package a little better than the time before. No matter how hard I use them we have no temperature and ultimately it helps us run harder. I had a hard pedal all day long. 90-percent of my passes today happened because I dive bombed somebody to the corner and was able to out-brake them.”
After a 2009 season where JGR cars running Raybestos products dominated short track races winning six of the nine events, Monday’s 1-2 finish is an encouraging sign that short track success could very well continue in 2010.
The Raybestos Sprint Cup braking system that Hamlin utilized to win at Martinsville features ultra-lightweight aluminum alloy six-piston calipers – the stiffest and lightest calipers available in all of NASCAR. The innovative calipers were developed using Raybestos technology partner Alcon’s state of the art “optimized design” process, and include an asymmetric body design and advanced between-piston and crossover cooling features. The new Raybestos Short Track brake package also provides for the largest brake pad volume (surface area) and largest rotor (13.15” outside diameter, and 1.65” thick) available in NASCAR.
For more information on the Raybestos Sprint Cup braking system, or for questions on any Raybestos brand brake or chassis products, visit www.raybestos.com or call 800-323-0354.
