{"id":28454,"date":"2019-11-01T17:55:13","date_gmt":"2019-11-01T22:55:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/?p=28454"},"modified":"2019-11-02T09:07:59","modified_gmt":"2019-11-02T14:07:59","slug":"nascar-friday-texas-notebook-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/2019\/11\/01\/nascar-friday-texas-notebook-3\/","title":{"rendered":"NASCAR: Friday Texas Notebook"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service<\/em><\/p>\n

Denny Hamlin has a shoulder issue, but he\u2019s used to playing hurt<\/b><\/p>\n

FORT WORTH, Tex. \u2013 Denny Hamlin knows all about playing through pain.<\/p>\n

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Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Office Toyota, drives through the garage area during practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on November 01, 2019 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Brian Lawdermilk\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

In March of 2010, Hamlin underwent knee surgery to repair a torn ACL the day after winning at Martinsville. Three weeks later, he was back in Victory Lane at Texas Motor Speedway. Hamlin went on to win eight races that season.<\/p>\n

In a 2013 accident at Auto Club Speedway\u2014the result of hard racing against his nemesis, Joey Logano\u2014Hamlin suffered a compression fracture to his spine and sat out four races, but he returned to win four poles and the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.<\/p>\n

Hamlin suffered another ACL tear playing basketball in 2015, but he put off surgery until the end of the season. The driver of the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota won two races and three poles in 2015, despite having to put up with the discomfort in his knee.<\/p>\n

And this year, even though he\u2019s one of the favorites to win the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series title, Hamlin has been suffering from a painful shoulder issue, a torn labrum, that will require surgery at the end of the season. <\/p>\n

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Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Office Toyota, stands in the garage area during practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on November 01, 2019 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Chris Graythen\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cI really don\u2019t know how it happened, to be honest with you, but it\u2019s something that has been nagging really for years,\u201d Hamlin acknowledged on Friday at TMS, the site of Sunday\u2019s AAA Texas 500 (3 p.m. ET on NBCSN, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve had shoulder issues. It just got to the point where it was really bad, and got it scanned and figured out what it was. It hadn\u2019t really affected me in the car at all. That part has really been fine.\u201d<\/p>\n

In fact, the shoulder issue hasn\u2019t had a pronounced effect on Hamlin\u2019s athletic pursuits, which include basketball, golf and weight training.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt really hasn\u2019t limited me, to be honest with you,\u201d said Hamlin, who is second in the Playoff standings, 24 points ahead of fifth-place Kevin Harvick, the first driver below the cut line in the Round of 8. \u201cIt\u2019s uncomfortable while sleeping. I can\u2019t sleep on that side, but it really hasn\u2019t limited me, to be honest. I got a Cortisone shot in it, which really, really helped.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s like my saving grace, when things start hurting. So that really changed. It went from being immobile to feels like there is nothing wrong with it right now. I can still lift weights. I can only do them a certain way. I have to limit my mobility on that part, but it hasn\u2019t affected anything in my everyday life.\u201d<\/p>\n

KEVIN HARVICK: GREAT EXECUTION MADE UP FOR INCONSISTENT SPEED<\/b><\/p>\n

Kevin Harvick may be 14 points below the current cut line for the Championship 4 in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, but if it weren\u2019t for near-flawless execution by Harvick and his No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing team, the deficit might be much larger.<\/p>\n

Harvick hasn\u2019t drawn a pit road speeding penalty for more than a year, and it\u2019s not because he and his team aren\u2019t pushing the limits. They\u2019re simply that precise.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been as aggressive on pit road as we\u2019ve always been,\u201d Harvick said. \u201cI tell our young guys this, whether I have something to do with them or not. We still practice every week. Every week we go up and down pit road, in and out of the pit box. Hard onto pit road, hard off of pit road. It isn\u2019t something you can let your guard down with.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs you look at it, I feel like it is one of the reasons our team is still in it. I don’t feel like we\u2019ve had that knockout speed that the Gibbs cars have had on a week-to-week basis. We have had it a few times and been able to capitalize on that, but I feel like we\u2019ve done a good job minimizing the mistakes, and we have three more weeks to do that.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt has been those types of scenarios. Solid execution of things, except for a few weeks that we have had here lately for the most part that have kept us in the mix all year.\u201d<\/p>\n

The winner of the last two Playoff races at Texas, Harvick had good speed in opening practice on Friday. He posted the 10th fastest single lap and was second quickest in best consecutive 10-lap average.<\/p>\n

DANIEL SUAREZ HAS A THRONG OF AMIGOS AT TEXAS RACE WEEKEND<\/b><\/p>\n

As part of a successful outreach to the Latino community, Mexican driver Daniel Suarez will have his own cheering section for Sunday\u2019s AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway (3 p.m. ET on NBCSN, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).<\/p>\n

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The helmet of Daniel Suarez, driver of the #41 Walmart Family Mobile Ford, sits on his car during practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on November 01, 2019 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Brian Lawdermilk\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cYeah, it\u2019s a special weekend for myself and the team,\u201d Suarez said on Friday afternoon at Texas. \u201cWe have a lot of exciting things going on, starting with another weekend of Daniel\u2019s Amigos. We are bringing a lot of people that are Latinos out to the race track. We have pretty incredible numbers.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have over 5,000 subscribers for this weekend alone which is pretty amazing since this is just the fourth race we have been doing this. I feel like we are moving the needle. Last time in Las Vegas we had almost 2,000 and that was pretty unbelievable. We have high expectations for the weekend. Hopefully we can have fun with Daniel\u2019s Amigos and have some good results on Sunday.\u201d<\/p>\n

Suarez expects more than 1,000 of his subscribing amigos to attend Sunday\u2019s race.<\/p>\n

I am very happy to be a small part of this,\u201d Suarez said. \u201cIt\u2019s something that just started as an idea and is now a reality. I am very happy to be a part of this. Of course, without help from the race tracks and NASCAR and Coca-Cola and a lot of people, this wouldn\u2019t be possible. I feel very fortunate to be able to bring new fans to the race track.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Daniel Suarez, driver of the #41 Walmart Family Mobile Ford, sits in his car during practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on November 01, 2019 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Brian Lawdermilk\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

Suarez is wearing a special helmet designed by Dallas-based artist Agustin Chavez, who is from Suarez\u2019s home state of Nuevo Leon. The helmet, feature the image of a \u201csugar skull,\u201d was created in celebration of the \u201cDia de los Muertos\u201d (Day of the Dead), which is celebrated Nov. 1 and 2.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis weekend is Dia de los Muertos in Mexico and is a very important holiday for every Mexican,\u201d Suarez said. \u201cWe celebrate all those people, family members that have passed. It is a big holiday in Mexico.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor years now I had an idea of doing a Dia de los Muertos helmet. It has skulls and flowers and is very colorful. A friend of mine did a really cool design and we decided to put it into reality onto the helmet and it turned out amazing. It\u2019s pretty cool to see the outcome of the helmet and a lot of people like it so far.\u201d<\/p>\n

SHORT STROKES<\/b><\/p>\n

Having re-signed with Joe Gibbs Racing for the 2020 season, Brandon Jones is relieved to get the business aspect of racing out of the way. \u201cIt\u2019s a big weight off of our shoulders,\u201d said Jones, fresh from his victory at Kansas, his first NASCAR Xfinity Series win. \u201cAny driver right now is fighting to get some stuff going, and that was really big for us to be able to come back for 2020.\u201d\u2026<\/p>\n

Stewart-Haas Racing on Friday announced a technical alliance with GoFas Racing, through which SHR will provide chassis, data and technical support for the No. 32 Ford next year. GoFas will maintain its relationships with Ford Performance and Roush Yates Engines. \u201c2020 will be an exciting year at GFR with the addition of SHR cars and their technical assistance,” said GFR owner Archie St. Hilaire. “I can’t thank all of the great people at SHR for the opportunity to align with them. \u201cGFR has improved every year in our six years in the NASCAR Cup Series and I believe that the best is yet to come for this little team and our great group of employees.\u201d Corey LaJoie currently drives the No. 32 Ford, but the team has not named a driver for 2020\u2026<\/p>\n

Stewart-Haas Racing drivers topped the speed charts in Friday\u2019s two Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practices on Friday. Clint Bowyer paced the first session with  lap 188.679 mph. Aric Almirola was fastest in Happy Hour at 188.561 mph.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service Denny Hamlin has a shoulder issue, but he\u2019s used to playing hurt FORT WORTH, Tex. \u2013 Denny Hamlin knows all about playing through pain. In March of 2010, Hamlin underwent knee surgery to repair a torn ACL the day after winning at Martinsville. Three weeks later, he was back […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":676,"featured_media":28434,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[11],"tags":[366,16,665,21],"class_list":["post-28454","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nascar","tag-aaa-texas-500","tag-nascar","tag-oreilly-auto-parts-300","tag-texas-motor-speedway"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/TMS2_MENCS_Hamlin_Garage_110119.jpg?fit=4593%2C3062","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7hzTZ-7oW","jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28454","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/676"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28454"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28454\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28456,"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28454\/revisions\/28456"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28434"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28454"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28454"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28454"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}