The No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry will have a major change for the Cup Series trip to Kansas Speedway. Denny Hamlin will debut a new partner as he battles for a spot in the Round of 12.
The No. 11 team will partner with Acumatica, a cloud ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) company. The stock car will feature a white base with different shades of blue. The Acumatica logos will take over the hood and the sides while Sport Clips will serve as an associate partner.
“We’re excited to welcome Acumatica into our sport and have the opportunity to represent its innovative technology on the racetrack,” said team owner Joe Gibbs in a press release. “Acumatica is an ideal sponsor for JGR given our shared commitment to performance and teamwork. We look forward to having them join us in Kansas and building what will surely become a winning relationship.”
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Hamlin Will Pursue Another Trip to Victory Lane
The addition of a new partner provides Hamlin with an opportunity. He will potentially be able to take another company to Victory Lane at a track where he has previous statistical success.
Hamlin has made 28 starts during his Cup Series career, and he has secured top-10 finishes in 11 of these races. He also has 10 top-five finishes and three wins at the intermediate track while only failing to finish two races.
All of Hamlin’s wins at Kansas have been with FedEx as the primary sponsor on the No. 11. He ran a FedEx Ground scheme in 2012, a FedEx Office scheme in 2019, and a FedEx Freight scheme in 2020. Now he will have an opportunity to take an Acumatica scheme to Victory Lane.
The Kansas Race Bears Greater Significance for JGR
The debut of the new partner will take place during a very important event. This race is the second of the Round of 16, and it will provide Hamlin with an opportunity to punch his ticket to the Round of 12.
The veteran driver turned in a strong performance during the first race at Kansas Speedway in 2022. He finished fourth while Kurt Busch won his first Cup Series race in a Toyota. Every other Toyota Racing driver also finished inside the top 10.
The first race at Kansas Speedway had significance in that it was an opportunity to secure a spot in the playoffs. The return on September 11 will be more important. The reason is that a win guarantees a spot in the next round while a solid points day can be the difference between moving on or falling below the elimination line.
Hamlin is in a solid position to start the playoffs, but he is not completely safe. He has 2,013 points, which is only six points above the cutline. If he has issues on pit road or gets caught up in an unexpected crash, he could lose his advantage over Daniel Suarez and the other drivers below the cutline. Though he could also track down William Byron, Kyle Larson, and Ross Chastain with a solid day.
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