NASCAR Driver Denny Hamlin Coming to Museum of Discovery and Science Tomorrow

Following last night's Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway, the field of 16 for NASCAR's playoffs - the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup - is all set. To kick off the playoffs, Homestead-Miami Speedway and the Museum of Discovery and Science are teaming up to host Denny Hamlin, driver of the No. 11 Toyota Camry and one of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series contenders, for a day of fun and engaging activities with students from Western High School on Tuesday, September 15.

Hamlin will be competing in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup which ultimately culminates at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday, November 22. Hamlin drives for a Joe Gibbs Racing Team which has won nine of the last 12 Sprint Cup Series races. Hamlin will visit the Museum of Discovery and Science along with the Solar Cats Racing Team from Western High School in Davie, in addition to approximately 40 students from the STEM program at Western High School, and partake in a tour of various exhibits throughout the Museum. The Solar Cats Racing Team recently built a fully functional solar-powered car and competed at the Solar Car Challenge at Texas Motor Speedway, where they were judged by the distance the car ran and whichever team completed the most laps around the track won. The Solar Cats finished 10th out of 15 teams in the classic division, running 265.5 miles. The team was also one of only two teams from Florida to compete. The Solar Cats will have their car on hand at Tuesday's event, and will teach Hamlin all of the intricacies of the car and show him how to operate it as well.

The group will also be joined by Miss Sprint Cup, Julianna White, who serves as an official public figure for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Sprint.

The appearance is part of NASCAR's Chase Across North America tour, which previews the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. NASCAR's playoffs - the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup - is a 10-race culmination to the season that crowns a battle-tested champion. Starting with a 16-driver field, four drivers will be eliminated after every three races, setting up a "winner take all" championship showdown at Homestead-Miami Speedway Nov. 22 (3 p.m. ET on NBC). The top finisher among the Championship 4 in Miami will win the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship.

Hamlin will visit the various exhibits at the Museum, including the Everglades Airboat exhibit, EcoScapes exhibit where they will interact with the animals in the exhibit, among other exhibits.

All of the activities at the Museum of Discovery and Science will be open to the media. Hamlin will be available for media interviews during the course of the visit to the Museum. Lunch will be provided to all media covering the event.