I found this article at
www.teammenard.net
Fort Worth, TX – Paul Menard’s last month in racing can be described in one word – frustrating. The driver of the No. 11 Menards Chevrolet in the NASCAR Busch Series and the No. 15 Menards Chevrolet in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series has had two would-be Busch victories slip on pit road, including this Saturday’s melee, which led to Menard’s 27th place finish in the O’Reilly Challenge at Texas Motor Speedway.
Menard came to Texas ready for a double duty weekend, hoping for a win in the Busch car and a solid run in the Cup car. After qualifying 8th and 32nd for the Saturday and Sunday events, respectively, Menard set his sights on the 800 miles of racing ahead.
Saturday mornings two Nextel Cup practice sessions gave Menard a peak at the track conditions – information which helped Menard race his way into the top five by lap 16. At times running speeds four-tenths faster than the leaders, Menard looked likely to cruise his way to his second career Victory.
“You’ve got a good racecar, Paul.” Tony Eury Sr. radioed to his driver. “Take care of it.”
Under caution on lap 30, Menard came down pit road for a four tire, fuel and adjustment stop. The crew performed the service in 14 seconds and got Menard back on track in the second spot. After a ten lap battle with Busch Series champion Kevin Harvick, Menard settled into third place.
The day took a turn on lap 70 when Menard made his second visit to pit road. Because the car was handling so well, the pit stop would be a basic four tire and fuel stop. Trouble began as the front tire changer had a problem with the lug nuts on the right side of Menard’s Chevrolet. The crew opted to take the extra time to make sure the lugs on the right side were secure rather than force Menard to return to the pits a second time under caution.
Back on track, Menard went about his business. Despite an 11th place restart, Menard’s racecar was fast and he knew it was only time before he resumed his charge to the front. Less than thirty laps later, Menard radioed the crew that he had a vibration and thought he had a tire problem. Based on the earlier pit road problem, Eury expected the right side tire to be the issue. He called Menard in for two right side tires only, so as not to lose track position. Menard returned to the race track solemnly reporting the vibration continued. Menard returned to the pits on lap 101 for left side tires, where the problem was identified and solved.
While the trouble relegated Menard to 30th place, Menard finished the O’Reilly Challenge creating his own race within the race by recording faster lap times than the leaders and passing all the cars on his lap (two laps down). Menard made an exciting last lap pass by Juan Pablo Montoya to bring the Menards Chevrolet home in 27th place.
“That turned out to be a really tough day.” Menard said following the race. “I’m not sure what happened with the second stop, but after we had to make two trips back in to fix the tire it was pretty much over. Fortunately, it didn’t hurt us in the points too badly.”
Menard is solidly holding on to the sixth spot in the points with two races to go and a pair of opportunities to add another win to his resume.
After another night in Texas, Menard turned his attention to his Nextel Cup car. A long morning of rain showers gave way to the green flag flew in the Dickies 500. Menard’s sixth Nextel Cup race of the season began with the focus on improving the team’s intermediate track program for 2007.
It looked to be a repeat performance of Menard’s top-10 finish in Atlanta in the spring as he and Eury Sr. made minor adjustments during the first 150 laps that seemed to make the car better and better. Pit stops Sunday were stellar and #15 was gaining spots when it left pit lane.
All the cards were in place to make everyone forget about Saturday.
The only change that hurt Menard was a wedge adjustment on his third stop which occurred just before it began to cool off significantly at the Texas Motor Speedway. Just one half turn and Menard’s car was suddenly way too loose. Fortunately a caution allowed everyone to come back in not too long after the change and Eury reversed the adjustment and added a half turn-plus the other direction. The change put Menard right back to where he was, rocketing off the corners, happy as a clam.
“The car is good again, that changed really helped,” said a pleased Menard.
On lap 193, #15 cracked the top-20 and was shown in 19th place. There was a good bit of racing to go and with a strong car everyone was thinking a top-10 was on the radar screen. Just then Menard radioed...
“I think we lost a cylinder.”
And just like that #15 streaked by the start-finish line and past the pit box with a plume of smoke in tow.
When asked if it was true that motors always run at their absolute best just before the blow up, Menard said, “Oh yeah, she was going good.”
So not the result anyone was looking for on Saturday or Sunday, but the signs of improvement on the cookie-cutter tracks were very evident. Menard’s Busch car was as fast as Harvick’s, if not faster and Sunday’s Cup effort showed the #15 is ready to make a dent in the Cup series as it prepares for 2007.
Menard’s last Cup Series race will be Homestead in the Johns Manville Chevrolet.