I am starting you a new thread for all your Paul Menard articles that I find for you!
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Co-Pilott Motorsports Marketing For Menards Racing, Press Release
MENARD CHAT
TELL US ABOUT YOUR QUALIFYING RUN.
“The first lap was real conservative. I wanted to get one down in the books and then Pops [Tony Eury Sr., crew chief] told me the time and I was going to wreck the car or get a 20 so that’s what we did. Our Intermediate tracks have come a long way since this time last year and Pops and the boys have had an awesome off-season. We learned a lot in the Vegas test and it’s kind of applying here. The pressure is off now. We can just go run in Happy Hour and get some good laps in and make our car drive good. I’ve just got 500 miles Sunday.”
HOW MUCH EMPHASIS DID YOU PUT ON RACE SETUP?
“Zero. We didn’t make a single race run. It was all qualifying runs. Our goal this weekend, especially since last weekend, is get in top-35 in points. To do that you’ve got to make races. Quaker State came on board helping us out so it’s cool to get them in the show and have some fun on Sunday.”
ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE RISKS TO GAIN AS MANY POINTS AS POSSIBLE? DO YOU HAVE TO RACE CONSERVATIVE?
“It’ll probably be pretty conservative on Sunday. If we finish top-20, I’d be very happy with that as far as getting the car to drive good. Don’t dive bomb anybody trying to make stupid passes or anything; just be there at the end and try to regain some of the points.”
DID YOU PUT LAST WEEK OUT OF YOUR MEMORY OR DID YOU THINK ABOUT IT?
“I woke up Friday morning and it was totally out of my memory. We had a job to do with the Busch car. Come Monday we started thinking about what we did wrong and how to fix it. Daytona is one of those deals where we had a really good race car. The 10 car checked-up and lost our momentum and we stayed out when we probably should have pitted and just got really tight at the end. Daytona is kind of it’s own animal and now we can go to a California, Vegas, and Atlanta and kind of make our own destiny.”
YOU TESTED WELL AT LAS VEGAS AND BACKED IT UP HERE TODAY.
“The Vegas test was really good for us. We unloaded and we were pretty happy with the car but then we hit on some things that are really going to help with our intermediate program and it’s kind of showing right now.”
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New Tire Presents A Challenge For Paul Menard And Team At Vegas
Co-Pilott Motorsports Marketing For Menards Racing, Press Release
(Mooresville, NC) – Paul Menard will heads to Las Vegas Motor Speedway ready for another weekend of double duty racing action. Menard will pilot the No. 15 Johns Manville/Menards Chevrolet in Saturday’s Sam’s Town 300 and Sunday’s UAW – Daimler Chrysler 400.
While Las Vegas Motor Speedway was a successful stop for Menards Racing on both the NASCAR Nextel Cup and Busch Series pre season testing tour, NASCAR and Goodyear Tire have opted to return to Las Vegas with a different set of left side tires to use in competition. Menard had logged the second fastest lap overall in NASCAR Nextel Cup testing and had promising results from his Busch program, as well.
The new tire presents a challenge for the Dale Earnhardt Inc. team to work from a different vantage point in the set up to the racecars prior to Friday’s qualifying for each event.
UAW-Daimler Chrysler 400 Notes
Underneath the neon yellow paint…
Menard will drive DEI Chassis #24 in Sunday’s UAW-Daimler Chrysler 400. This will be the first competitive appearance of this racecar. After reviewing the two cars used at the LVMS preseason test (#22 and #24) Crew Chief Tony Eury Sr. wavered on which to bring as the primary car in Las Vegas. According to Eury Sr., chassis #24 was only used in about six or seven runs at the test, but is seen as the “aerodynamically superior of the two cars”. Therefore, the team will place all bets on this new car and apply it’s learnings from the California race (where #22 was used) to chassis #24.
Menard tops testing…
Paul Menard spent the first day of January’s two day test session at LVMS looking for the best line around the super fast racetrack. Menard’s effort was rewarded with a lap of 38.622 seconds during the morning session on the second day. The lap allowed Menard to lead the AM session and remained fast enough throughout the day to keep the No. 15 car the second fastest overall in the two day cumulative speeds.
More toils over tires….
According to the No. 15 team engineer, Dave Charpentier, the left side tires which will be used in this weekend’s NASCAR Nextel Cup competition are a harder tire with less grip than those the team tested in January. Since the majority of work is done by the right side tires, the left sides are less critical but a new tire will still alter the data gathered during the test. At this point, Charpentier doesn’t know to what extent the tire will impact the team’s plan for this weekend and said that “no one will know anything until they get a few laps in during Friday’s practice”.
More breaks for the driver, more work for the crew…
The new, 13-gallon fuel cell that will be used at Las Vegas Motor Speedway will result in a pit stop approximately every 35 laps. This will require the over-the-wall crew to be on top of their game for what could be upwards of 7 pit stops during the course of Sunday’s 267-lap event. The No. 15 team’s over-the-wall crew is ready for the challenge since they have performed above the expectations of the team’s trainer, Walt Smith, in the first few events of the season. According to Smith, who also trains the other DEI pit crews and led the No. 1 team to the last year’s NASCAR NEXTEL Pit Crew Challenge title, the Menards Racing pit crew performs sub 13 second stops on a regular basis and are ready for a busy day at LVMS.
Past performance at LVMS…
Sunday will mark Menard’s competitive debut in a Nextel Cup car at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Menard’s career best Nextel Cup finish is seventh (Spring 2006 – Atlanta Motor Speedway).
Paul Menard on Las Vegas Motor Speedway…
“The Vegas test was really good for us. We unloaded and we were pretty happy with the car but then we hit on some things that we think could really help with our intermediate program overall. I think it’s safe to say that what we learned there gives us a lot of confidence heading into this weekend.”
Tony Eury Sr. on the “Go or Go Home” situation…
“It’s just so tough. There are so many good teams here. It’s not like it was last year, or the year before where there was a lot of guys that you knew you were automatically going to beat. Now, there’s so many of us over here with no points it’s pretty mind boggling on Friday just to get in.”
Tony Eury Sr. on Paul’s Vegas potential…
“We were so good at Vegas. Vegas had a lot of grip and I think Paul has a lot to get used to in the Cup car with the small spoiler and stuff. The cars don’t really drive like the Busch cars. He likes that good secure feeling that the Busch cars have. And just like at California, the qualifying draw is big in making the Cup race at Vegas. We need a late draw to be safe.”
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are used with permission. Do not duplicate or
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Co-Pilott Motorsports Marketing For Menards Racing, Press Release
Car Notes
Nextel Cup Primary Car: Dale Earnhardt Inc. Chassis #101 / Back up Car: #16
Last Raced:
This is a brand new Car of Tomorrow, built at the No. 15 shop over the off season.
Fun Fact:
Paul Menard’s Crew Chief (Tony Eury Sr.) and Car Chief (“B” Hoover) were both on Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Bristol Motor Speedway winning team (August 2004).
Overview
While Menard has 12 NASCAR Nextel Cup starts to his credit, the Food City 500 will be his first start at Bristol Motor Speedway. In fact, it is Menard’s first short track attempt in a Cup car. Despite the impending milestone, Menard heads to Bristol Motor Speedway feeling ready to qualify for and succeed in the fifth NASCAR Nextel Cup event of the season. Not only is Menard backed by Dale Earnhardt Inc. power, but he has some solid results from COT testing to bolster his confidence level.
Testing, Testing, One, Two, Three
During the NASCAR sanctioned Bristol test, 50 teams worked on COT cars. The No. 15 team worked through some issues throughout Day One, but by the time the rain came on Day Two of the session, Menard’s lap times were consistently in the top ten. According to Car Chief “B” Hoover, the team hit on a spring package that worked very well for Menard. While the team did not make a qualifying run during the Bristol test, Menard is confident in the team’s potential to qualify well on Friday.
Most recently, Menard tested the Car of Tomorrow at South Boston Speedway (Wednesday, March 21st). While the focus of the test was to prepare for next weekend’s event at Martinsville, a secondary goal was to improve DEI’s overall COT program.
Eye on the Prize
While holding the Bristol winners trophy would be a welcome way to end his weekend in Bristol, Menard has his sights on another prize; a guaranteed spot in the field at Martinsville. The No. 15 team sits 36th in owner’s points, only nine points out of the crucial top-35 cut off, which resets after Sunday’s race.
Raybestos Rookie of the Year Notes
Menard stands third in overall Raybestos rookie ratings. Despite missing the Daytona 500, Menard made a comeback at California with a 20th-place finish. Menard’s follow up performances (32nd – Las Vegas and 31st – Atlanta) brings Menard up to 31 points, 15 points behind second place rookie, David Ragan. Juan Pablo Montoya leads the battle with 47 points.
Car of Tomorrow
The Car of Tomorrow is NASCAR’s safer race car that also focuses on improving competition and providing teams with an opportunity to manage their costs more efficiently. The COT will be raced in 16 events in 2007. All tracks a mile or less in length, along with the two road courses and the October race at Talladega Superspeedway, will run the Car of Tomorrow this year.
Doing a Rain Dance
If the usual weather woes strike this Friday at Bristol Motor Speedway and qualifying were to be cancelled, Menard would automatically make the field for Sunday’s race.
Busch Break for Menard
Menard will take a brief hiatus from the NASCAR Busch Series. Menard’s next Busch start will be at Texas in April.
Bristol Quotes
Paul Menard Quote on the Food City 500:
“We’ve come a long way with the COT. We went to Lakeland in January at and first I wasn’t such a huge fan. It’s just a totally different feel. But by the second day of the Bristol test, we hit on some things with springs and the car was actually pretty good. We were really good in race runs and I think we’ll definitely be good enough to get in the race. The thing is that at Bristol, a tenth is the difference between 10th and 35th. We didn’t do any qualifying runs during the test so that’s what we’ll be focused on during Friday’s practice.
Paul Menard General Quote on the COT:
“Probably the biggest thing I like about the COT is it’s a bigger car, you can get in and out of it easy. If the car starts on fire you can undo your belts and hop out a lot faster than you could in our current car.”
Nextel Cup Car Chief “B” Hoover on the Food City 500:
“Tony Eury Sr. is the best leader in the garage and if anyone’s going to figure out how to succeed with the COT, it’s going to be him. If anything, the COT evens the playing ground as far as the driver goes and Paul did a great job during the test, so we’re definitely going in with high hopes this weekend.”
This Press Release and any images that are used,
are used with permission. Do not duplicate or
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Thanks for posting Mrs12! He seemed to be a little slow in testing, but now that I knows he didn't do any qualifying runs, he should be able to make Sunday's race. Go Paul!!!
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Paul Menard top Raybestos Rookie in Subway Fresh Fit 500
Camp & Associates, Inc., For Raybestos, Press Release
RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE CONTENDER QUOTES FOR THE SUBWAY FRESH FIT 500 NASCAR NEXTEL CUP SERIES RACE AT PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY, APRIL 21, 2007.
JUAN PABLO MONTOYA, No. 42 TEXACO/HAVOLINE DODGE:
“It started pretty decent. We were not fast enough but we were not that bad. It just got worse as the night went on.”
WAS THE CAR LOOSE OR TIGHT?
“Everything. It was loose in, tight in the center and loose off. You tried to improve one thing and the other thing gets worse and so on so there’s a little bit of a vicious circle. You fix, it gets worse, it gets better, it gets worse and it gets better. It’s just terrible.”
DID GOING FROM THE SUNLIGHT TO NIGHTTIME THROW YOU A CURVE?
“Well it got worse. Honestly, as the race went on we got slower and slower and slower and slower and slower. But that’s racing.”
PAUL MENARD IN THE No. 15 MENARDS/JOHNS MANVILLE CHEVROLET WAS THE RAYBESTOS ROOKIE OF THE RACE AT PHOENIX.
Note:
· Menard finished 25th and took Raybestos Rookie of the Race honors for the first time this season.
MENARD: “This is the first time we’ve been the top Raybestos Rookie. I didn’t think we were going to get it tonight. We really weren’t that good all night long. I just couldn’t roll the center. We were just tight, tight, tight. But probably the best it’d been was that last run. I think some guys pitted under green and picked up a couple of spots there and try to keep their nose clean. We ran with them all night. It started off and we were not good at all and then each pit stop seemed to get it just a little bit better where the best it was was at the end. Pretty short race and kept our nose clean and got a top-25 and got some points.”
DID THE CAUTION LATE IN THE RACE HELP YOU?
“That definitely helped us. We were getting ready to pit in a couple of laps and I guess a couple of guys already did so we gained a few spots there.”
DAVID REUTIMANN, No. 00 DOMINO’S TOYOTA:
“We knew at the end of practice yesterday we weren’t even close. We just changed the whole car around and started cold turkey there. You’ve got to do something. It’d start out at the beginning of a run okay. You could kind of run along with the guys. As it went it did a lot of things. It’d get free on entry and then push the nose in the center and then be free off. The guys gave me good pit stops and they worked on it. You get to a point during the race that you still don’t have the right stuff underneath what you want and no amount of adjusting is going to make it what it needs to be. At that point you click over to survival mode and try to get the best finish you can for everybody.”
COMMENT ON THE CHANGE IN TRACK CONDITIONS FROM DAYLIGHT TO NIGHTTIME.
“The racetrack probably picks up some grip and maybe gets a little bit tighter. But overall, our car wasn’t very good at the beginning and it still wasn’t very good when the sun went down [smiles]. We weren’t good off the trailer. Man, my guys work hard and I’m really proud of them and the pit stops are great. We’re getting pieces of the puzzle put together. The COT stuff has us thrown for a little bit of a loop here. We’ve got to get on the other side of it.”
Where the Raybestos Rookies finished at Phoenix:
Menard 25th
Reutimann 32nd
Montoya 33rd
David Ragan 41st
®Raybestos is a registered trademark licensed to Brake Parts Inc. by Raybestos Products Company
This Press Release and any images that are used,
are used with permission. Do not duplicate or
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Paul Menard top Raybestos Rookie in Crown Royal 400
Camp & Associates, Inc., For Raybestos, Press Release
RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE CONTENDER QUOTES FOR THE CROWN ROYAL 400 NASCAR NEXTEL CUP SERIES RACE AT RICHMOND INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY, MAY 6, 2007.
PAUL MENARD IN THE No. 15 MENARDS/MOEN CHEVROLET WAS THE RAYBESTOS ROOKIE OF THE RACE AT RICHMOND.
· Menard finished 16th and took top rookie honors for the second time this season.
· UNOFFICIALLY Juan Pablo Montoya leads David Ragan by three points (109-106) in the Raybestos Rookie standings.
MENARD: “We started at the end so the only place we could go was forward so we had that going for us. We could make long pit stops and get the car good. We started off and it was way too tight. We kept raising the track bar, taking wedge out and playing with the air pressures. It was the best the last few runs.”
YOU GOT THE CAR BETTER AND BETTER DURING THE RACE.
“We kept making good adjustments, Pops [Tony Eury Sr., crew chief] and everybody. We communicated well what the car was doing and they made good adjustments in the pits. That’s what’s nice about Cup racing is that you’ve got a long time, lots of opportunities to work on it. We started off and we weren’t good at all. I would have been happy if we would have finished 30th. At the end I think we had a top-10 car.”
DID RACING IN THE AFTERNOON HELP YOU TODAY BECAUSE YOU DIDN’T MAKE A RACE RUN ON FRIDAY?
“No, I don’t think so. We didn’t do a single race run so we didn’t really know what we were getting into when the green flag dropped. I knew it would be pretty decent and like I said just kept freeing it up. If it was night race we might have been a little tighter yet because we were in qualifying trim, basically. It probably was to our advantage to race in the day.”
IS IT ENCOURAGING TO RACE WELL WITH THE COT CAR?
“We’re slowly getting it figured out. Hendrick guys, obviously, have them figured out really well and it seems like we keep making gains on it. We’ve tested a couple times and made some gains there. We’ll just keep working on it.”
DAVID RAGAN, No. 6 AAA TRAVEL FORD:
WHAT HAPPENED ON PIT ROAD?
“We just didn’t have track position from there on out. We had a top six, seven, or eight car. That long green flag run I felt like we were about as good as it could get, and then we’re battling lapped cars the whole day and got really frustrated. It’s tough to get around ‘em and then we had a lot of quick cautions there at the end that certainly hurt us. We had a top-10 car and finished 20th with it so I don’t know what that means [smiles]. We’ve got to do a little better than that. He was just coming out of his box and I was going in mine. I don’t know if his crew chief or spotter or whoever calls him out of the pits obviously didn’t see us coming in and our team didn’t know he was ready to leave. He pulled out and I was pulling in. It’s just one of those things. And then we were backwards and went on and changed the right-side tires, which was a good call. We could have rebounded from that if we didn’t have all those late cautions.”
WHAT DID YOU THINK WHEN THAT TOLD YOU THEY WERE GOING TO FINISH THE PIT STOP?
“I said perfect. We’re in here, we need to do it. I actually backed up a little bit so I’d be in the stall. We need to prepare for that. We didn’t know what to do for a few seconds and then they went on and changed the right side tires and made sure the rights were on the right and the lefts were on the left. We just had to compromise. The AAA pit crew did a great job compromising today. We just never seemed to be able to get good track position.”
WHAT WAS IT LIKE BEING ON PIT ROAD WITH EVERYONE GOING BY YOU?
“I had a bird’s eye view of Clint Bowyer. We were nose to nose. That’s not what we want to have happen. No harm done on our part, just poor track position.”
AJ ALLMENDINGER, No. 84 RED BULL TOYOTA:
“We started the race doing ok and were able to get the lucky dog and stay on the lead lap. Then we got a couple laps down on the long green flag run and were never able to get it back. We fought all day to gain grip. More than anything it was good for me to get lap time today. That is the best way for me to continue to learn these cars. I wish I hadn’t made the rookie mistakes I did today but I guess that is all part of the learning process. As always, I’m proud of my guys and all the hard work they put in today to get the car handling better.”
®Raybestos is a registered trademark licensed to Brake Parts Inc. by Raybestos Products Company
This Press Release and any images that are used,
are used with permission. Do not duplicate or
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New Tire Presents A Challenge For Paul Menard And Team At Vegas
Menards Racing Bristol Notes
Paul Menard top Raybestos Rookie in Crown Royal 400
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