Category Archives: Wood Brothers

DiBenedetto Finishes 13th in Saturday’s Pocono Race


June 27, 2020


Matt DiBenedetto and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team came away from the first half of a Cup Series double-header at Pocono Raceway with a 13th-place finish in the Pocono Organics 325, plus 10 Stage points that allowed them to move up one spot in the points standings to 14th.

And they did it with a fast Ford Mustang, which has the team optimistic heading into Sunday’s Pocono 350, where DiBenedetto will start eighth in the same car he drove on Saturday.

DiBenedetto started 21st as the line-up was set by a modified draw for positions.

Knowing his best chances to advance toward the front would come on the initial start and on restarts, he went to work right away, with great success.

By the end of the second lap he was up to 12th place and kept moving forward for the rest of the first Stage.
 
“The engineers and the rest of the crew deserve a lot of credit for unloading a car that was really fast,” he said. “We had damage from the first lap on due to contact with the 42. It damaged the right side and affected the aero pretty good, but it was still fast.”
 
He said it took some “really aggressive” driving to gain 10 spots on the opening lap.
 
“I drove through the middle and around the outside of a couple of them,” he said. “It was a handful.” 
 
He gained another spot the next lap and held that spot until the competition caution flew at Lap 13, and restarted ninth since he did not pit during the caution period.
 
He gained two spots on the restart and held seventh place until the end of the first Stage, which earned him four Stage points.
 
He stayed on track during the caution period following the first Stage and moved into the top five on the restart.
 
On Lap 45, he made his first pit stop of the day, which dropped him to 31st in the running order. But as others made their pit stops he climbed back through the field, breaking back into the top 10 on Lap 70. He was running sixth when the caution flag flew with six laps remaining in the second Stage, and gained two spots in the last two laps to finish fifth and earn six more Stage points.
 
Back under way, he stayed on the track and moved as high as third place before making his second and final pit stop with 37 laps remaining, taking fuel and four tires.

He rejoined the race in 21st place and climbed back to 13th place at the finish in a race that ran the entire final stage without a yellow flag that would have allowed him to make more use of his four fresher tires.
 
“We were basically running a road-course strategy,” DiBenedetto said, adding that there was no way he could have done a no-tire or two-tire stop on his final trip down pit road.

“The engine sputtered so we had to take a full tank of fuel, and you might as well take four tires while you’re getting the fuel.”
 
He said a small hiccup on the final stop might have cost him a few finishing positions, but overall he was pleased with the efforts of the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team.

 “It was nobody’s fault, just a little mishap,” he said. “If not for that we could have gotten stage points and a top 10.
 
“The strategy was good.” 
 
DiBenedetto said the team’s performance on Saturday has him looking forward to a repeat performance.
 
“Now we know more about the track and about what the car needs,” he said. “It’s going to be a lot less nerve-wracking.
 
“We’ll just have to make a few tweaks on the car, and the crew deserves a lot of credit for that. Then it will be another strategy game and just trying to get everything you can on restarts.”
  
Sunday’s Pocono 350 is set to get the green flag just after 4 p.m. with TV coverage on FOX Sports 1.

Menard Ready To Run For Another Pole At Chicagoland

Menard Ready To Run For Another Pole At Chicagoland

June 27, 2019

Paul Menard and the No. 21 Menards/FVP Batteries/NRG Energy team showed up with good speed last year at Chicagoland Speedway and earned Menard the pole, the 119th for his Wood Brothers team.

But the notes from that qualifying session won’t be of much use for the team this year in time trials for the Camping World 400. Since that time, NASCAR has adopted a lower horsepower/higher downforce handling package, and the series has scrapped the three-round knockout qualifying format used last year and gone back to a one-car-at-a-time qualifying session. Continue reading Menard Ready To Run For Another Pole At Chicagoland

Menard Finishes 22nd At Sonoma

Menard Finishes 22nd At Sonoma

June 23, 2019

Paul Menard and the No. 21 Menards/Richmond Ford Mustang had a good run going early in Sunday’s 350-kilometer race on the road course at Sonoma Raceway, but a mid-race spin dealt them a setback they weren’t able to overcome and they wound up 22nd at the finish.

Menard started Sunday’s race, run on the track’s old layout which featured the Carousel turn and an additional half mile in overall length, from 24th place.

He moved up five positions in the opening 12 laps and continued to move up throughout the first 20-lap stage. Between positions gained on the track and others picked up when drivers ahead of him made early pit stops, Menard finished the stage in ninth place, earning two bonus points. Continue reading Menard Finishes 22nd At Sonoma

Menard Qualifies 24th At Sonoma

Menard Qualifies 24th At Sonoma

June 22, 2019

Paul Menard and the No. 21 Menards/Richmond Ford Mustang will roll off in 24th place for the start of Sunday’s 350-kilometer race on the now-12-turn Sonoma Raceway.

Menard toured the track at 94.224 miles per hour during qualifying Saturday afternoon.

He was 11th fastest in the opening practice with a lap at 93.475 mph and was 18th best in Happy Hour with a lap at 93.735 mph.

Menard said in a media session of Friday that he likes the new layout at Sonoma, which features a return of the “Carousel” turn which lengthens the course from 1.99 miles to 2.52 miles.

“I really like it,” he said. “It adds a little more character to this track. The old track didn’t have as much character as it does now. It is a good thing.”

Menard said he and the Menards/Richmond team have spent the past two days trying to maximize the performance of their Mustang, since each turn can be a critical one.

“There are some key places that you really have to get off the corner so you don’t get passed on the next corner,” he said. “You make time or lose time anywhere here. If you have one bad corner but it is a corner that they can’t get to you because you have been better everywhere else then it doesn’t really matter.”

He said he’s enjoyed learning to navigate the Carousel.

“It was cool,” he said. “I have watched it a bunch on TV with IndyCar and sports cars.

“It is smaller than what I thought. I thought it would be wider, a more opened up corner than it is. It is really pretty narrow and kind of a short corner.”

Menard said he thinks he’s got it figured out for Sunday.

“I think we have a pretty good understanding of where the car needs to be and where you need to position yourself to get a good run off,” he said. “It kind of suckers you in to picking up the throttle too soon which just washes you up on exit, and you don’t get to wide open throttle as quick that way. You have to have some patience for sure.”

But he wouldn’t change a thing.

“I love it,” he said. “It is a good change. It is fun. It is a fun course for sure. I would say it is probably the most fun I have had driving a race car this year.”

Sunday’s race is set to get the green flag at noon (3 p.m. Eastern Time) with TV coverage on FOX Sports 1.

Menard Finishes 13th At Michigan

Menard Finishes 13th At Michigan

June 11, 2019
Paul Menard and the No. 21 Menards/Nibco Mustang came away with a 13th-place finish in Monday’s rain-delayed FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway.

Menard was fast from the drop of the green flag, moving from his sixth starting position to third place on the opening lap then to second by lap four.

He took the yellow flag at lap 21 for a competition caution in fourth place, and remained in the lead group throughout the first Stage. He ended that segment in ninth place, earning two stage points.

He finished just outside the top 10 in the second Stage, winding up 11th after that 60-lap segment.

The final Stage saw Menard moving up and down the scoreboard as teams employed differing strategies on pit stops, with some taking four tires, others two and some fuel only. He was running second when he made his final stop, for two tires and fuel, with 22 laps remaining.

Menard was running 16th when the race’s final caution flag flew, setting up an overtime run to the checkered flag. He gained three spots in those two laps to secure his seventh top-15 finish in the 15 races run so far this season.

“We had top-10 speed just about the whole race,” Eddie Wood said. “It was hard racing all day long.”

Wood said he was happy to see his fellow Ford campaigners – Joey Logano and his No. 22 crew from Team Penske – celebrating in Victory Lane, especially at Michigan.

“We know how much it means to Edsel Ford and the people at Ford Motor Company to win here and get to keep the Michigan Heritage trophy,” he said of the coveted trophy that goes to the winning manufacturer after races at Michigan International Speedway. “I know a lot of them couldn’t stay until Monday because some had to work and others were leaving for Le Mans.”

Wood also pointed out that a good number of fans stayed over to watch the rain-delayed race.

“And it was good to see a lot of fans stick around for a Monday race that started late in the day,” he said. “I’m glad they got to see a good race.”

Racing resumes June 23 at Sonoma Raceway.

Menard Expects Pocono To Be Plenty Tricky This Weekend

Menard Expects Pocono To Be Plenty Tricky This Weekend

May 29, 2019

This weekend’s Pocono 400 on the Tricky Triangle at Pocono Raceway promises to be a little trickier than usual, according to Paul Menard, driver of the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang.

Menard said the new lower horsepower/higher downforce package, plus a change in transmission rules, will make for an interesting race on the unique 2 ½ mile track that features long straightaways and three distinctly different turns.

“There will be big drafts on the straightaways and not as much braking as before,” Menard said. “And with the new transmission rules, you’ll be wanting to shift but with the third gear we’re now required to use it would probably just blow the engine.”

Menard said that with the components of the new package, it’ll be important for drivers to keep their momentum up, especially since they won’t be able to downshift off Turns One and Three.

“I’m not sure how it will all work out,” he said. “We’ll see.”

Menard will be making his 25th career Cup start at Pocono, where he has five finishes of 11th or better, the most recent coming last June.

His Wood Brothers team will be making its 64th Pocono start. The team has three wins there. Their victories came in 1975 with David Pearson driving, in 1980 with Neil Bonnett at the wheel and in 2017, with Ryan Blaney taking the win over Kevin Harvick.

Qualifying for the Pocono 400 is scheduled for Saturday at 11:35 a.m., and the race is set to start just after 2 p.m. on Sunday with TV coverage on Fox Sports One.

Menard Finishes 14th in Coca-Cola 600 At Charlotte

Menard Finishes 14th in Coca-Cola 600 At Charlotte

May 27, 2019

Paul Menard and the No. 21 Menards/Knauf Insulation team came within 10 laps of ending a great day of racing with a top-10 finish in the Coca-Cola 600, but a late caution ended up relegating them to a 14th-place finish.

Menard started Sunday’s marathon at Charlotte Motor Speedway from 17th place and spent much of the night running in the top 15 as crew chief Greg Erwin and the Menards/Knauf team adjusted their Mustang for the changing conditions as the race went from daytime to dark.

The further the race went, the better Menard’s Mustang performed, and when the green flag flew for a restart with 35 laps to go, he was in 10th place and on the move forward. Continue reading Menard Finishes 14th in Coca-Cola 600 At Charlotte

Menard Qualifies 17th At Charlotte

Menard Qualifies 17th At Charlotte

May 24, 2019

Paul Menard and the No. 21 Menards/Knauf Insulation Mustang are set to start Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway from the 17th starting position.

Menard earned that spot Thursday evening with a lap at 181.830 miles per hour in a one-driver-at-a-time qualifying session.

That significantly bettered his best lap of 180.246 mph in pre-qualifying practice.
Menard said in a post-qualifying media session that he’d already begun focusing on the Coca-Cola 600.

“The race on Sunday is going be a lot different than qualifying on Thursday night,” he said, adding that his qualifying speed will give him a decent pit selection for Sunday. Continue reading Menard Qualifies 17th At Charlotte

Spin Finds New Tracks with NASCAR’s Esports Leagues Beginning Memorial Day Weekend

Spin Finds New Tracks with NASCAR’s Esports Leagues Beginning Memorial Day Weekend
Dockless Scooter-Sharing Company Partners with Big Names in Racing and Gaming to Debut New Cars

San Francisco, Calif.—May 23, 2019—Spin, the San Francisco-based provider of dockless electric scooters in over 30 cities and college campuses, is set to take a high-profile ride on two new NASCAR eSports racing circuits—eNASCAR Heat Pro League™and the eNASCAR PEAK Antifreeze iRacing Series™—during Memorial Day Weekend. Spin, launched in 2017 and acquired by Ford Motor Company last year, will be the primary sponsor of four cars fielded by Wood Brothers Gaming, Wood Brothers Racing’s newly founded eSports team. Continue reading Spin Finds New Tracks with NASCAR’s Esports Leagues Beginning Memorial Day Weekend

Menards/Knauf Insulation Team To Honor Army Specialist David Hickman At Charlotte

Menards/Knauf Insulation Team To Honor Army Specialist David Hickman At Charlotte

May 22, 2019

There are many holidays on the calendar, but none quite like Memorial Day.

It’s an important one for the sport of automobile racing, beginning with a Formula One race in Monaco on Sunday morning followed by the Indianapolis 500 and concluding with the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Continue reading Menards/Knauf Insulation Team To Honor Army Specialist David Hickman At Charlotte

Menard Finishes Seventh In Monster Energy Open

Menard Finishes Seventh In Monster Energy Open

May 19, 2019

Paul Menard’s promising start to the Monster Energy Open was short-lived as he experienced a loose condition with his No. 21 Menards/Knauf Insulation Mustang on the first lap, brushed the wall in Turns Three and Four while running in fifth place and never really recovered.

He started seventh and finished seventh in the final 10-lap Stage, and with only the Stage winners advancing to the Monster Energy All-Star Race, Menard and the No. 21 team were done for the night.

“We were just so tight [Friday] in practice I felt like we made the tires mad in practice, so we freed it up a lot for [Saturday] and just over-adjusted,” Menard said. “It just snapped on me in [Turns] Three and Four and then just had to play catch-up with crash damage after that, which is never easy.”

Menard and the Menards/Knauf Insulation team will return to Charlotte Motor Speedway next week for the Cup circuit’s longest race, the Coca-Cola 600.

Menard Qualifies Fifth For Monster Energy Open

Menard Qualifies Fifth For Monster Energy Open

May 17, 2019

Paul Menard and the No. 21 Menards/Knauf Insulation Ford Mustang are set to start Saturday’s Monster Energy Open at Charlotte Motor Speedway from fifth place.

Menard earned that spot on Friday with a lap at 180.662 miles per hour in the second of two qualifying rounds. He was fourth fastest in the first with a lap at 180.361 mph. Continue reading Menard Qualifies Fifth For Monster Energy Open

Menard Expecting A High-Intensity All-Star Weekend

Menard Expecting A High-Intensity All-Star Weekend

May 15, 2019

Paul Menard says he expects he and the No. 21 Menards/Knauf Insulation team will have a low-pressure but high-intensity Monster Energy All-Star Race weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

He and the Menards/Knauf team will start their weekend by competing in the Monster Energy Open, with hopes of advancing into the All-Star race by winning one of that race’s three Stages. One driver also will make the main event by a fan vote, so Menard’s fans should go to NASCAR.com and vote by noon on Friday. He was in the top 10 in the fan vote late last week. Continue reading Menard Expecting A High-Intensity All-Star Weekend

Menard Finishes 24th At Kansas

Menard Finishes 24th At Kansas

May 12, 2019

Paul Menard and the No. 21 Menards/Dutch Boy Mustang had a fast start but ended up with a frustrating 24th-place finish in Saturday night’s Digital Ally 400 at Kansas Speedway.

Menard qualified 16th but started 10th after six drivers ahead of him in qualifying failed a pre-race inspection. He quickly drove up to fourth place and remained in the top five through a competition caution at Lap 30.

The Menards/Dutch Boy team opted for four fresh tires during the caution period while others took just two, which dropped him to 14th place for the restart. But he drove his way back into the top 10 before contact with the outside wall near the end of Stage One knocked him of the top 20. Continue reading Menard Finishes 24th At Kansas

Menard Set To Start 16th At Kansas

Menard Set To Start 16th At Kansas

May 10, 2019

Paul Menard and the No. 21 Menards/Dutch Boy Mustang have earned the 16th starting spot for Saturday night’s Digital Ally 400 at Kansas Speedway.

Menard, who was 19th fastest in Friday’s opening practice with a best lap at 175.816 and 24th in Happy Hour with a lap at 175.638 mph, upped his speed to 176.217 mph in qualifying.

In a media session at Kansas prior to qualifying, Menard offered his insights on Saturday’s race. Continue reading Menard Set To Start 16th At Kansas

Kansas Has Been A Good Place For Menard, Wood Brothers

Kansas Has Been A Good Place For Menard, Wood Brothers

May 8, 2019

Next up for Paul Menard and the No. 21 Menards/Dutch Boy team is Saturday’s Digital Ally 400 at Kansas Speedway, a track that has been a good one for Menard and his No. 21 team.

In the past seven races on the 1.5-mile oval, the team has five finishes of seventh or better, including a sixth-place run by Menard last May. In the fall, he was poised to run the string to six strong Kansas finishes, but after driving from his 18th starting spot to fifth at the end of the first 80-lap Stage, he was involved in a collision on pit road that damaged his car and led to a disappointing finish.
Continue reading Kansas Has Been A Good Place For Menard, Wood Brothers