Menard Rolls To The Pole At Chicagoland

June 30, 2018

On a sweltering afternoon at Chicagoland Speedway, Paul Menard and his No. 21 Menards/Sylvania Ford Fusion turned up the heat in qualifying and won the pole with a lap at 180.102 miles per hour.

It was Menard’s second career Cup pole, the first coming in July, 2008, at Daytona International Speedway. It was the 119th for the Wood Brothers team and their first since last fall at Phoenix Raceway.

Menard and the Menards/Sylvania team posted mediocre speeds in the two practice sessions on Saturday, posting the 15th fastest speed of 176.102 mph in the first session and the 24th best speed in Happy Hour with a lap at 173.249 mph. Continue reading Menard Rolls To The Pole At Chicagoland →

Menard Ready For Home-Track Race At Chicagoland

June 28, 2018

Paul Menard and the No. 21 Menards/Sylvania team are headed to Menard’s home track, Chicagoland Speedway, for Sunday’s Overton’s 400.

While Chicagoland, in Joliet, Ill., is technically the home track for someone from Menard’s hometown of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, it’s not exactly nearby.

“It’s the closest Cup track to my hometown, but it’s still a six-hour drive away,” Menard said.

“But it’s always exciting to run at your home track.” Continue reading Menard Ready For Home-Track Race At Chicagoland →

Menard Finishes 26th On Disappointing Day At Sonoma

June 25, 2018

Paul Menard and the No. 21 Menards/Richmond team had a long, hard day on the road at Sonoma Raceway on Sunday, finally coming away with a disappointing 26th-place finish.

Menard started the 110-lap race from the 15th position, and the team planned a strategy that had them stopping just prior to the end of the first two Stages. The pit strategy moves were intended to allow the Menards/Richmond team to gain track position once the drivers ahead of them made pit stops during the caution periods following the end of the Stages.

The strategy worked as Menard moved to 11th place for the start of the second 25-lap Stage. It was successful again after the second Stage, and he restarted ninth for the final segment of the race.

But that strategy didn’t work out as planned in a final segment that ran caution-free from Lap 55 until the end of the race. Continue reading Menard Finishes 26th On Disappointing Day At Sonoma →

Menard Qualifies 15th at Sonoma

June 23, 2018

Paul Menard and the No. 21 Menards/Richmond Ford Fusion will roll off in 15th place for Sunday’s 350-kilometer race at Sonoma Raceway.

Menard earned that starting spot in a frenzied qualifying session Saturday afternoon, turning a lap at 93.438 miles per hour.

The opening round of qualifying on a hot afternoon saw Menard and most of the top teams wait until late in the session to make a lap due to an excessive amount of Speedi Dri on the track from an incident prior to qualifying for the Monster Energy Cup Series. Continue reading Menard Qualifies 15th at Sonoma →

Menard Ready To Hit The Road At Sonoma

June 21, 2018

After a relatively rare off weekend, Paul Menard and the No. 21 Menards/Richmond team get back to work at Sonoma Raceway for this weekend’s 350-kilometer race on the 12-turn, 1.99-mile California track.

“It’s the first road-course race of the season, and I’m excited about that,” Menard said.

“The track is really tight, and it’s hard to use all the horsepower these Ford Fusions produce.”

Menard said races at Sonoma have other characteristics that make races there interesting. Continue reading Menard Ready To Hit The Road At Sonoma →

Menard Battles Back To Finish Fifth In Rain-Shortened Race at Michigan

June 11, 2018

Paul Menard and the No. 21 Menards/Jack Links team played their race strategy just right in a rain-shortened Firekeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway and came away with the team’s first top-five finish of the season.

Menard started 15th and dropped back on the initial start but worked his way back to 20th place by the time the competition caution flag flew on Lap 25.

But Menard was nabbed for speeding and had to restart at the rear of the pack. He passed seven drivers before another caution for a spin by David Ragan, one he narrowly avoided himself.

Menard continued his march forward and ended Stage One in 16th place. Continue reading Menard Battles Back To Finish Fifth In Rain-Shortened Race at Michigan →

Menard Qualifies 15th At Michigan

June 8, 2018

Paul Menard and the No. 21 Menards/Jack Links Ford Fusion are set to start Sunday’s Firekeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway from the 15th position.

Menard and the No. 21 Fusion had good speed in Friday’s opening practice and in the first of three rounds of knock-out qualifying. But the second round, which has been a challenge for the team on several occasions this season, once again saw the team come up a bit short, missing the final transfer spot by three positions and just a few ticks of the stopwatch.

Eddie Wood said Menard came close to advancing. Continue reading Menard Qualifies 15th At Michigan →

Michigan Is Like A Home Track For Menard

June 6, 2018

Paul Menard and the No. 21 Menards/Jack Links Ford team head to Michigan hoping for a strong performance at the home track of Ford Motor Company and a home track of sorts for Menard.

“Michigan and Chicagoland are the closest,” Menard said of the distance between the two Monster Energy Cup Series tracks and his hometown of Eau Claire, Wisconsin. “I remember more going to Road America and the Milwaukee Mile.” Continue reading Michigan Is Like A Home Track For Menard →

Menard Rebounds From Pit Penalty To Finish 11th At Pocono.

June 3, 2018

When the chips were down for the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team late in Sunday’s Pocono 400 at Pocono Raceway, driver Paul Menard and his spotter Stevie Reeves stepped up and salvaged the day.

Menard started 20thand ran among the top 15 and top 20 for most of Sunday’s 400-miler. But on a pit stop with 20 laps remaining, the team was penalized for an uncontrolled tire. Instead of restarting among the top 15, Menard was relegated to 27th place and was also positioned behind all the lapped drivers.

In the final 16 laps, Menard, with Reeves keeping him abreast of developments on the track, drove his way to an 11th-place finish.

Eddie Wood said Menard and Reeves deserve much credit for the late-race recovery. Continue reading Menard Rebounds From Pit Penalty To Finish 11th At Pocono. →

Menard To Start 20th At Pocono

June 1, 2018

Paul Menard and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion will have to start Sunday’s 400-miler at Pocono Raceway from the middle of the pack, but all indications are that they won’t be there long.

Menard was ninth fastest in Friday’s practice session with a best lap at 174.700 miles per hour.

He was a solid 16th in the first of three rounds of knock-out qualifying with a speed of 174.250 mph. But he slipped a bit in the second round, running his lap at 173.675 mph, which means he will start 20th on Sunday.

“The car was just a little too free going into Turn One in the second round,” Eddie Wood said. Continue reading Menard To Start 20th At Pocono →

Menard Ready To Take On The Tricky Triangle

May 31, 2018

When Indianapolis 500 legend Rodger Ward designed Pocono Raceway, he patterned Turn One after the old Trenton Speedway in New Jersey, Turn Two after Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Turn Three after the Milwaukee Mile.

On the surface it would seem like Paul Menard, driver of the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion would have an advantage at Pocono since he’s won two major NASCAR races on tracks the late Ward used in his planning for Pocono. Menard won the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis in 2011 and an Xfinity Series race at the Milwaukee Mile in 2015.

But he said that Pocono’s turns, while similar to the legendary tracks they were based on, are themselves unique.

“It’s a cool concept,” Menard said of Ward’s use of legendary ovals in designing the 2.5-mile Tricky Triangle at Pocono. “But you don’t look at notes from Indy and Milwaukee. Continue reading Menard Ready To Take On The Tricky Triangle →

Menard Finishes 14th In Coca-Cola 600 At Charlotte

May 28, 2018

Paul Menard and the No. 21 Menards/Knauf team turned in 600 miles worth of solid performance and came away with a 14th place finish in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

And in doing so, they were able to pay an appropriate tribute to the late Lt. Leevi Barnard, the Patrick County, Virginia, native who made the ultimate sacrifice for his country while serving with the U.S. Army in Iraq on May 21, 2009.

Eddie Wood, who like the late Barnard is from Patrick County, said he was proud of the way his family-owned team represented Barnard, whose name was on the top of the windshield of the No. 21 Fusion.

“I was glad we were able to run well the whole night for Leevi and his family,” Wood said. “His sisters were at the race, and it was the first time they’d been to a NASCAR race. Continue reading Menard Finishes 14th In Coca-Cola 600 At Charlotte →

After Disappointing Practice Session, Menard Qualifies 14th At Charlotte

May 24, 2018

Paul Menard and the No. 21 Menard/Knauf team made a significant jump in speed from practice to qualifying for the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Friday, going from 29th fastest in practice to qualifying 14th for Sunday’s race.

In between, they nearly made it to the third and final round of qualifying, but came a hundredth of a second shy of advancing to the final round after posting the seventh best time in the opening round with a lap at 189.347 miles per hour. Continue reading After Disappointing Practice Session, Menard Qualifies 14th At Charlotte →

Menards/Knauf Ford To Remember Leevi Barnard In Coke 600 At Charlotte

May 23, 2018

Patrick County, Virginia, has produced its share of heroes over the years. Some, like the Wood Brothers, came to fame through their success in automobile racing, where the family team still fields the No. 21 Menards/Knauf Ford Fusion driven by Paul Menard.

Others, like First Lt. Leevi Barnard, are heroes because of their service to their country. Continue reading Menards/Knauf Ford To Remember Leevi Barnard In Coke 600 At Charlotte →

Menard Finishes Fourth In Monster Energy Open

May 20, 2018

Paul Menard and the No. 21 Menards/Knauf team didn’t advance out of Saturday’s Monster Energy Open into the All-Star race, but they did do a commendable job of helping showcase a new set-up package for the Monster Energy Cup Series cars.

For the All-Star weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the cars were equipped with an aerodynamic package that significantly increased downforce. That was accompanied by restrictions on the engines that drastically reduced horsepower. Continue reading Menard Finishes Fourth In Monster Energy Open →

Menard Ready For The Unknowns Of All-Star Weekend Format

May 16, 2018

For Paul Menard and the crew of his No. 21 Menards/Knauf Ford Fusion, this weekend’s trip to Charlotte Motor Speedway will be a venture into uncharted territory.

New rules for the Monster Energy All-Star Race weekend means the cars will have an aerodynamic package designed to take away the aero advantage usually enjoyed by the lead driver. And there will be restrictor plates, usually only employed at Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway. Continue reading Menard Ready For The Unknowns Of All-Star Weekend Format →

Menard Steers His Way To Sixth-Place Finish At Kansas

May 13, 2018

Paul Menard and the No. 21 Menards/Atlas team put a couple of disappointing weekends in the rear-view mirror on Saturday night at Kansas Speedway. The team rebounded in a big way by qualifying among the top 12 and coming away with a sixth-place finish in the KC Masterpiece 400.

The entire race weekend played out drama-free for the team, just as Menard hoped it would.

“It was just an uneventful race and a solid weekend,” he said in his post-race comments. “We had good preparation with the car, good [pit] stops, good adjustments.” Continue reading Menard Steers His Way To Sixth-Place Finish At Kansas →

Menard Qualifies 11thAt Kansas

May 12, 2018

After a couple of tough races on the Monster Energy Cup circuit, Paul Menard was looking for a drama-free trip to Kansas Speedway.

Halfway through the race weekend, Menard is getting his wish.

He and the crew of his No. 21 Menards/Atlas Ford were solid in practice, then made it through a tough inspection process and advanced to the third and final round of knock-out qualifying where they earned the 11thstarting spot for Saturday night’s KC Masterpiece 400. Continue reading Menard Qualifies 11thAt Kansas →

Menard Looking For Drama-Free Race At Kansas

May 9, 2018

For Paul Menard and the crew of his No. 21 Ford Fusion, the past two weeks have been ones of great potential and bitter disappointment.

At Talladega Superspeedway, he ran among the leaders early and often, winning Stage Two, leading eight laps and picking up 16 stage points only to be swept up in a multi-car crash not of his own making.

At Dover International Speedway, he had another fast Ford, topping the speed chart in the opening practice, then saw his march forward undone by a lengthy trip to the garage to have a damaged hub replaced. Continue reading Menard Looking For Drama-Free Race At Kansas →

Glen And Leonard Wood To Receive Distinguished Patrick Countian Award
May 7, 2018
Brothers Glen and Leonard Wood built their first race car back in 1950, working underneath a beech tree on the family homestead in Buffalo Ridge, Va.

They ran their first race in 1950, with Glen driving and Leonard the mechanic, at Morris Speedway near Martinsville.

Glen was involved in a wreck in that first race, and the car burned up on the way home, but the brothers were undeterred. Today, the Wood Brothers brand is a household name among race fans, as is the case in their hometown of Stuart. Continue reading Glen And Leonard Wood To Receive Distinguished Patrick Countian Award →